The cat with the dynamite stick is about to become fully Asmodee-owned. The board game giant has exercised its call option to scoop up the remaining 45% of Exploding Kittens Inc., with the deal expected to close in the first half of 2026. For anyone whose game-night cupboard has Throw Throw Burrito or Poetry For Neanderthals on the shelf, this is the next logical chapter of a partnership that's been brewing since 2016.
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See how it worksQuick recap: Asmodee started distributing Exploding Kittens in Europe a decade ago, then took a 55% majority stake in 2021. The remaining shares were held by founders Elan Lee (the original game designer) and Matthew Inman (better known as The Oatmeal), plus investor The Chernin Group. The final purchase price will be tied to Exploding Kittens' 2025 financial performance, so the cheque size depends on how many people picked up Hand-To-Hand Wombat over Christmas.
What does this mean for the games themselves? Asmodee's statement is the usual corporate-speak about leveraging "creative talents and extensive US footprint with Asmodee's vast array of 21 games studios." Translated: expect Exploding Kittens titles to keep rolling out, with more international muscle behind them. The original Exploding Kittens card game was a Kickstarter phenomenon (still one of the platform's biggest tabletop campaigns ever), and it's become the kind of party game that lives permanently in a friend's house, ready for whoever drops by.
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Set up your group for freeThe bigger picture is Asmodee tidying its house after a busy year of acquisitions. Earlier in 2026 the publisher dropped €180 million on ATM Gaming and brought a string of smaller studios under co-founder Marc Marcelin's expanded remit. With Exploding Kittens now fully under the same roof, Asmodee's party-game division has a particularly chunky cat to feed.
If you fancy putting any of those titles in front of strangers, find a community game night near you and watch new players discover Throw Throw Burrito the hard way.
Sources: TechRaptor | ICv2 | Wargamer | Nasdaq
