ForthStar, the free-to-play games studio launched by Playdemic founders Paul Gouge and Alex Rigby, has been acquired by LEGO Digital Play.
The serial entrepreneurs launched Manchester-based ForthStar in 2023 after securing $10m (£8m) in funding from Griffin Gaming Partners.
Gouge and Rigby have an impressive track record of success, most notably with BAFTA-winning Playdemic, which produced the hit mobile game Golf Clash.
The studio was subsequently sold to Electronic Arts for a record-breaking $1.4bn.
Gouge said: “LEGO Digital Play is the perfect home for the phenomenal talent and experience that have come together at ForthStar.
Playdemic founders secure $10m backing for new studio ForthStar
“We share so much culture, ambition and strategy. I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Aaron Loeb, head of LEGO Digital Play, and the awesome LEGO Digital Play team and studios to build a new generation of games in LEGO. Let’s go!”
The ForthStar team celebrated the deal with champagne, doughnuts and lots of LEGO.
Loeb launched LEGO Digital Play as a separate company from the LEGO Group at the start of 2025.
According to GamesBeat, the business employs just over 100 people, mostly in London and Denmark, and will add around 30 staff through the acquisition of ForthStar.
Gouge will become head of games across LEGO Digital Play, while Rigby will continue to lead ForthStar as a flagship studio.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and the ForthStar team will remain in Manchester.
Record of success
Since founding their first mobile games studio, BattleMail, in 2001, Rigby and Gouge have built a formidable track record of success.
Their first venture was sold to (M)Forma in 2002, followed by the creation and sale of Rockpool Games to Eidos/Square Enix in 2007.
Their biggest success came with Playdemic, which spent several years under Warner Bros ownership before being sold to Electronic Arts for $1.4bn in cash.
The deal set a new benchmark for the sale of a UK games studio.