East Side Games Group
East Side Games Group is a publicly listed Vancouver-based mobile game publisher operating East Side Games and LDRLY Games studios, publishing free-to-play licensed-IP and idle/match titles (The Office, RuPaul's Drag Race, Bud Farm, Funko Pop! Blitz) globally and licensing its GameKit platform to third-party developers.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What East Side Games Group does
East Side Games Group Inc. (TSX: EAGR, OTCQB: EAGRF) is a Vancouver-headquartered, publicly listed mobile game platform technology and publishing group operating across two wholly-owned studios: East Side Games (Vancouver, narrative idle games and the proprietary GameKit platform) and LDRLY Games (Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, creator of the Bud Farm cannabis-themed franchise with 40M+ players). The portfolio spans over a dozen free-to-play mobile titles including licensed IP games (The Office: Somehow We Manage for Peacock, RuPaul's Drag Race Superstar and Match Queen, Trailer Park Boys: Grea$y Money, The Goldbergs: Back to the 80's, It's Always Sunny, Archer: Danger Phone, Funko Pop! Blitz, Cheech & Chong Bud Farm) and original IP (Dragon Up, Bud Farm Idle Tycoon/Grass Roots/420). Core technology is the GameKit proprietary publishing platform, licensed to external developers to enable capital-light publishing partnerships and work-for-hire arrangements.
The company monetizes through in-app purchases of exclusive virtual items and in-game advertising on iOS and Android globally, with a freemium pricing model and a D2C payment option in development to capture 10-15 percentage points of incremental margin by reducing platform fees. Secondary revenue comes from GameKit platform licensing (SaaS-like) to third-party developers and publishing partners. Distribution runs through Apple App Store and Google Play worldwide, plus a GameKit partner network. Marketing leverages social media, TikTok influencer partnerships (e.g., Nathan Apodaca/Doggface208), and celebrity IP collaborations (RuPaul, Cheech & Chong, B-Real of Cypress Hill).
Operationally, the company is mid-restructuring: full-year 2025 revenue was CAD 77.6M (-7% YoY) with adjusted EBITDA of just CAD 800K (-92% YoY), and management has issued 2026 guidance of CAD 50-56M revenue with 15-18% A-EBITDA margins following December 2025 cost cuts (~CAD 4M annualized savings), a leadership transition (Jason Bailey as Executive Chairman & CEO), a CAD 2.95M private placement to repair the balance sheet amid disclosed covenant non-compliance with lender RBC, and the June 2026 settlement of litigation with Truly Social Games.
East Side Games Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- East Side Games Group
- Legal name
- East Side Games Group Inc.
- Website
- https://eastsidegamesgroup.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- East Side Games Group is a publicly listed Vancouver-based mobile game publisher operating East Side Games and LDRLY Games studios, publishing free-to-play licensed-IP and idle/match titles (The Office, RuPaul's Drag Race, Bud Farm, Funko Pop! Blitz) globally and licensing its GameKit platform to third-party developers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
East Side Games Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Gaming
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile & F2P Game Studios (MPAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores (BPAMAKAB), Game & In-App Content Stores (BPAMADAC)
Keywords
Where East Side Games Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
East Side Games Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- In-App Purchases (IAP): Revenue from selling exclusive, game-enhancing virtual items to players. Primary monetization mechanism for free-to-play titles. Direct-to-consumer payment options being developed to reduce platform fees.
- In-Game Advertising: Revenue from in-game advertising within mobile titles.
- GameKit Platform Licensing: SaaS revenue model from licensing cutting-edge GameKit platform technology to external developers and partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-play base game with optional in-app purchases |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
East Side Games Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
East Side Games Group develops, publishes, and monetizes a portfolio of over a dozen free-to-play mobile games built on licensed entertainment IP and original franchises, including The Office: Somehow We Manage, RuPaul's Drag Race Superstar, Trailer Park Boys: Grea$y Money, and the Bud Farm franchise played by over 40 million users. The proprietary GameKit® platform enables external developers to create and publish games under the company's ecosystem through licensing, work-for-hire, and publishing partnerships.
Product overview
East Side Games Group is a leading mobile game platform technology company and development & publishing group that creates legendary free-to-play mobile games. The company operates a multi-studio model with East Side Games (Vancouver-based, focused on narrative idle games and the GameKit® technology platform) and LDRLY Games (Vancouver Island-based, specializing in cannabis-themed games). The portfolio includes licensed IP titles such as The Office: Somehow We Manage (Peacock), RuPaul's Drag Race Superstar, Trailer Park Boys: Grea$y Money, The Goldbergs: Back to the 80's, and original titles including Bud Farm franchise (Cheech & Chong Bud Farm, Bud Farm Idle Tycoon, Bud Farm Grass Roots, Bud Farm 420) played by over 40 million users. The company operates over a dozen titles across its own studios and an extended Game Kit partner network, reaching players on iOS and Android worldwide. Revenue is generated through in-app purchases (exclusive virtual items) and in-game advertising. The proprietary GameKit® platform enables capital-light publishing partnerships and work-for-hire arrangements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GameKit: Proprietary mobile game platform technology that enables developers to create and publish mobile games; licensed to external partners
- East Side Games
- LDRLY Games
Products and services
- East Side Games Studio
- LDRLY Games Studio
- The Office: Somehow We Manage
Companies that use East Side Games Group
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
East Side Games Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
East Side Games Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- N3TWORK Inc.coreAcquired all interests in Funko Pop! Blitz mobile game assets from N3TWORK Inc., including licensing agreements with Funko and Universal Games. The game features characters from major franchises and has a large fan base of over 30 million Funko collectors.
- Truly Social GamescoreSettlement of litigation reached between ESGG and Truly Social Games in June 2026. Previously announced partnership and subsequent legal dispute now resolved.
- Nathan Apodaca (Doggface208)minorTikTok influencer collaboration for in-game event 'Battle of the Bands' in Cheech & Chong Bud Farm. Nathan appeared as guest character in game, donating $10,000 to charities of his choice.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
East Side Games Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Scopely: Mobile game publisher with major licensed-IP titles (Marvel Strike Force, Stumble Guys, Monopoly GO). Comparable in its F2P mobile publishing model, depth of licensed IP relationships, and recent transition to larger parent (Savvy Games Group).
- Jam City: Independent mobile game studio and publisher behind licensed-IP titles (Disney Mirrorverse, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery). Directly comparable to ESGG in the licensed-IP mobile publishing niche and in the pursuit of similar Hollywood studio IP deals.
- Wooga: Berlin-based mobile game studio owned by Playtika, specializing in story-driven and casual games (June's Journey, Pearl's Peril). Comparable in narrative idle/casual genre focus and licensed-IP mobile publishing model.
- Outfit7: Privately held mobile game developer behind Talking Tom and Friends, owned by Chinese conglomerate Zhejiang Jinke Peroxide. Comparable in F2P mobile publishing with strong IP-driven casual games and similar reliance on character-driven storytelling.
- Pocket Gems: Privately held mobile game studio (Episode, War Dragons) owned by Tencent. Comparable as a mid-sized mobile game publisher focused on narrative/storytelling titles and live-ops F2P monetization.
- Playtika: Publicly traded mobile game company specializing in casual and social casino F2P titles. Comparable in business model (F2P with IAP), genre mix (casual/idle/casino), and goes through similar Apple/Google platform dynamics that ESGG is working to optimize via D2C payments.
- Rovio Entertainment: Finland-based mobile game developer/publisher (Angry Birds franchise) that was acquired by Sega. Comparable to ESGG as a publicly listed mobile game studio with a single flagship IP franchise and a need to diversify into broader genres and licensed partnerships.
- N3TWORK: Mobile game developer and publisher that previously operated the Funko Pop! Blitz game assets acquired by ESGG in 2022. Comparable as a mobile F2P publisher with licensed IP (sports franchises via NFL, Legendary Entertainment films) and similar studio scale.
Emerging players
- Tilting Point: Mobile game publisher with a publisher-services / work-for-hire model similar to ESGG's GameKit platform pivot. Comparable as a partner-publishing business that scales third-party games through capital-light funding and live-ops services.
Broad incumbents
- Zynga: One of the largest mobile-first free-to-play game publishers globally, owned by Take-Two Interactive. Zynga is a direct comparator for ESGG's F2P mobile publishing model, licensed IP games (e.g., Words With Friends, CSR Racing), and idle/genre diversification strategy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
East Side Games Group social profiles
Digital presenceEast Side Games Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
East Side Games Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
East Side Games Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
East Side Games Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
East Side Games Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about East Side Games Group
What does East Side Games Group do?
East Side Games Group develops, publishes, and monetizes a portfolio of over a dozen free-to-play mobile games built on licensed entertainment IP and original franchises, including The Office: Somehow We Manage, RuPaul's Drag Race Superstar, Trailer Park Boys: Grea$y Money, and the Bud Farm franchise played by over 40 million users. The proprietary GameKit® platform enables external developers to create and publish games under the company's ecosystem through licensing, work-for-hire, and publishing partnerships.
Is East Side Games Group a public or private company?
East Side Games Group is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was East Side Games Group founded?
East Side Games Group was founded in 2011. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is East Side Games Group based?
East Side Games Group is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does East Side Games Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. In-App Purchases (IAP) is the primary driver. The others are in-Game Advertising and gameKit Platform Licensing.
Who are East Side Games Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Scopely, Jam City, Wooga, Outfit7, Pocket Gems, Playtika, Rovio Entertainment and N3TWORK. Tilting Point is listed as an emerging player. Zynga is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does East Side Games Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for East Side Games Group.
What industry is East Side Games Group in?
East Side Games Group's product category is Mobile Gaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAB, Mobile & F2P Game Studios, with a secondary code of BPAMAKAB, Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores. Its SIC code is 7990.