Let's take a break from all the convention coverage to write about a few business deals within the game industry.
While at Toy Fair in NYC in mid-February 2026, I was surprised to find a display of Bananagrams games on the wall outside the giant enclosed booth of Moose Toys. What's more, these games now bore tags listing the publisher as "Moose Games". I wrote a note to myself: "When did Moose buy Bananagrams?"
I still don't know the answer to that as Moose has only an undated press release on its website announcing the acquisition and a call to the company got only a vague "end of 2025" answer. Here's two excerpts from the announcement:
This exciting move strengthens our global Games portfolio and unites two family-founded companies with a shared passion for creativity, innovation, and delivering truly unique play experiences.
"Bananagrams shares our family-driven values and embodies everything we represent at Moose," said Paul Solomon, CEO and Co-Owner. "This now instantly recognizable brand brings people all over the world together for connection and play — the same ethos behind all our innovation at Moose. We've admired how this amazing team turned a simple idea into a household name, and we see enormous potential to continue its legacy as part of our ongoing strategy to accelerate our growth in the Games category."
At the start of 2026, German publisher KOSMOS acquired Thames & Kosmos UK, which was previously an independent foreign subsidiary. From a translation of the press release announcing the deal:
With this transaction, Thames & Kosmos UK becomes KOSMOS' first wholly owned foreign subsidiary. The Stuttgart-based toy and media company is thus consistently pursuing its internationalization strategy and further expanding its international activities...
As part of the complete acquisition, organizational adjustments will also be made and standardized processes established to further enhance control. KOSMOS is thus laying the foundation for the next stage of growth in the British market, a key component of the company's international growth strategy.
In addition to its location in Great Britain, KOSMOS also has another foreign branch in the USA and a worldwide network of sales partners who distribute KOSMOS products in over 80 countries worldwide.
On February 17, 2026, asmodee announced a licensing deal with Netflix for "exclusive global rights to adapt the board game Ticket to Ride". From the press release:
- The deal covers scripted and unscripted projects across film, television series, and other formats, and will be the first on-screen adaptation of the game.
- The first project being developed under the deal is a feature film written by Ben Mekler and Chris Amick. Producers are Darren Kyman for asmodee, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum for the Tannenbaum Company, and Jonathan Levine and Gillian Bohrer for Megamix.
- Alan R. Moon will executive produce on behalf of asmodee.
In October 2025, asmodee had announced a similar deal with Netflix for adaptation rights to CATAN.
