Rovio to Develop and Publish ‘Moomin’ Games

Rovio Entertainment, the creator of “Angry Birds,” has entered a long-term partnership with Moomin Characters and Gutsy Animation. Rovio will have the rights to develop and publish Moomin IP-based games for any platform, with exclusive rights for all mobile platforms. Rovio will also become a minority shareholder in Gutsy Animations, the creator of the “Moominvalley” 3D animation series through an equity investment and a convertible loan.

‘’Gutsy Animations did an astonishing job at bringing to life the rich stories and alluring atmosphere of the ‘Moominvalley,’” says Alex Pelletier-Normand, chief executive officer, Rovio Entertainment. “We are honored and excited to enter this partnership with Moomin Characters and Gutsy Animations. Working with Gutsy and Moomin will give us the opportunity to present this iconic brand to new audiences across the globe at the same time as we surely will delight our existing fans. This partnership will diversify our IP portfolio, which is a key step in our consistent growth strategy. Rovio’s first Moomin game, based on the original story and world created by Tove Jansson, and inspired by the ‘Moominvalley’ visuals, is already being developed and we expect it to reach soft launch later this year.”

The length of the partnership is six years, with a possible extension for another six years.

“As Moomin Characters looks to expand their digital footprint and offering, it’s fantastic to join forces with Rovio Entertainment, who bring a wealth of expertise and success in this space,” says Roleff Kråkström, managing director, Moomin Characters. “We’re confident this partnership will open up new opportunities not only to the Moomin trademark, but also to the additional Nordic story. This partnership marks an important milestone in our strategy to take local Nordic creations to the international marketplace.’’

“I’m thrilled to have Rovio joining us and bolstering our efforts to create meaningful international content that leans into Nordic values,” says Marika Makaroff, founder and chief commercial officer, Gutsy Animations. “This investment shows growth does not always need to come from far afield and is an incredible display of confidence in Gutsy Animations’ ability to create high quality, distinctive content for the global market. Additionally, by forging a collaboration between three Finland-based companies, this partnership shows a high level of trust in Finnish know-how, highlighting the power of storytelling through shared values. Through this investment, we’ll have a valuable opportunity to continue writing Finnish success stories across the worlds of both entertainment and culture, which follow in the footsteps of our celebrated, Emmy Award-nominated adaptation of the original Moomin stories, ‘Moominvalley.’”