Nineteen game studios from across the MENA region have officially graduated from the second cohort of the Exel by Merak gaming accelerator, a program launched by Merak Capital to catalyze the regional interactive entertainment industry. Each graduating startup received $300,000 in funding as part of an $80 million initiative designed to position Saudi Arabia as a global gaming hub. During the recent Demo Day, it was revealed that the second cohort has already generated $1.2 million in early revenue and secured over 2 million social impressions, signaling strong market interest in the region’s emerging development talent.
Strategic Growth And Regional Relocation
The accelerator program, a key pillar in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy for the digital economy, has successfully attracted international talent to the Kingdom. Several studios originally founded in Europe, including Spain’s Blame the Game Studios and Turkey’s Taka Studio, have relocated their operations to Saudi Arabia to tap into the local ecosystem. The program provides more than just capital; graduates gain access to a global network of mentors and the potential for follow-on investment from Merak Capital’s dedicated gaming fund. Following the success of the first two cycles, applications for the third cohort are scheduled to open in April 2026.
Diversified Gaming Portfolios
The graduating class represents a broad spectrum of genres and platforms, ranging from mobile-first hybridcasual titles to narrative-driven console experiences. The 19 startups and their primary focus areas include:
- Holodot Game Studio: A Saudi developer specializing in competitive multiplayer titles like Shotball.
- PackDev Games: A studio relocated from Serbia focusing on high-cadence yearly releases, starting with SOS Incident.
- Saer Games: A Saudi-based developer dedicated to crafting immersive small-scale RPGs for global audiences.
- Nimble Fox Games: A mobile-first studio utilizing rapid iteration to release new data-driven titles every three weeks.
- Entropy Minds Studios: Developer of Psi Break, a narrative-driven team title targeting major console platforms.
- Blame the Game Studios: A Spanish-founded team now in Saudi Arabia, currently developing the procedural heist game Greedy.
- Sandouq Studios: A developer focused on the “boss rush” genre with its 2D souls-like title, Puppetter.
- Inventix Games: A hybridcasual specialist with 13 titles in its portfolio and a development agreement with Voodoo.
- Evlnu GameWorks: A studio building globally focused co-operative experiences, including the simulator Office Chaos.
- Luma Play: Creators of Rocket Force, a fast-paced chaotic shooter built on original intellectual property.
- Stellar Mythical: An RPG developer with a long-term roadmap for narrative-heavy titles like Crystalone.
- Kiddo Education: A mobile studio blending humor with pedagogy in titles like Math Punk Chronicles.
- Dynamic Box Studio: An Azerbaijan-founded team relocated to Riyadh, developing the horror title Madness Afloat.
- PlayBack Games: A developer focusing on multiplayer mechanics and co-op extraction shooters for PC.
- Limeless Studio: A high-production studio targeting the release of two mobile games every two months.
- Taka Studio: Relocated from Istanbul to build a sports strategy universe beginning with HexaFootball.
- Cakebyte: An Abu Dhabi-based developer expanding its regional mobile presence with Punk Royale 2052.
- Innovavera: A Riyadh-based studio developing the historical real-time strategy title Crown of Khosrow.
- SwordPlay Studio: A Saudi developer focused on creating culturally rooted, narrative-driven experiences.
About Exel By Merak
Exel by Merak is an $80 million gaming accelerator managed by Merak Capital, a leading investment firm in Saudi Arabia. The program is specifically designed to nurture early-stage gaming startups by providing equity funding, intensive mentorship, and the infrastructure necessary to scale within the Middle Eastern tech ecosystem. It plays a critical role in the Kingdom’s national strategy to localize game development and foster a sustainable sector for interactive media.
Source: PocketGamer.biz
