By Sagar V. Mankar 
Finnish game development studio Kukouri Mobile Entertainment has announced the end of its gaming operations, marking the end of a decade-old legacy. The company has sold its popular game properties, Pixel Worlds and Tiny Troopers, to Social First, another Finnish gaming studio.
The closure comes after prolonged financial challenges with Pixel Worlds, which “has not been a commercially viable product for some time,” according to Kukouri CEO Petri Piipari. He explained that the company had been gradually moving away from game development over recent years, and with their only active Tiny Troopers game being managed by external partners, the decision to shut down became necessary.
The acquisition holds special significance for Social First, as many of its team members, including CEO Kim Soares, previously worked on both Pixel Worlds and Tiny Troopers at Kukouri. “When we were approached by Kukouri regarding the possibility of acquiring the rights to these games, the decision was an easy one,” Soares revealed.
Social First is already building on this legacy with Nexus Station, a spiritual successor to Pixel Worlds, which launched in early access on mobile platforms in December 2024. The studio aims to recreate the strong community spirit that made Pixel Worlds special. “Pixel Worlds had one of the best online communities I have ever seen in my 25-year game development career,” Soares noted, expressing hope that this community will find a new home in Nexus Station.
The acquisition amount remains undisclosed, but Social First has confirmed that the purchase won’t affect Nexus Station’s current development path. Instead, the IP acquisition serves to preserve the legacy of games that hold special meaning for many team members at Social First.
Source: MG.biz