Overwolf Raises $52.5M To Unlock Modding For Game Developers and Publishers with The Launch of CurseForge Core, a UGC as a Service Platform

Tel Aviv, Israel — March 16, 2021 — Overwolf, the all-in-one platform that enables creators to build, distribute, and monetize in-game apps and mods, today announced a $52.5 million Series C round and the launch of CurseForge Core, a User Generated Content (UGC) as a service platform. CurseForge Core provides an SDK for game developers that integrates into the game itself and functions as a gateway for users to discover and install mods in-game, across all platforms and storefronts. The round was co-led by Griffin Gaming Partners and Insight Partners with participation from investors including Ubisoft, Warner Music Group, Meg Whitman, Gen.G Co-Founder, Kevin Chou, and existing investors Marker, Intel Capital, Liberty Technology Venture Capital, and Atreides Management. The funding will be used to boost development firepower dedicated to creating services for creators. It will further be used to create more opportunities and vehicles to invest in, and with, the in-game creator community. 

In 2020, as part of its commitment to empower in-game creators, Overwolf acquired CurseForge from Twitch, the biggest repository of mods for video games including top titles like World of Warcraft and Minecraft. CurseForge and Overwolf have supported creator communities for over 15 years with a combined platform that includes over 30,000 creators, 90,000 mods and add-ons, and 18 million monthly users. Overwolf has experienced 300% growth in the last year as the market for content around games rises.  

“We are at a new user-generated content inflection point, and the strong growth of gaming lies largely in the hands of “in-game creators,” a term we coined to categorize this new generation of in-game app creators and mod authors. The more content and customizability a game has, the more likely a gamer will keep experiencing its content and by that extending the longevity of the game and generating more value for game developers and publishers in the long run,” commented Uri Marchand, Overwolf CEO and Co-Founder.  “By offering CurseForge Core, we are accelerating the community-created content movement by enabling publishers to easily integrate mods safely and seamlessly into their existing and new games. With the backing of the most notable investors in the space, we are confident that the Overwolf platform will lay the groundwork for a new era of AAA game creation.” 

Overwolf believes in a future in which the community can participate with the game developer in creating new, moderated, and safe game experiences. This benefits game developers, as game development costs continue to rise, adding community firepower can be critical. With CurseForge Core, Overwolf manages content moderation, UGC-related live ops, and creator payment, enabling game developers and studios to access community-created content easily without incurring additional costs. CurseForge Core offers the following benefits:

• Cross-Platform Modding -- Integrate Overwolf’s open-source SDKs and plugins to let players discover and install mods in-game, across all platforms and storefronts.
• Full Analytics Dashboard -- Get a full modding usage dashboard to learn which mods are popular. Gather insights on what content players find enjoyable, which genres are trending, and much more. 
• Safe and Secure Moderation -- Each mod submitted is scanned for viruses or inappropriate content. Defined policies and guidelines on what is permitted are enforced by Overwolf, and only authorized content is published. 
• Creator Relations and Payment -- CurseForge supports creators with Author Rewards Program, fund investments, developer contests, and hackathons.

“Similar to how developers use Unity to build a game, we see Overwolf as the framework for everything UGC related to games. Overwolf allows for one of the only means of monetization for the thousands of creators, in turn, this translates to increased engagement for the publishers and more content for gamers.  Services like Overwolf set the stage for the industry to see a new generation of user-generated content and we are excited to invest in the leading company moving this space forward,” commented Nick Tuosto, Co-Founder of Griffin Gaming Partners and Managing Director at LionTree.

“We've been following UGC in gaming for many years and believe Overwolf has established itself as a leader in this category,” said Teddie Wardi, Managing Director at Insight Partners. “AAA game studios will want to allow creators to build and express themselves, and Overwolf is positioned as the platform to make this possible by ensuring that creators are recognized for their contributions, and easily integrating creations into games. Overwolf has proved themselves to be strong champions of the creator community and we look forward to helping them scale up in 2021.”

“Overwolf is developing the holy grail of frameworks for UGC for both publishers and in-game creators. Enabling all major publishers like us, to allow the creation of mods in a safe, secure, authorized, and profitable manner; is a game changer for all creators and IP holders,” said Oscar Navarro, Head of Corporate Development for Ubisoft.

To learn more about how CurseForge Core can support AAA developers and game studios, please visit https://link.overwolf.com/cfcore. 

About Overwolf 

Overwolf is the guild for in-game creators. With over 30,000 creators and 18 million monthly active users, Overwolf is the all-in-one platform that enables creators to build, distribute, and monetize in-game apps and mods. Built for creators by creators, Overwolf is on a mission to unite the in-game creator community and empower them to make a living doing what they love - developing truly awesome gaming experiences. Based in Tel Aviv, Overwolf has raised over $75 million to date from investors including Griffin Gaming Partners, Insight, Marker, Intel Capital and Liberty Technology Venture Capital.

About Griffin Gaming Partners

California based Griffin Gaming Partners was founded in 2019 by Nick Tuosto, Managing Director and Head of Gaming at LionTree; Peter Levin, Co-founder of Nerdist Industries and former President of Interactive Ventures, Games, and Digital Strategy at Lionsgate; and Phil Sanderson, a venture capitalist with over two decades of experience in game investing. The firm recently raised north of $250 million in its first fund to invest in game companies and related technologies around the world.

About Insight Partners

Insight Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Founded in 1995, Insight Partners has invested in more than 400 companies worldwide and has raised through a series of funds more than $30 billion in capital commitments. Insight’s mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on software expertise to foster long-term success. Across its people and its portfolio, Insight encourages a culture around a belief that ScaleUp companies and growth create opportunity for all. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit insightpartners.com or follow us on Twitter @insightpartners.