Brawlhalla is one of the most popular free-to-play fighting games in the world — and yet many of its millions of players have no idea who actually owns it.
The game has been downloaded hundreds of millions of times, featured crossovers with some of the biggest franchises in entertainment, and built a serious competitive esports scene with a $200,000 prize pool at its annual championship. Behind all of that is a fascinating ownership chain that starts with a 21-person studio in Atlanta and ends with one of the most powerful gaming companies in France.
What Is Brawlhalla?
Brawlhalla is a free-to-play platform fighter developed and published by Blue Mammoth Games. It supports up to eight players locally and online, features ranked matches, custom rooms, and a single-player mode, and has grown into one of the most active competitive fighting game communities on the planet. The game originally launched on PC and PlayStation 4 in October 2017 after a period in early access, quickly becoming the most-played fighting game on Steam — a title it held for years.
The game is known for its rotating roster of legends, its generous free-to-play model, and its impressive lineup of franchise crossovers — including Attack on Titan, Tomb Raider, WWE, Ben 10, Steven Universe, Kung Fu Panda, The Walking Dead, and dozens more.
Who Owns Brawlhalla in 2026?
Brawlhalla is owned by Ubisoft — the French multinational video game publisher headquartered in Montreuil, France, and listed on Euronext Paris under the ticker UBI. Ubisoft acquired Brawlhalla on March 1, 2018, when it purchased the game’s developer Blue Mammoth Games in a deal whose exact price was never publicly disclosed.
Ubisoft itself is controlled by the Guillemot family — the five brothers from Brittany, France who founded the company in 1986. The Guillemot family, through their holding company Guillemot Brothers S.A., held approximately 10.71% of Ubisoft’s shares as of March 2026, but control a much larger share of voting rights thanks to France’s Florange Act, which grants double voting rights to long-term shareholders. The Guillemot family holds around 20.5% of Ubisoft’s net voting rights — giving them effective control over the entire company, including Brawlhalla.
Ownership and Key Stakeholders Table
| Owner / Party | Role | Stake | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubisoft (Euronext: UBI) | Direct Owner of Brawlhalla | 100% of Blue Mammoth Games & Brawlhalla | Acquired March 1, 2018; price undisclosed |
| Guillemot Family | Controlling Shareholders of Ubisoft | ~10.71% shares, ~20.5% voting rights | Founded Ubisoft in 1986; retains effective control through double voting rights |
| Tencent | Major Ubisoft Shareholder | ~9.5% of Ubisoft shares | Chinese tech giant; also owns 49.9% economic stake in Guillemot Brothers holding company |
| JPMorgan, Amundi, Goldman Sachs | Institutional Investors | Combined significant minority | Major institutional holders of Ubisoft public shares on Euronext Paris |
| Blue Mammoth Games | Developer Studio | Fully owned Ubisoft subsidiary | 21-person Atlanta studio; founders Matthew Woomer & Lincoln Hamilton |
| Matthew Woomer & Lincoln Hamilton | Original Founders of Brawlhalla | No current ownership stake | Co-founded Blue Mammoth Games; sold to Ubisoft in 2018 |
| Public Shareholders | Retail & Market Investors | Remaining Ubisoft float | Anyone can buy UBI stock on Euronext Paris |
The Origin Story: A 21-Person Studio That Changed Fighting Games
Brawlhalla was created by Blue Mammoth Games, a small independent studio based in Atlanta, Georgia, founded by Matthew Woomer and Lincoln Hamilton. The team was just 21 people when Ubisoft acquired them — one of the smallest studios to have created a game of such global reach.
The development journey was long by modern standards. Brawlhalla entered Steam Early Access years before its full launch and spent that time building its community, refining its gameplay, and establishing its competitive scene. By the time it officially launched in October 2017, it had already developed a deeply loyal player base and a reputation as the most accessible competitive platform fighter available. It became the most-played fighting game on Steam and one of the top free-to-play downloads on PS4.
Ubisoft NCSA president Laurent Detoc said at the time of the acquisition: “The team at Blue Mammoth Games is expert at developing and running scalable, competitive, multiplayer online games, and they’ll be a great addition to Ubisoft’s network of studios.” The founders themselves welcomed the move, stating they were eager to leverage Ubisoft’s expertise and resources to continue developing and supporting Brawlhalla for the long term.
How Ubisoft Came to Own Brawlhalla
The deal closed on March 1, 2018 — just months after Brawlhalla’s full commercial launch. Ubisoft did not disclose the financial terms of the acquisition, but the strategic logic was clear.
Ubisoft had already built massive success with live service multiplayer titles like Rainbow Six Siege — which had attracted 25 million players — and the Tom Clancy franchise, which boasted around 60 million players across its games. Brawlhalla, with its free-to-play model, active esports scene, and a player base that was growing every month, fit perfectly into that strategy. Ubisoft described Brawlhalla as “a hugely popular and highly-profitable title” that aligned with its strategy of “expanding its audience and providing players with long-lasting, entertaining gaming experiences.”
The acquisition was immediately accretive to Ubisoft’s earnings — meaning it started contributing profit from day one.
Who Owns Ubisoft? The Guillemot Family and Tencent
Since Brawlhalla is owned by Ubisoft, understanding who truly controls Brawlhalla means understanding Ubisoft’s ownership structure — which is one of the most interesting in the global games industry.
Ubisoft was founded in 1986 by five brothers from Carentoir, Brittany, France — Yves, Michel, Gérard, Christian, and Claude Guillemot — who started it as a mail-order video game company. Yves Guillemot has served as CEO ever since. The family has never let go of control, using France’s Florange Act — which grants double voting rights to shareholders who have held shares for more than two years — to maintain governing authority even as their direct shareholding has been diluted over decades.
In 2022, Tencent — the Chinese technology and gaming giant that owns Riot Games, Supercell, and stakes in dozens of other major gaming companies — invested approximately €300 million into the Guillemot Brothers holding company, acquiring a 49.9% economic stake in that entity while receiving only 5% of its voting rights. This gave Tencent significant financial exposure to Ubisoft — and by extension Brawlhalla — without giving them operational control. As of March 2026, Tencent holds roughly 9.5% of Ubisoft’s direct shares and Guillemot Brothers S.A. holds approximately 10.71% of shares, with ~20.5% of net voting rights.
Brawlhalla’s Esports Scene and 2026 Roadmap
Under Ubisoft’s ownership, Brawlhalla has grown into one of the most active competitive fighting game ecosystems in the world. The Brawlhalla Championship Expo (BCX) 2025 — held in Atlanta — featured a $200,000 prize pool across 1v1 and 2v2 formats. MarckiemooBH claimed the Singles Champion title, while Zen and Hideaway won the Doubles crown.
The BCX 2025 event also confirmed major 2026 plans: a brand-new 68th Legend inspired by kaiju mythology, Guilds Phase 3 competitive updates, Attack on Titan crossover content launching December 3, 2025 with Eren, Mikasa, and Levi joining the roster, and ongoing balance experiments for Dexterity and Speed stats developed in collaboration with the community throughout 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns Brawlhalla in 2026?
Brawlhalla is fully owned by Ubisoft, the French video game publisher, which acquired the game and its developer Blue Mammoth Games on March 1, 2018.
Q2. Who originally created Brawlhalla?
Brawlhalla was created by Blue Mammoth Games, a 21-person studio in Atlanta, Georgia, co-founded by Matthew Woomer and Lincoln Hamilton.
Q3. How much did Ubisoft pay for Brawlhalla?
Ubisoft did not publicly disclose the acquisition price when it bought Blue Mammoth Games and Brawlhalla in 2018.
Q4. Who controls Ubisoft, the owner of Brawlhalla?
The Guillemot family — founders of Ubisoft — controls the company through approximately 20.5% of voting rights, strengthened by France’s Florange Act double voting rights.
Q5. Does Tencent own Brawlhalla?
Not directly. Tencent holds approximately 9.5% of Ubisoft’s shares and a 49.9% economic stake in the Guillemot Brothers holding company, but has no operational control over Ubisoft or Brawlhalla.
Q6. Is Brawlhalla free to play?
Yes. Brawlhalla is completely free to play on all platforms — PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Mobile — with optional cosmetic purchases available.
Q7. What was the Brawlhalla prize pool at BCX 2025?
The Brawlhalla Championship Expo (BCX) 2025 featured a $200,000 prize pool across 1v1 and 2v2 competitive formats held in Atlanta, Georgia.
Q8. Is Ubisoft publicly traded?
Yes. Ubisoft trades on Euronext Paris under the ticker symbol UBI, meaning anyone can buy shares of the company that owns Brawlhalla.
Brawlhalla is fully owned by Ubisoft — one of the world’s largest video game publishers, listed on Euronext Paris (UBI) and controlled by the Guillemot family of France. Ubisoft acquired Brawlhalla and its developer Blue Mammoth Games on March 1, 2018, after the game had already established itself as the most-played fighting game on Steam.
The Guillemot family controls Ubisoft through double voting rights under French law, with Tencent holding a significant financial stake of around 9.5% in the company. Under Ubisoft’s backing, Brawlhalla has continued to grow as a free-to-play platform fighter with a thriving esports scene, a massive crossover roster, and a clear development roadmap deep into 2026 and beyond.