We Do Play buys back Boom Battle Bar in deal worth up to £11m

Frasers Group-backed We Do Play has reacquired Boom Battle Bar from XP Factory in a transaction valued at up to £11 million, bringing the brand back to its original founders. The move adds momentum to We Do Play’s expansion plans and highlights continued investor interest in competitive socialising.

Why it matters: - The buyback returns Boom Battle Bar to the team that built it, giving We Do Play control over a brand it knows well. - The deal underscores continued confidence in competitive socialising, a leisure segment drawing consumer, landlord and institutional interest. - Westbrooke Associates says the transaction is relevant to Rumble Rooms and Primal Playground because the same team previously scaled Boom Battle Bar.

What happened: - We Do Play reacquired Boom Battle Bar from XP Factory PLC. - XP Factory completed the sale on 28 September 2026. - The transaction was worth up to £11 million. - The buyer was F.O Twenty-Four Ltd, backed by Frasers Group and including Boom Battle Bar’s original founders. - The reacquisition reconnects Boom Battle Bar with We Do Play founder and CEO Richard Beese.

The details: - Westbrooke Associates describes itself as an investment business and official agent for a select portfolio of opportunities across high-growth and alternative sectors. - Westbrooke Associates has more than 200 years of combined industry experience across its team. - Westbrooke Associates is currently featuring the Rumble Rooms rollout through Primal Playground Ltd. - We Do Play’s portfolio also includes Flip Out, Activate, Laser Quest and Rumble Rooms. - Those brands cover indoor adventure, immersive gaming, laser tag and competitive socialising. - Rumble Rooms awarded a development buildout to Primal Playground Ltd as a franchisee to acquire, build and operate the brand across the UK. - Rumble Rooms sits within the We Do Play portfolio, which is owned by MFT Capital Ltd. - The Rumble Rooms team previously founded and scaled Boom Battle Bar before selling it in November 2021 for £18 million. - A competitive restriction period ended at the end of 2024, and the team returned to the sector with Rumble Rooms. - Richard Beese said the return of Boom Battle Bar was a “full-circle moment” and that We Do Play knows the brand inside out. - XP Factory developed Boom Battle Bar into a national brand, Beese said, and the company praised the teams that built it. - A Westbrooke Associates spokesperson said the reacquisition adds another chapter to the team’s track record in competitive socialising. - Boom Battle Bar currently operates 29 venues across the UK. - We Do Play plans to invest in new technology, games and experiences across the estate over the next 12 months. - We Do Play also plans to expand into additional large towns and cities. - The company’s stated goal is to grow Boom Battle Bar to at least 50 venues by 2030. - For the year ended 29 March 2026, Boom Battle Bar’s underlying estate revenue rose 2% to £42.8 million. - Like-for-like sales outperformed the wider market.

Between the lines: - The acquisition signals that We Do Play sees room for more growth even after Boom Battle Bar’s recent expansion under XP Factory. - The deal also links a well-known UK leisure brand with Frasers Group backing, which may help support further investment. - Westbrooke Associates is using the transaction to reinforce its broader view that experience-led leisure is taking share from traditional alcohol-led nightlife. - Independent research cited by Westbrooke Associates points to rising demand for experience-led venues and stronger landlord and institutional interest.

What's next: - We Do Play says it will focus on new technology, games and experiences across the estate during the next 12 months. - The company will look to open in more large towns and cities across the UK. - The longer-term target is at least 50 Boom Battle Bar venues by 2030. - Westbrooke Associates is directing prospective investors to its current Rumble Rooms opportunity through Primal Playground Ltd and other investment opportunities.

The bottom line: - Boom Battle Bar is back with its original founders, and We Do Play is betting that fresh capital, brand familiarity and the competitive socialising trend can drive the next phase of growth.