Azerion Paints the World Smurf Blue in Casual Games Partnership

Azerion will launch a series of Smurfs games as a tie-in.

June 1, 2021

Azerion, a pan-European digital gaming and monetization company, announced it will be the casual gaming partner for IMPS/Lafig, the firm which manages the Smurfs IP. Five new Smurf games will be developed and distributed by Azerion over the next year. The games will be available globally within Azerion’s distribution channels, including on web portals with a reach of 220 million unique players. In addition, selected games will be exclusively available on gaming subscription channels and telecommunication services.

The games will be released at the same time as a new “Smurfs” TV series to be aired around Europe and in the U.S. later this year. The casual games developed by Azerion add to its various platforms’ appeal for the pre-school and tween demographics.

Azerion’s developers will build on positive Smurf values for players. They will emphasize such ideas as teamwork, skills development and environmental awareness.

‘'We are more than thrilled and honored to be working with these iconic

characters,” says Umut Akpinar, co-chief executive office, Azerion. “The Smurfs are among the funniest and most-loved comic book personalities ever created. Featuring them in our games portfolio will boost our engagement with players around the world.”

The addition of such an iconic IP to the portfolio is expected to add to user engagement levels for Azerion’s publisher partners and improve reach for advertisers targeting this type of audience.

“I am very happy with this beautiful partnership,” says Véronique Culliford, president, founder of IMPS, and daughter of Peyo, the Smurfs’ creator. “I have always played online and the idea of having five games specifically featuring my little Smurfs enchants me. I'm sure they will appeal to all Smurf fans, everywhere.”

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