Twitch Acquires Gamer-Focused Media And Technology Company ‘Curse’

Twitch announced today that it has acquired Curse, a 10-year-old multimedia and technology company that creates content, products, and tools specifically for gamers. For instance, Curse owns gaming websites like LoLNexus and Gamepedia that offer gaming news, guides, tools, and databases. The company also creates Curse Voice — free proprietary software that automatically detects players of the same game and invites them to connect via voice chat.

“We’ve long been fans of Curse, which is an innovator in the games industry with a strong culture built around its offerings,” said Twitch CEO Emmett Shear in a statement. “We’re kindred spirits in many ways and are looking forward to working together to enhance our users’ gaming experience.” In a company blog post, Twitch explained that the acquisition is intended to provide users with additional tools and resources to improve the gaming experience, and to better help them connect and interact with one another.

Curse says that 30 million people visit its web properties, video and social media channels, and desktop applications every month. Added Curse CEO Hubert Thieblot: “I’m really excited to see how we can bring Curse services into the Twitch network, and provide an unparalleled experience to both Curse and Twitch users.”

Twitch, which says it boasts 100 million gaming enthusiasts every month who gather to watch more than 1.7 million streamers, did not disclose the terms of the deal. To date, Curse has raised roughly $58 million in venture funding from investors such as Riot Games.