Turkey: The Region’s Latest Gaming Unicorn Factory

Turkey has rapidly cemented its place as one of the world’s most exciting mobile gaming hubs, earning the title as the latest “Unicorn Factory” of the Middle East and Africa. Home to over 85 million people, with nearly 38% of the population identifying as gamers, Turkey’s youthful demographics, thriving developer scene, and entrepreneurial energy have helped the country consistently punch above its weight on the global stage. 

Turkey ranks among the top five producers of mobile games worldwide, particularly in the hyper-casual segment. Istanbul alone boasts one of Europe’s highest concentrations of gaming studios—second only to London. A robust talent pipeline, backed by universities offering game design curricula and specialized bootcamps, continues to fuel this ecosystem with skilled developers, animators, and creative talent. 

Government incentives, including tax breaks, export subsidies, and R&D grants, have further energized the local startup scene, while dedicated technoparks like Istanbul Technopark and METU Technopolis provide infrastructure, funding support, and incubation programs. Meanwhile, TESFED (Turkish ESports Federation) has played a key role in the formalization and growth of eSports across the country, with investments into eSports arenas and training centers. 

The result? A startup ecosystem that has become a magnet for global venture capital, with five out of the Top 20 most funded gaming startups in the MEAPT region originating from Turkey

Where It All Started - Peak Games: Pioneering Success

Founded in 2010 by Sidar Şahin and Rina Onur Sirinoglu, Peak Games became Turkey’s first unicorn in 2020 when it was acquired by Zynga for $1.8 billion, after raising only US $18 million in its first two years. The company’s popular titles, such as Toon Blast and Toy Blast, both of which have consistently ranked within the top 10 and top 20 US iPhone grossing games rankings, have garnered a global audience. Their success has also allowed the company to never have to fundraise again for the seven years prior to its acquisition. Peak Games has paved the way for other Turkish Gaming startups, as it brilliantly showcased Turkey’s potential in mobile gaming and the gaming development talent in the country.

Though Peak Games paved the way, and showed us that you didn’t have to fundraise much to get results - it certainly opened the floodgates for international investors to take a keen interest in Turkey’s gaming scene, and start backing gaming studios with capital. Here are a list of Turkey’s five most funded gaming startups.  

Meet Turkey’s Gaming Unicorns and Rising Stars

#1 – Dream Games

Dream Games has become Turkey’s brightest unicorn success story in record time. Founded in 2019 by four Peak Games alumni — Soner Aydemir, Hakan Sağlam, Eren Şengül, and İkbal Namlı — the company quickly captured global attention with its flagship title Royal Match. Focused on delivering what CEO Soner Aydemir calls a “forever franchise,” Dream Games emphasizes quality, polish, and long-term player engagement rather than chasing fleeting trends. Instead of building a portfolio of games, Dream Games is focused on building “one game, built to perfection.” 

The studio reached unicorn status in under two years, raising US $155 million in its Series B, and securing a further US $255 million Series C in 2022. Most recently, in May 2025, Dream Games was valued at US $5 billion, when it successfully raised a US $2.6 billion debt and equity round from Blackstone and CVC Capital Partners, respectively. Dream Games has successfully scaled Royal Match into one of the top-grossing mobile games worldwide, setting a new bar for Turkish gaming studios aiming to play on the global stage.

#2 – Spyke Games

Co-founded by a group of Peak Games veterans, including Rina Onur Sirinoglu, Barkin Basaram, and Fuat Coskun, Spyke Games was built on the belief that great games deserve long lifespans and loyal communities. With a vision to also create “forever franchises,” the studio has focused on mobile game experiences that can generate lasting engagement and global appeal. What distinguishes this team’s strategic focus - which, like Dream Games, is also made up of Peak Games alumni - is that it aims on placing multiple bets on long-life casual franchises. 

Spyke stunned the market with one of Turkey’s largest seed rounds at US $55 million, followed by an additional US $50 million Series A in May 2024, led by fellow gaming powerhouse Moon Active. With a valuation of approximately US $315 million, Spyke is well on its way to joining Turkey’s unicorn club, building momentum with its growing portfolio of mobile hits. 

#3 – Loop Games

Founded by Mert Gür, Loop Games carved out its place in the hyper-casual genre with its breakout hit Match 3D, a memorybased puzzle game that quickly became one of the most downloaded titles in the U.S., Japan, England, and Germany. By the end of 2021, Match 3D ranked as the 7th most downloaded app in the U.S., reflecting Loop’s ability to tap into global user behavior with simplicity and addictiveness. 

The studio secured US $60 million in a corporate funding round from U.S.-based Tilting Point, fueling its expansion into new titles and markets. The strategic funding allowed Loop Games to scale its player base from 500,000 to 2.6 million monthly active users within just a few months, showcasing the studio’s knack for scaling hyper-casual games at speed.

#4 – Manc Games

Launched in 2019, Manc Games is one of Turkey’s pioneers in integrating blockchain technology into the gaming space. The company’s ecosystem revolves around Mancium, a utility token that powers in-app purchases, special events, and the Manc Academy learning platform. With a focus on transparency, security, and decentralization, Manc Games has embraced the future of Web3 gaming. 

By 2022, Manc had raised US $50 million from GEM Digital Limited to support the global listing of Mancium across 10 centralized exchanges and to enhance its portfolio of blockchain-powered mobile games, which have collectively reached over 3 million downloads.

#5 – Ace Games

Founded by serial entrepreneur Hakan Bas, Ace Games is best known for Fiona’s Farm, a casual farming and story-based game available on both iOS and Android. Ace Games raised US $8 million from Re-Pie in 2022 following its US $25 million Series A round, led by Israeli gaming giant Playtika, which also took a minority stake in the company. 

With a focus on global markets and mobile-first storytelling, Ace Games continues to expand its reach, riding the wave of consumer demand for light-hearted, engaging casual games with emotionally resonant narratives.

Rising Stars: The Next Wave of Turkish Game Studios

And Turkey’s bench is deep, with promising up-and-comers like: 

• Nowhere Studios (Monochroma) – raised US $500k
• Gamer Arena (eSports and Web3 platform) – raised US $550k
• Vellichor Games (indie game studio) – raised US $50k from WePlay Ventures

Model for Growth

With global studios, unicorn exits, and high-profile acquisitions, Turkey has proven it can compete at the highest levels of game development. Its combination of deep talent pools, government support, and investor enthusiasm ensures Turkey’s position as one of the world’s most exciting gaming ecosystems for the next generation of founders, players, and investors.

Get a round-up of the biggest gaming trends, startup breakthroughs, and investment opportunities across the Middle East and Africa in 2025, by downloading our latest Special Report, "MEA Gaming Review 2025".