Half Year Results

Summary by AI BETAClose X

Everplay Group plc reported a resilient first half of 2026 with revenue of £66.9 million, down 8% from £72.4 million in the prior year, primarily due to the phasing of major title launches into the second half. Despite a decrease in gross profit to £23.9 million and adjusted EBITDA to £9.2 million, the company experienced strong momentum in the second half with new releases "Hell Let Loose: Vietnam" and "Wardogs" performing exceptionally well, exceeding expectations and setting sales records. Consequently, Everplay now anticipates full-year 2026 results to be materially ahead of current market expectations, with a strong balance sheet maintained at £57.1 million in cash and cash equivalents. The company also declared an interim dividend of 1.1 pence per share.

Disclaimer*

Everplay Group plc
15 September 2026
 

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon publication of this announcement, this inside information is considered to be in the public domain.

 

 

15 September 2026

everplay group plc  

("everplay", the "Group" or the "Company") 

 

Half Year Results

 

·    Resilient H1 revenue performance ahead of major title launches in H2

·    Strong start to H2, with new titles Hell Let Loose: Vietnam and Wardogs performing well ahead of expectations

·    FY 2026 results expected to be materially ahead of current market expectations

 

everplay, a leading global independent ("indie") developer and publisher of premium video games, working simulation games and children's edutainment apps, is pleased to announce its unaudited results for the six months ended 30 June 2026 ("H1 2026", "half" or "period").

 

Mikkel Weider, Group Chief Executive Officer of everplay, commented:

"It is a pleasure for me to present everplay's half year results. Our back catalogue posted another resilient performance in a half in which there were no major new releases, underpinning the solid foundations upon which everplay is built.

"At the same time, the teams have been laser focused on preparing for our key releases in the second half. We have entered the period with real momentum, and feel confident in materially exceeding market expectations for the full year. I am pleased to share that our major new releases, including Hell Let Loose: Vietnam and Wardogs, are performing well ahead of our expectations, breaking many sales and player number records. I am also delighted to say that we have exercised our option to increase our shareholding in Super Media Group, owners of Bulkhead - the team behind Wardogs. We have long admired this team, and we are thrilled to further strengthen our relationship and support them on their journey.

"I'd really like to thank everyone at everplay and our partners for their hard work and dedication so far this year, and welcome everyone who has joined the Group, including Jon Rissik as Chief Growth Officer. With a strong balance sheet, resilient catalogue, growing portfolio of first-party IP and innovative third-party games, we are well positioned to deliver accelerated growth."

 

Financial summary


Unaudited six months ended 30 June 2026

Unaudited six months ended 30 June 2025

% change

Revenue

£66.9m

£72.4m

(8)%

Gross Profit

£23.9m

£33.7m

(29)%

Gross Profit Margin

35.7%

46.5%


Adjusted EBITDA1

£9.2m

£19.2m

(52)%

Adjusted EBITDA margin

13.7%

26.5%


Profit Before Tax

£1.6m

£14.3m

(89)%

Adjusted Profit Before Tax

£8.8m

£19.7m

(55)%

Basic Earnings per Share ("EPS")

(0.4)p

7.4p


Adjusted EPS1

3.7p

10.5p

(65)%

Operating Cash Conversion2

128%

94%


Cash and cash equivalents

£57.1m

£59.5m

(4)%

 

·   Group revenue of £66.9 million, down 8% (H1 2025: £72.4 million), or 5% excluding the impact of the strategic exit from Astragon's low-margin physical distribution activities, reflecting the phasing of major FY 2026 releases into H2.

·    Back catalogue revenues remained robust, rising modestly to £64.3 million (H1 2025: £63.5 million), with contributions from more than 150 titles, demonstrating the breadth and longevity of the Group's portfolio, underpinning the strong foundations of the Group

·    Adjusted EBITDA of £9.2 million (H1 2025: £19.2 million), reflecting lower revenues and investment ahead of the major H2 release programme.

·    Increased investment in the pipeline, with capitalised development expenditure up 14% to £16.4 million (H1 2025 £14.3 million), across 20% more titles than the prior period, of which 65% related to first-party IP (H1 2025: 59%).

·    Strong balance sheet maintained, with £57.1m of cash and cash equivalents at the period end (H1 2025: £59.5 million), providing capacity to fund organic growth initiatives and selective M&A.

 

Operational summary

·   Team17 delivered a resilient back catalogue performance, alongside four new titles launched, including Lumentale: Memories of Trey, Sintopia, Wardrum and Rogue Point. Team17 was also named Indie Publisher of the Year at the MCV/DEVELOP Awards.

·    StoryToys revenues grew by 43%, with active subscribers up 22% to 408k, and total downloads of over 18 million. 394 app updates were released across multiple titles, including LEGO® Bluey, LEGO® DUPLO® Disney, LEGO® DUPLO® World and Disney Coloring World. LEGO® Bluey delivered a strong performance, including winning Best Mobile Game at the Kidscreen Awards 2026 and Best Licensed Video Game Project at the Bologna Licensing Awards.

·    Astragon released two smaller new titles: Ranger's Path: National Park Simulator into PC Early Access and Underground Garage. Efforts continue to improve performance, with operations refocused on its core IPs.

·    Rissik joined everplay as Chief Growth Officer, overseeing new growth opportunities across the Group. Most recently serving as CEO of Dovetail Games, Jon brings more than 25 years' experience in gaming franchise and lifecycle management.

·    Since the period end the Group has exercised its option to increase its stake in Super Media Group, owners of Wardogs developer Bulkhead, to 28%, further strengthening their partnership within the exciting first-person shooter genre.

 

Interim dividend

·    The Board has declared an interim ordinary dividend of 1.1 pence per share payable on 23 October 2026 to those shareholders on the register as at 25 September 2026. The ex-dividend date is 24 September 2026.

 

Outlook

·     Strong start to H2 2026 trading, supported by record sales generated from Hell Let Loose: Vietnam and Wardogs, alongside continued resilience from the Group's back catalogue.

·    Further new title releases expected in H2 2026, providing additional opportunities to drive growth through the remainder of the year.

·     The Board now expects FY 2026 revenue and adjusted EBITDA to be materially ahead of current market expectations3, with adjusted EBITDA margin expected to be broadly in line with FY 2025.

·    Capitalised development expenditure for FY 2026 in a range of £35-40 million (FY 2025: £33.2 million), reflecting a 15% increase in the number of titles in development, and in a similar range for FY 2027. Approximately two-thirds of this expenditure relates to first-party IP.

 

1 Adjusted EBITDA reflects the EBITDA of the Group, without the impact of acquisition-related costs which vary year on year based on acquisition activity. In addition, it includes the impact of amortisation and impairment of development costs, publishing rights and IP licences, as this reflects the primary costs incurred by the Group in generating revenue. Full disclosures on earnings adjustments can be found in the Alternative Performance Measures section of the Group Financial Review 

2 Operating cash conversion is defined as cash generated from operating activities adjusted to add back payments made to satisfy pre-acquisition liabilities recognised under IFRS 3 "Business Combinations", divided by earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation ("EBITDA") 

3 Company-compiled consensus shows FY26 revenues of £175.2 million and adjusted EBITDA of £50.7 million.

 

 

Analyst and institutional investor webcast

A presentation for analysts and institutional investors will be held on Tuesday, 15 September 2026 at 8.30 a.m. BST. To register for this event please contact Vigo Consulting on:

everplay@vigoconsulting.com.

 

Retail investor webcast

A webcast for retail investors will be held on Tuesday, 15 September 2026 at 10.00 a.m. BST. The presentation will be hosted on the Engage Investor platform. Questions can be submitted pre-event or at any time during the live presentation. Investors can sign up for free via the following link: https://engageinvestor.news/EVPL_IP26

 

Enquiries:

 

everplay group plc

Mikkel Weider, Group Chief Executive Officer  

Rashid Varachia, Group Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer

James Targett, Group Investor Relations Director 

 

ir@everplaygroupplc.com  

Peel Hunt (Nominated Advisor and Joint Corporate Broker) 

Neil Patel / Benjamin Cryer / Kate Bannatyne 

 

+44 (0)20 7418 8900 

Jefferies International Limited (Joint Corporate Broker)  

Philip Noblet / Will Brown

 

+44 (0)20 7029 8000 

Vigo Consulting (Financial Public Relations) 

Jeremy Garcia / Fiona Hetherington / Safia Colebrook

everplay@vigoconsulting.com

+44 (0)20 7390 0233 

 

 

About everplay group plc   

everplay group plc is an award-winning and leading global indie games label developer and publisher of premium video games and apps, comprising three distinct divisions: Team17, Astragon and StoryToys. Team17 is a games developer, publisher and creative partner for indie developers around the world, known for iconic IP such as Hell Let Loose, Worms, Wardogs, Dredge and Overcooked!. Astragon is a leading games publisher, developer and distributor of sophisticated working simulation games, including Construction Simulator and Police Simulator, targeting a broad audience from young enthusiasts to technical experts and casual gamers. StoryToys is a world-class developer and publisher of educational entertainment apps, bringing the world's most popular characters, worlds and stories to life for children under the age of eight, with apps including Disney Colouring World and LEGO® Bluey.

 

Visit www.everplaygroupplc.com for more information or follow us on LinkedIn: everplay group plc

 

Operational review

Introduction

The Group has been exceptionally busy during the period, preparing for major new title launches in the second half of the year from its largest franchises including Hell Let Loose and Bus Simulator, as well as a new title, Wardogs, with strategic partners Bulkhead. However, there has also been a steady flow of new high-quality content, with the launch of four new third-party titles from Team17, a brand new first-party IP from Astragon, as well as very strong growth from StoryToys. The continued performance of the back catalogue in the period again shows the strength and breadth of everplay's broad portfolio and the teams' lifecycle management capabilities, sustaining robust sales of the Group's titles for many years after their original launch.

The softer performance in the half compared to the prior period reflects the timing of the new release schedule in FY 2026, with larger titles in the second half, together with the timing of investment and other costs ahead of the associated revenue contribution. However, the Group is on track to deliver a record second half performance, returning to strong growth and a sharp improvement in margins, supported and corroborated by the very strong revenue performance from titles released so far in August and September.

During the period, the Group also continued to strengthen its organisational structure, with a focus on increasing efficiency, enabling greater collaboration across the Group and building a scalable platform to support future growth.

Strategic Update

The Group has continued to make good progress against its core strategic priorities, namely:

·    building long term first-party IP roadmaps;

·    discovering & nurturing innovative new third-party games;

·    maintaining disciplined cost control; and

·    driving organic & inorganic growth.

One brand new first-party IP was launched during the half (Ranger's Path: National Park Simulator from Astragon). Since the period end, two new instalments of best-selling existing franchises have been launched (Hell Let Loose: Vietnam and Bus Simulator 27), while a further four have also been announced. Investing in established first-party franchises provides greater visibility around new releases, supports higher-margin revenues and creates opportunities for sustained lifecycle revenues through additional content and continued back catalogue sales. This approach is proven to generate attractive returns on development investment over the life of a title.

In the Group's third-party games catalogue, Lumentale: Memories of Trey proved a highlight for Team17 in H1 2026, and post-period end Wardogs, the Group's first title with first-person shooter ("FPS") specialist Bulkhead, has performed ahead of expectations, breaking sales and player-number records, providing an encouraging start to this strategic partnership. The pipeline for third-party games remains strong, with a broad range of innovative content in development.

Capitalised development costs increased 14% during the period and are expected to rise further in the second half as the pipeline expands. Forecast FY 2026 capitalised development expenditure will cover a 15% increase in games in development, with first-party titles accounting for around two thirds of total investment. Importantly, this increase is managed within a disciplined capital allocation framework. Average spend per title in FY 2026 is expected to be broadly flat on FY 2025 levels, driven entirely by higher spend on first-party titles. This trend is expected to continue, reflecting the Group's deliberate allocation of more capital towards proven franchises with established communities and greater visibility over potential returns.

Organic growth remains a key priority and the Group has taken further steps during the half to strengthen the organisation, support future growth, drive synergies and unlock greater value from future acquisitions. Jon Rissik has joined everplay as Chief Growth Officer, bringing more than 25 years' experience across media, publishing and games. Jon has held senior leadership roles at Electronic Arts and Codemasters, most recently serving as CEO of Dovetail Games, where he led its development from a company of around 30 employees into one of the industry's leading simulation game publishers. As Chief Growth Officer, Jon will work across the Group to help identify new opportunities, support the businesses as they continue to grow, and strengthen the capabilities underpinning Team17, StoryToys and Astragon.

Further investments were also made in central functions, including People & Culture, Finance, IT and M&A as part of the move towards a more scaled service offering from the centre, so as to drive efficiencies across the Group and enable the business units to stay agile and nimble. The reorganisation of Team17 into three portfolio pillars, each focused on specific areas of the market and designed to deepen category expertise and improve portfolio management, has progressed well.

The Group continues to realise value from previous acquisitions, including through the release of DLC for Heroes of Hammerwatch II in July 2026. Selective M&A remains an important component of the Group's long-term growth strategy, supported by its strong balance sheet and disciplined approach to capital allocation. Since the period end, the Group has exercised its option, the terms of which were agreed at the time of the first subscription, to increase its stake in Super Media Group, owners of Wardogs developer Bulkhead, to 28% from 20% for £2 million. Following the hugely successful recent release of Wardogs, this has been a highly attractive investment and the Group is excited to further expand its partnership with Bulkhead within the FPS genre.

Divisional Review

Team17

Revenues declined 16% in the half to £41.1 million (H1 2025: £49.3 million) on the back of the very strong performance from new releases in the comparative period and the phasing of releases in FY 2026.

Four titles were launched during H1 2026, with Lumentale: Memories of Trey delivering a particularly encouraging performance and receiving a positive response from the Monster Collector role playing game audience. Team17 also launched Sintopia, Wardrum and Rogue Point in Early Access. While these titles were positively received, the aggregate contribution from H1 new releases was below the prior period, which benefitted from the launch of the hugely successful Date Everything!.

Back catalogue revenue remained resilient, declining by 5% compared with the prior period, with strong contributions from the Overcooked! franchise, Golf With Your Friends, Worms W.M.D and Hell Let Loose. Team17 continued to extend the reach and lifecycle of its existing portfolio through new platform launches and additional content. Worms W.M.D launched on Amazon GameNight and Overcooked! All You Can Eat on Netflix, while The Survivalists and Nice Day for Fishing were released on Epic. New DLC was also released across a number of titles, including The Survivalists: Frostbite Fortress and Blasphemous 2: The Third Sin.

During the period, Team17 was named Indie Publisher of the Year at the MCV/DEVELOP Awards, recognising the strength of its development partnerships, publishing capabilities and long-standing position within the independent games market.

Pleasingly, initial trading during the second half of the year has been very strong.  August saw the full release of Rogue Point and the tenth anniversary of the BAFTA-winning Overcooked! franchise, which has now attracted more than 100 million players across Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Netflix Games.

In August 2026, Worms Galactic Tactics, the latest instalment in Team17's original and iconic Worms franchise, was announced at Gamescom. The game is expected to be released in 2027.

The main event in August was the much-anticipated full release of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, which, despite some technical issues affecting the first weeks of review scores, generated record month one sales for the Group, attracting peak CCUs over 65,000 and achieving the number one position on Steam's global best-sellers chart. This record was broken again in September by the Early Access release of Wardogs, Team17's first title with strategic partner Bulkhead. Initial sales have been outstanding, selling over 1 million copies on day one, with peak CCUs since launch of over 400,000.  New releases still to come in the second half include Silver Pines, What Goes Up and Hokko Spaces.

StoryToys

StoryToys posted an excellent revenue performance in the half, up 43% to £15.9 million (H1 2025: £11.1 million). Total downloads exceeded 18 million over the prior period, active subscribers increased 22% to 408k (H1 2025: 331k), and monthly average users peaking at 9.3 million during the H1 2026.

While no new apps were launched in the period, StoryToys released 394 app updates across multiple titles (H1 2025: 335), including new play packs for LEGO® Bluey, three new franchises for LEGO® DUPLO® Disney (featuring Disney The Little Mermaid and Tangled, and Pixar Toy Story), new play packs for LEGO® DUPLO® World, and new colouring pages for Disney Coloring World (Hoppers and Toy Story 5).  My Very Hungry Caterpillar+ was also released on Apple Arcade.

LEGO® Bluey made a strong revenue contribution in the half, and received several industry accolades, winning Best Mobile Game at the Kidscreen Awards 2026 and Best Licensed Video Game Project at the Bologna Licensing Awards. It was also a finalist for Best Licensed Interactive or Digital Product at the Licensing International Excellence Awards 2026. The Bluey Apple Arcade "Ultimate Playdate" campaign also brought Bluey colouring content to Disney Coloring World+, exclusively on Apple Arcade.

StoryToys has continued to release new content in the second half, including the School play pack for LEGO® Bluey, Tracks & Ramps for LEGO® DUPLO® World, and "George Gets a Hearing Aid" content for LEGO® DUPLO® Peppa Pig. StoryToys' partnership with Netflix continues successfully, with My Very Hungry Caterpillar now live on Netflix Playground, along with additional play packs launching for LEGO® DUPLO® World Netflix.

Astragon

Revenues declined 20% in the half to £9.7 million (H1 2025: £12.0 million), principally reflecting the Group's exit from Astragon's physical distribution business during FY 2025. Excluding physical distribution, revenue fell 6%.

The majority of sales were delivered by the back catalogue, which was supported by five paid-for DLCs, special editions and the release of Police Simulator: Patrol Officers on Nintendo Switch 2. Construction Simulator joined Xbox Game Pass during the period, further extending the franchise's reach and introducing the title to new players. The strength of Astragon's franchises was acknowledged when Weltenbauer, the developer of Construction Simulator and Firefighting Simulator: Ignite, in which Astragon has a 25% stake, was awarded Studio of the Year at the German Computer Game Awards 2026.

During H1 2026, a new brand was added to the portfolio with the release of Ranger's Path: National Park Simulator into PC Early Access. Underground Garage was also released on PC. While these were smaller title launches, sales performance did not reach internal expectations. As a result of the performance, re-organisation initiatives have been completed during the half year.

The second half of the year is packed with new content. It has got off to a good start with the launch in September of Bus Simulator 27, a new title from the major Bus Simulator franchise, set in the Mediterranean and featuring the Solaris brand for the first time. Despite some early issues, the title is making a solid revenue contribution. Firefighting Simulator: Ignite released the Motor Vehicle Accident DLC and Vehicle Rescue Edition in July, as well as joining PlayStation Plus. The second half of 2026 will also see the full release of Seafarer: The Ship Sim.

The Early Access release of Construction Simulator: Evolution has been announced, building on the established franchise with new construction equipment, including Volvo machinery, expanded manual construction activities, demolition mechanics and a range of additional gameplay features. The next instalment of the best-selling Police Simulator franchise was revealed at Gamescom in August, for a PC and Console release in 2027.

Group Financial Review

Revenue

Group revenue decreased by 8% to £66.9 million in H1 2026 (H1 2025: £72.4 million), partly reflecting lower physical distribution revenue following the Group's exit from Astragon's physical distribution activities during FY 2025, together with a lower contribution from new releases. Excluding the impact from the exit of Astragon's physical distribution activities, Group revenue decreased by 5%.

The back catalogue delivered a solid performance, increasing by 1% to £64.3 million (H1 2025: £63.5 million), with contributions from over 150 titles. Revenues from new releases decreased to £2.7 million (H1 2025: £8.9 million), reflecting a softer performance against the very strong comparative contribution from Date Everything! in H1 2025 and the heavy weighting of the Group's major FY 2026 releases towards the second half.

Revenues from first-party IP declined 18% to £20.5 million (H1 2025: £25.1 million), representing 31% of Group revenues (H1 2025: 35%). This principally reflected the inclusion of platform deals in H1 2025, and the focus on new content, including the release of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, in H2 2026. However, the original Hell Let Loose title, along with Golf With Your Friends and Police Simulator: Patrol Officers all continued to make solid contributions during the period. Third-party revenues were broadly stable at £46.4 million (H1 2025: £47.2 million), supported by strong contributions from Overcooked!, Dredge, Disney Coloring World and LEGO® DUPLO® World.

By division, Team17 revenues fell by 16% to £41.3 million (H1 2025: £49.3 million); Astragon revenues declined 20% to £9.7 million (H1 2025: £12.0 million), moderating to a 6% decline excluding physical distribution sales; and StoryToys revenues increased 43% to £15.9 million (H1 2025: £11.1 million).

Gross profit and margin

Group gross profit decreased by 29% to £23.9 million (H1 2025: £33.7 million), with gross margin falling by 10.9 percentage points to 35.7%. The principal driver of the reduction in gross margin was higher amortisation of capitalised development costs, along with some lower margin back catalogue revenues linked to lower first-party revenues, platform deals recognised in H1 2025 and the timing of royalty payments. Capitalised development cost amortisation increased to £11.6 million (H1 2025: £7.1 million), related primarily to titles released over the previous 12 months. This included a title impairment charge of £1.9 million (H1 2025: nil) related to a small number of titles.

Expensed development costs also increased as a percentage of revenue to 8% (H1 2025: 5%), reflecting continued investment in back catalogue content and expenditure associated with the StoryToys Netflix partnership. These increases were partially offset by lower royalty costs, which represented 29.5% of revenue (H1 2025: 30.5%), and lower physical cost of sales following the exit from Astragon's physical distribution activities.

The Group expects a significant improvement in gross margin during H2 2026 as revenue from the major second-half releases is recognised. For the year as a whole, gross margin is expected to be within the recent historical range.

Administrative expenses and profitability

Total administrative expenses increased by 9% to £22.3 million (H1 2025: £20.4 million), predominantly reflecting higher staff costs, associated with the strengthening and centralisation of certain Group  functions, and marketing investment ahead of major new title launches in H2 2026.

Administrative expenses include £6.2 million of acquisition-related adjustments, as set out in the Alternative Performance Measures table below (H1 2025: £5.7 million). The increase principally reflects IP acquisitions completed during FY 2025.

Alternative Performance Measures  


Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted Profit After Tax

 

H1 26

H1 25

H1 26

H1 25


£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

Profit before Tax

1,589

14,310

1,589

14,310

Development cost amortisation eliminated through FV adjustments

(193)

(432)

(193)

(432)

Share based compensation

797

106

797

106

Restructuring costs

383

-

383

-

Acquisition related costs & adjustments

 

 

 

 

Amortisation of acquired intangible1 assets

6,206

5,565

6,206

5,565

Acquisition-related costs

4

-

4

-

Earn out fair value

0

119

-

119

Adjusted profit before tax

8,785

19,668

8,785

19,668

Finance income and costs net of acquisition related costs and adjustments

(142)

(1,142)

n/a

n/a

Depreciation and loss on disposal of tangible assets and software

487

602

n/a

n/a

Amortisation of other intangible assets

50

67

n/a

n/a

Adjusted EBITDA

9,180

19,195

 

 

Taxation (net of impacts on adjustments)



(3,472)

(4,615)

Adjusted profit after tax

 

 

5,314

15,053

Adjusted basic EPS (p)

 

 

3.7

10.5

 

1Acquired intangibles are defined as those that arise directly from M&A activity and include the asset classes Brands, Acquired Apps and Customer and Developer Relationships

The combination of lower gross profit and higher administrative expenses resulted in significant, but expected, operating deleverage during the first half. Operating profit decreased to £1.7 million (H1 2025: £13.4 million). Adjusted EBITDA decreased by 53% to £9.2 million (H1 2025: £19.2 million), with adjusted EBITDA margin reducing by 12.7 percentage points to 13.7% (H1 2025: 26.5%). This reflects the aforementioned phasing of revenue and investment between H1 and H2. Following the major releases in the second half and the anticipated improvement in gross margin, the Group expects adjusted EBITDA margin for FY 2026 to be broadly in line with FY 2025.

Net finance income decreased to £0.1 million (H1 2025: £1.1 million), reflecting lower average cash balances following acquisition activity during the preceding 12 months, lower interest rates and foreign exchange movements. Profit before tax was £1.6 million (H1 2025: £14.3 million), while adjusted profit before tax was £8.8 million (H1 2025: £19.7 million).

Taxation and earnings per share

The tax charge for the period was £2.2 million (H1 2025: £3.7 million), resulting in a loss after tax of £0.6 million (H1 2025: profit of £10.6 million). The tax charge includes a £1.3 million prior-year adjustment relating to the correction of an item originating in FY 2021.

Adjusted taxation was £3.5 million (H1 2025: £4.6 million), representing an adjusted effective tax rate of 39.5% (H1 2025: 23.5%), or approximately 25% excluding the prior-year adjustment. Adjusted profit after tax was £5.3 million (H1 2025: £15.1 million).

Basic earnings per share were (0.4) pence (H1 2025: 7.4 pence). Adjusted earnings per share, which adds back share-based compensation costs and acquisition-related costs and adjustments, was 3.7 pence (H1 2025: 10.5 pence).

Cash flow and development investment

The Group remained highly cash generative, with operating cash conversion of 128% (H1 2025: 94%) and net cash inflow from operations of £27.8 million (H1 2025: £26.0 million).

Capitalised development expenditure increased by 14% to £16.4 million (H1 2025: £14.3 million), comprising £11.1 million at Team17 (H1 2025: £7.7 million), £4.7 million at Astragon (H1 2025: £4.9 million) and £0.8 million at StoryToys (H1 2025: £1.7 million). This expenditure was spread across 20% more titles than in H1 2025, with first-party IP representing 65% of capitalised development spend (H1 2025: 59%), consistent with the Group's strategy of allocating a greater proportion of investment towards owned IP and established franchises.

After capitalised development expenditure and dividends of £2.7 million, cash and cash equivalents at the period end were £57.1 million (H1 2025: £59.4 million), leaving the Group well-funded to execute its organic and inorganic growth strategy.

Outlook

The Group's performance during the second half to date has been ahead of expectations, following the releases of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, Wardogs and Bus Simulator 27. Back catalogue performance has also remained resilient. The Group expects to release at least four other new titles during the second half.

Therefore, the Board now expects FY 2026 revenue and adjusted EBITDA to be materially ahead of current market expectations, with the adjusted EBITDA margin broadly in line with FY 2025.

Capitalised development expenditure for FY 2026 is expected to be in a range of £35-40 million, compared to £33 million in FY 2025, and be in a similar range for FY 2027. In FY 2026, this reflects a 15% increase in the number of titles in development, with approximately two thirds of this expenditure relating to first-party IP.

The Board remains confident in the Group's prospects, supported by a strong balance sheet, a broad and healthy new release pipeline, a unique and consistent back catalogue and a growing portfolio of first-party IP, creating a strong foundation for sustainable growth and long-term shareholder value creation.


Condensed Consolidated Income Statement


 

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June

2026

 

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June

2025

 

Note

£'000

£'000




 

Revenue

4

66,915

72,357


 

 


Cost of sales

 

(43,059)

(38,694)


 

 


Gross profit

 

23,856

33,663

Gross profit %

 

35.7%

46.5%


 

 


Administrative expenses

 

(22,259)

(20,385)

Other income

 

76

135

 

Operating profit

 

1,673

13,413


 

 


Share of net (loss) of associates accounted for using the equity method

 

(226)

(245)

Finance income

 

725

1,236

Finance cost

 

(583)

(94)

 

 

 

Profit before tax

 

1,589

14,310

Taxation

 

(2,172)

(3,681)

 

 


(Loss)/Profit for the period

 

(583)

10,629




Basic (loss)/earnings per share

6

(0.4) pence

7.4 pence

Diluted (loss)/earnings per share

6

(0.4) pence

7.4 pence

Basic adjusted earnings per share

6

3.7 pence

10.5 pence

Diluted adjusted earnings per share

6

3.7 pence

10.4 pence

 

All results relate to continuing activities.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

 

 



Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June

2026

£'000

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June

2025

£'000

(Loss)/Profit for the period


(583)

10,629





Items which might be potentially reclassified to profit or loss:




Exchange difference on translation of foreign operations


(1,457)

3,410

 

Total comprehensive (expense)/income for the period


(2,040)

14,039

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

 


 

Unaudited

30 June 2026

Unaudited

(Restated)* 30 June 2025

Audited

31 December

2025

 

Note

£'000

£'000

£'000

ASSETS





Non-current assets





Investments in associates


3,405

788

3,195

Intangible fixed assets

7

223,445

213,325

227,897

Property, plant and equipment


996

1,116

1,035

Right of use assets


1,617

2,205

1,737

Deferred tax assets


1,352

430

733



230,815

217,864

234,597

Current assets





Trade and other receivables


32,225

34,128

44,295

Current tax assets


1,967

2,116

1,673

Inventories


374

1,457

478

Cash and cash equivalents


57,086

59,445

51,870



91,652

97,146

98,316

Total assets


322,467

315,010

332,913

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES





Equity





Share capital


1,458

1,458

1,458

Share premium


137,572

137,572

137,572

Merger reserve


(153,822)

(153,822)

(153,822)

Currency translation reserve


4,196

3,022

5,653

Other reserves


159,296

159,296

159,296

Retained earnings


137,940

129,198

140,798

Total equity


286,640

276,724

290,955

Non-current liabilities





Lease liabilities


1,055

1,861

1,449

Provisions


111

145

104

Deferred tax liabilities


4,748

6,373

5,563

Total non-current liabilities


5,914

8,379

7,116

Current liabilities





Trade and other payables


28,604

28,850

34,191

Current tax liabilities


540

292

-

Lease liabilities


769

765

651

Total current liabilities


29,913

29,907

34,842

Total liabilities


35,827

38,286

41,958

Total equity and liabilities

 

322,467

315,010

332,913

 

 

 

 Condensed Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

 


 

 

Share capital

Share premium

Merger

Reserve

Currency translation reserve

Other

reserves

Retained earnings

 

Total

Six months to 30 June 2025

Note

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

Balance at

1 January 2025 (audited)


1,458

137,572

(153,822)

(388)

159,296

118,450

262,566

Profit for the period


-

-

-

-

-

10,629

10,629

Other comprehensive income for the period


-

-

-

3,410

-

-

3,410

Transactions with owners









Share-based compensation


-

-

-

-

-

119

119

Total transactions with owners (restated)


-

-

-

-

-

119

119

Balance at

30 June 2025 (unaudited)

 

1,458

137,572

(153,822)

3,022

159,296

129,198

276,724

 

 

Six months to 31 December 2025

 

 

 

Balance at

1 July 2025 (unaudited)


1,458

137,572

(153,822)

3,022

159,296

129,198

276,724

Profit for the period


-

-

-

-

-

16,611

16,611

Other comprehensive income for the period


-

-

-

2,631

-

-

2,631

Transactions with owners









Share-based compensation


-

-

-

-

-

319

319

Dividends paid







(5,330)

(5,330)

Total transactions with owners


-

-

-

-


(5,011)

(5,011)

Balance at

31 December 2025 (audited)


1,458

137,572

(153,822)

5,653

159,296

140,798

290,955

 

Six months to 30 June 2026









Balance at

1 January 2026 (audited)


1,458

137,572

(153,822)

5,653

159,296

140,798

290,955

Loss for the period


-

-

-

-

-

(583)

(583)

Other comprehensive expense


-

-

-

(1,457)

-

-

(1,457)

Transactions with owners









Purchase of own shares


-

-

-

-

-

(301)

(301)

Share-based compensation


-

-

-

-

-

764

764

Dividends paid


-

-

-

-

-

(2,738)

(2,738)

Total transactions with owners


-

-

-

-

-

(2,275)

(2,275)

Balance at

30 June 2026 (unaudited)


1,458

137,572

(153,822)

4,196

159,296

137,940

286,640

 

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows


 

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2026

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2025 (Restated)*

 

Note

£'000

£'000

Operating activities




Profit before tax


1,589

14,310

Adjustments for:




Depreciation of property, plant and equipment


181

274

Depreciation of right-of-use assets


306

328

Amortisation of intangible fixed assets

7

17,633

13,819

Impairment of intangible fixed assets


1,863

-

(Profit)/loss on disposal of intangible assets


(507)

(1)

Share of loss of associates


(80)

245

Fair value adjustment to derivatives


234

-

Share-based compensation


783

119

Finance income


(725)

(1,236)

Financial expenses


289

94

Decrease in trade and other receivables


12,015

9,343

(Decrease) in trade and other payables


(5,900)

(11,026)

Decrease/(increase) in inventory


99

(334)

Increase in provisions


8

18

Cash generated from operating activities


27,788

25,953

      Tax paid


(3,298)

(7,158)

Net cash inflow from operating activities


24,490

18,795

 




Cash flow from investing activities




Purchase of property, plant and equipment


(141)

(303)

Purchase of Intellectual Property

7

-

(6,000)

Purchase of other intangibles


-

(2,238)

Proceeds from sale of intangible assets


969

-

Capitalisation of development costs

7

(16,368)

(14,345)

Interest received


725

843

Net cash outflow from investing activities


(14,815)

(22,043)

Cash flow from financing activities




Interest paid


(800)

(94)

Payments for purchase of own shares


(437)

-

Dividends paid


(2,738)

-

Repayment of lease liabilities


(460)

(333)

Net cash outflow from financing activities


(4,435)

(427)

 




Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents


5,240

(3,675)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period


51,870

62,877

Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents


(24)

243

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period


57,086

59,445

 

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements

 

1. Nature of operations and general information

everplay group plc and its subsidiaries (The Group) are a global games label, creative partner and developer of independent ("indie"), premium video games and developer and publisher of educational entertainment ("edutainment") apps for children and a leading working simulation games developer and publisher.

 

2. Basis of preparation

These condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the AIM rules and UK adopted IAS 34 "Interim Financial Reporting". The condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the 6 months ended 30 June 2026 should be read in conjunction with the financial statements of everplay group plc for the year ended 31 December 2025 (the "Prior year financial statements") which includes the financial results of the Group prepared in accordance with international accounting standards in conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('IFRS') and the applicable legal requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

 

The report of the auditors for the prior year financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025 was unqualified, did not contain an emphasis of matter paragraph and did not include a statement under Section 498 of the Companies Act 2006. The Group's condensed consolidated interim financial statements are not audited and do not constitute statutory financial statements as defined in Section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. These condensed consolidated interim financial statements were approved for issue on 15 September 2026.

 

Going concern

Management has produced forecasts that have also been sensitised to reflect plausible downside scenarios which have been reviewed by the directors. These demonstrate the Group is forecast to generate profits and cash in the year ending 31 December 2026 and beyond and that the Group has sufficient cash reserves to enable the Group to meet its obligations as they fall due for a period of at least 12 months from the release of these results.

 

As such, the directors are satisfied that the Group has adequate resources to continue to operate for the foreseeable future. For this reason they continue to adopt the going concern basis for preparing this interim report. 

 

Accounting policies

The Group's principal accounting policies used in preparing this information are as stated on pages 76 to 84 of the prior year financial statements. There has been no change to any accounting policy from the date of the prior year financial statements.

 

Prior Year Restatement

During the prior year the group reassessed its treatment applied to IP licences containing minimum guarantee payments. Full details of this restatement are stated on page 84 of the prior year financial statements. The comparative results as at 30 June 2025 have been restated as follows:

 

 

Statement of Financial Position (Extract)

 

30 June 2025

Increase/(Decrease)

30 June 2025 (Restated)

Intangible fixed assets

209,152

4,173

213,325

Trade and other receivables

36,630

(2,502)

34,128

Trade and other payables

(27,179)

(1,671)

(28,850)

 

 

Statement of Cash Flows (Extract)

 

30 June 2025

Increase/(Decrease)

30 June 2025 (Restated)

Amortisation of intangible fixed assets

13,082

737

13,819

(Decrease) in trade and other payables

(11,076)

50

(11,026)

Purchase of other intangibles

(1,451)

(787)

(2,238)

 

 

3. Segmental information

The Group has three different operating segments within the business which are as follows: 

·      Games Label - Developing and publishing video games for the digital and physical market

·      Simulation - Developing and publishing simulation games for the digital and physical market

·      Edutainment - Developing educational entertainment apps for children

 

The chief operating decision maker ("CODM") of the Group is considered to be the group executive directors. The CODM reviews the Group's internal reporting in order to assess performance and allocate resources. The CODM determines the operating segments based on these reports and on the internal reporting structure.

 

The CODM considered the aggregation criteria set out within IFRS 8 "Operating Segments" where two or more operating segments can be combined for reporting purposes so long as aggregation provides financial statement users with information to evaluate the business and the environment in which it operates.

 

After assessing these criteria, the CODM deems it appropriate for all three operating segments to be aggregated and reported as a single segment. Each segment develops and publishes games and apps using own and third party IP through similar distribution methods with similar margins in the same regulatory environments. Therefore all figures reported in these results are reported as a single aggregated reporting segment.

 

 

 

4. Revenue

Whilst the CODM considers there to be only one reportable segment, the Company's portfolio of games is split between internal IP (those based on IP owned by the Group) and third-party IP incurring royalties. Therefore to aid the readers' understanding of our results, the split of revenue from these two categories is shown below:

Revenue by First Party/Third Party IP:


Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2026

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2025


£'000

£'000

First Party IP

20,488

25,103

Third Party IP

46,427

47,254


66,915

72,357

 

The Group does not provide any information on the geographical location of sales as the majority of revenue is through third-party distribution platforms which are responsible for the data of consumers.

 

5. Alternative Performance Measures

 


Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted Profit after Tax


Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2026

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2025

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2025

Profit before Tax

1,589

14,310

1,589

14,310

Development cost amortisation eliminated through FV adjustments

(193)

(432)

(193)

(432)

Share based compensation

797

106

797

106

Amortisation on acquired intangible assets

6,206

5,565

6,206

5,565

Acquisition related costs

3

-

3

-

Restructuring costs

383

-

383

-

Earn out fair value

-

119

-

119

Adjusted profit before tax

8,785

19,668

8,785

19,668

Finance income and costs net of acquisition related costs and adjustments

(142)

(1,142)

n/a

n/a

Depreciation and loss on disposal of tangible assets

487

602

n/a

n/a

Amortisation of software

50

67

n/a

n/a

Adjusted EBITDA

9,180

19,195

-

-

Taxation (net of impacts on adjustments)

-

-

(3,472)

(4,615)

Adjusted Profit after Tax

-

-

5,313

15,053

Adjusted basic EPS

-

-

3.7

10.5

 

 

 

 

6. Earnings per share

The calculation of the basic earnings per share is based on the profits attributable to the shareholders of everplay group plc divided by the weighted average number of shares in issue. The weighted average number of shares takes into account treasury shares held by the Team17 Employee Benefit Trust. The diluted earnings per share uses the same calculation however the number of shares in issue is adjusted to include shares considered to be dilutive under the treasury stock method. An option is considered to be dilutive when the total proceeds per option is less than the average share price for the period.

 

 


 

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2026

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2025

(Loss)/Profit for the period £'000


(583)

10,629

Weighted average number of shares


143,941,130

143,992,626

Weighted average diluted number of shares


144,898,158

144,407,029

Basic earnings per share (pence)


(0.4)

7.4

Diluted earnings per share (pence)


(0.4)

7.4

 

The calculation of adjusted earnings per share is based on the profit attributable to shareholders as shown in the Statement of Comprehensive Income plus additional costs added back during the period as shown in note 5. The weighted average diluted number of shares includes share options considered to be dilutive under the treasury stock method as described above.


 

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2026

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2025

Adjusted profit for the period £'000


5,313

15,053

Weighted average number of shares


143,941,130

143,992,626

Weighted average diluted number of shares


144,898,158

144,407,029

Adjusted basic earnings per share (pence)


3.7

10.5

Adjusted diluted earnings per share (pence)


3.7

10.4

 

 

 

 

7. Intangibles


 

Development costs

£'000

 

 

Brands

£'000

 

 

Acquired Apps £'000

Customer and Developer Relationships

£'000

 

Publishing rights

£'000

 

IP Licenses (Restated)

£'000

 

Other Intangibles £'000

 

 

Goodwill

£'000

 

Total

£'000

Cost










At 1 January 2025 (audited)

106,267

80,484

35,488

5,104

2,000

7,413

972

104,537

342,265

Additions

14,305

6,000

-

-

1,388

-

63

-

21,756

Translation on foreign operations

1,085

91

1,178

(444)

-

(644)

32

77

1,375

At 30 June 2025 (Restated) (unaudited)

121,657

86,575

36,666

4,660

3,388

6,769

1,067

104,614

365,396

Additions

18,937

3,399

-

-

2,661

1,606

1

-

26,604

Disposals

-

-

-

-

-

(578)

-

-

(578)

Translation on foreign operations

892

122

764

88

-

249

24

1,689

3,828

At 31 December 2025 (audited)

141,486

90,096

37,430

4,748

6,049

8,046

1,092

106,303

395,250

Additions

16,368

-

-

-

-

602

-

-

16,970

Disposals

(462)

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

(462)

Translation on foreign operations

(618)

(75)

(453)

81

-

(102)

(11)

(419)

(1,597)

At 30 June 2026 (unaudited)

156,774

90,021

36,977

4,829

6,049

8,546

1,081

105,884

410,161











Amortisation










At 1 January 2025 (audited)

65,630

29,071

14,737

5,104

256

2,121

849

22,223

139,991

Charge for the period

7,059

3,118

2,447

-

391

737

67

-

13,819

Translation on foreign operations

320

23

528

(444)

-

(262)

28

(1,932)

(1,739)

At 30 June 2025 (Restated) (unaudited)

73,009

32,212

17,712

4,660

647

2,596

944

20,291

152,071

Charge for the period

7,105

3,596

2,536

-

726

862

69

-

14,894

Impairment

(259)

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

(259)

Disposals

-

-

-

-

-

(578)

-

-

(578)

Translation on foreign operations

267

19

371

88

-

72

25

383

1,225

At 31 December 2025 (audited)

80,122

35,827

20,619

4,748

1,373

2,952

1,038

20,674

167,353

Charge for the period

9,690

3,679

2,526

-

745

943

50

-

17,633

Impairment

1,863

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1,863

Translation on foreign operations

(231)

(17)

(268)

81

-

(43)

(9)

354

(133)

At 30 June 2026 (unaudited)

91,444

39,489

22,877

4,829

2,118

3,852

1,079

21,028

186,716

 

 

Net Book Value










At 30 June 2026 (unaudited)

65,330

50,532

14,100

-

3,931

4,694

2

84,856

223,445

At 31 December 2025 (audited)

61,364

54,269

16,811

-

4,676

5,094

54

85,629

227,897

 

 

 

8. Share Capital


Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2026

Unaudited

Six months ended

30 June 2025

Audited

Year ended

31 December 2025


£'000

£'000

 £'000

Authorised, allotted, called up and fully paid




145,848,677 (30 June and 31 December 2025: 145,848,677) ordinary shares of 1p each

1,458

1,458

1,458


1,458

1,458

1,458



 

 

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