Ubisoft has inked a deal to bolster its presence in the free-to-play space, acquiring Owlient and its Howrse breeding franchise, which boasts over 2 million active users.

“We are thrilled to welcome the talented team at Owlient to Ubisoft. Over the last five years they have developed an architecture dedicated to delivering and monetizing games as a service, as well as the skills of attracting and retaining online communities,” said Ubi CEO Yves Guillemot.

“This acquisition is the next step in the acceleration of Ubisoft’s free-to-play strategy following last year’s launch of Settlers Online, CSI Crime City and Heroes Kingdoms, as well as the recent beta launch of our ambitious title Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Online.”

The acquisition of Owlient, comprised of 40 team members dedicated towards F2P development, represents Ubi’s latest strategic move in the space. From 2008 and onward, the firm has acquired Massive Entertainment, Nadeo and Quazal.

Follow this author on Twitter.