IGDB has been acquired by Twitch

Online streaming platform Twitch has acquired the video games database, IGDB. No financial details were shared regarding the deal but the 10-man team will continue to work from their base in Sweden. 

IGDB launched its first beta in 2014 with the lofty goal of creating the ultimate resource for video games. Fast forward to 2019 and they've more or less achieved it. Using both community contribution and automation, IGDB has created a vast database that includes not just basic information but also other details like official channels, media list and completion time. 

The deal will vastly improve Twitch's search and discovery features which the company has admitted to having a problem with. "Now, I’ll be the first to admit that our search function hasn’t always been the best experience,” said Twitch CEO Emmett Shear earlier this year at TwitchCon Berlin. 

In turn, IGDB will benefit from Twitch through resources and skills that will help improve existing features and migrate infrastructure to make room for new and improved tools. They will also merge its paid and free API into a single free tier. 

“Millions of people come to Twitch every day to find and connect with their favorite streamers and communities, and we want to make it easier for people to find what they’re looking for,” said Twitch in a statement. “IGDB has developed a comprehensive gaming database, and we’re excited to bring them on to help us more quickly improve and scale search and discovery on Twitch.”