Grant of Options
Everplay Group plc has announced the grant of share options to key personnel, including Group CEO Mikkel Weider, who received 408,732 options, and Group CFO/COO Rashid Varachia, who was granted 236,879 options. Additionally, Non-Executive Directors Frank Sagnier, Debbie Bestwick, Peter Whiting, and Penny Judd received options totaling 27,793, 12,519, 12,519, and 12,519 respectively, with an exercise price of 215.3p. These options are subject to performance conditions related to adjusted EPS and relative TSR over three years, with the LTIP options having no exercise price.
Select text to share a quote on X · sign in to keep highlights & notes in your EVPL notes
everplay group plc, a leading global independent ("indie") games developer and publisher of premium video games, working simulation games and children's edutainment apps announces the issuance of share options over ordinary shares of £0.01 each in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") to Mikkel Weider (Group CEO), Rashid Varachia (Group CFO/COO), and to its Non-Executive Directors.
LTIP Options
The Group has granted options (the "LTIP Options") over a total of 645,611 Ordinary Shares under the rules of its Long Term Incentive Plan (the "LTIP Plan") as follows:
| PDMR | Position | Number of options granted | Total options held following this grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mikkel Weider | Group CEO | 408,732 | 408,732 |
| Rashid Varachia | Group CFO & COO | 236,879 | 386,716 |
The LTIP Options are granted over Ordinary Shares with no exercise price and subject to the rules of the LTIP Plan with vesting based on achieving a stretching range of adjusted EPS and relative TSR performance, over the three years to 31 December 2028.
NED Share Option Plan
The Company also announces the grant today of share options over ordinary shares to its Non-Executive Directors as set out below. These grants are in accordance with the terms of the Non-Executive Director Share Option Plan under which all Non-Executive Directors are entitled to receive grants of options over the Group's Ordinary Shares with an aggregate value equal to their annual base fee, with grants made in two tranches annually, each equal to 50 per cent of their base fee.
| Director | Number of Options | Exercise Price |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Sagnier | 27,793 | 215.3p |
| Debbie Bestwick | 12,519 | 215.3p |
| Peter Whiting | 12,519 | 215.3p |
| Penny Judd | 12,519 | 215.3p |
As a result of the above transactions, details of the relevant Directors/PDMR's holdings of Ordinary Shares and options over Ordinary Shares are as follows:
| Name | Role | No. of ordinary shares held | No. of options over ordinary shares held |
| Mikkel Weider | Group CEO | 21,526 | 408,732 |
| Rashid Varachia | CFO & COO | - | 386,716 |
| Frank Sagnier | Non-Executive Chair | 141,200 | 91,418 |
| Penny Judd | Non-Executive Director | 77,717 | 41,179 |
| Debbie Bestwick | Non-Executive Director | 23,381,243 | 41,179 |
| Peter Whiting | Non-Executive Director | 20,900 | 41,179 |
| Peel Hunt (Nominated Advisor and Joint Corporate Broker) Neil Patel / Benjamin Cryer / Kate Bannatyne | +44 (0)20 7418 8900 | ||
| Jefferies International Limited (Joint Corporate Broker) Philip Noblet / Will Brown | +44 (0)20 7029 8000 | ||
| Vigo Consulting (Financial Public Relations) Jeremy Garcia / Fiona Hetherington / Safia Colebrook everplay@vigoconsulting.com | +44 (0)20 7390 0233 | ||
| a) | Name | Mikkel Weider | |
| 2 | Reason for the notification | ||
| a) | Position/status | Group Chief Executive Officer | |
| b) | Initial notification/amendment | Initial notification | |
| a) | Name | everplay group plc | |
| b) | LEI | 2138006EUUCCL4ZI5E51 | |
| a) | Description of financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code | Options over Ordinary Shares ISIN: GB00BYVX2X20 | |
| b) | Nature of the transaction | Grant of options over Ordinary Shares | |
| c) | Prices(s) and volume(s) | Price(s): | Volume(s) |
| NIL | 408,732 Options | ||
| d) | Aggregated information | Not applicable | |
| e) | Date of transaction | 1 April 2026 | |
| f) | Place of the transaction | Off market | |
| 1 | Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities | ||
| a) | Name | Rashid Varachia | |
| 2 | Reason for the notification | ||
| a) | Position/status | Group Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer | |
| b) | Initial notification/amendment | Initial notification | |
| a) | Name | everplay group plc | |
| b) | LEI | 2138006EUUCCL4ZI5E51 | |
| a) | Description of financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code | Options over Ordinary Shares ISIN: GB00BYVX2X20 | |
| b) | Nature of the transaction | Grant of options over Ordinary Shares | |
| c) | Prices(s) and volume(s) | Price(s): | Volume(s) |
| NIL | 236,879 Options | ||
| d) | Aggregated information | Not applicable | |
| e) | Date of transaction | 1 April 2026 | |
| f) | Place of the transaction | Off market | |
| 1 | Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities | ||
| a) | Name | Frank Sagnier | |
| 2 | Reason for the notification | ||
| a) | Position/status | Non-Executive Chair | |
| b) | Initial notification/amendment | Initial notification | |
| a) | Name | everplay group plc | |
| b) | LEI | 2138006EUUCCL4ZI5E51 | |
| a) | Description of financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code | Options over Ordinary Shares ISIN: GB00BYVX2X20 | |
| b) | Nature of the transaction | Grant of options over Ordinary Shares | |
| c) | Prices(s) and volume(s) | Price(s): | Volume(s) |
| NIL | 27,793 options | ||
| d) | Aggregated information | Not applicable | |
| e) | Date of transaction | 1 April 2026 | |
| f) | Place of the transaction | Off market | |
| 1 | Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities | ||
| a) | Name | Penny Judd | |
| 2 | Reason for the notification | ||
| a) | Position/status | Non-Executive Director | |
| b) | Initial notification/amendment | Initial notification | |
| a) | Name | everplay group plc | |
| b) | LEI | 2138006EUUCCL4ZI5E51 | |
| a) | Description of financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code | Options over Ordinary Shares ISIN: GB00BYVX2X20 | |
| b) | Nature of the transaction | Grant of options over Ordinary Shares | |
| c) | Prices(s) and volume(s) | Price(s): | Volume(s) |
| NIL | 12,519 options | ||
| d) | Aggregated information | Not applicable | |
| e) | Date of transaction | 1 April 2026 | |
| f) | Place of the transaction | Off market | |
| 1 | Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities | ||
| a) | Name | Debbie Bestwick | |
| 2 | Reason for the notification | ||
| a) | Position/status | Non-Executive Director | |
| b) | Initial notification/amendment | Initial notification | |
| a) | Name | everplay group plc | |
| b) | LEI | 2138006EUUCCL4ZI5E51 | |
| a) | Description of financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code | Options over Ordinary Shares ISIN: GB00BYVX2X20 | |
| b) | Nature of the transaction | Grant of options over Ordinary Shares | |
| c) | Prices(s) and volume(s) | Price(s): | Volume(s) |
| NIL | 12,519 options | ||
| d) | Aggregated information | Not applicable | |
| e) | Date of transaction | 1 April 2026 | |
| f) | Place of the transaction | Off market | |
| 1 | Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities | ||
| a) | Name | Peter Whiting | |
| 2 | Reason for the notification | ||
| a) | Position/status | Non-Executive Director | |
| b) | Initial notification/amendment | Initial notification | |
| a) | Name | everplay group plc | |
| b) | LEI | 2138006EUUCCL4ZI5E51 | |
| a) | Description of financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code | Options over Ordinary Shares ISIN: GB00BYVX2X20 | |
| b) | Nature of the transaction | Grant of options over Ordinary Shares | |
| c) | Prices(s) and volume(s) | Price(s): | Volume(s) |
| NIL | 12,519 options | ||
| d) | Aggregated information | Not applicable | |
| e) | Date of transaction | 1 April 2026 | |
| f) | Place of the transaction | Off market |
Cleaned text: letterheads, contacts and legal notices removed. View the original announcement ↗ · Company filings. Not investment advice.