Supercell, the developer of the free-to-play mobile game Clash of Clans, has released its first title in more than five years, despite the industry facing a downturn after a decades-long winning streak.
The Finnish company has officially released the video game “Squad Busters”, which combines characters from all of its previous games: teams are formed and characters fight in four-minute contests.
The idea for this mashup has been around for a while, but now it's available for anyone to play: on the Google Play Store, the game has been downloaded over 1 million times to date.
In an interview with the Financial Times, co-founder and CEO Ilkka Paananen told reporters that preparing for the launch had been “stressful.”
“We haven't released a game in a long time. That's because our team has very high standards. We've killed a lot of games. [before they are released]Finally, we have a game that exceeds that standard.”
It's a tough time to release games as the industry is in decline
Clash of Clans developer Supercell is also known for hits Hay Day and Clash Royale. The company enjoyed success in 2016, posting revenue of €2.1 billion and profits of €917 million, but has seen its profits decline in the past few years.
The gaming industry as a whole has seen a year of sluggish sales, declining interest, and mass layoffs. In 2023, U.S. gaming revenue is down 2.3% year over year, and gaming usage is also declining.
Consumer spending on mobile games declined last year and Data.ai predicts low single-digit growth in 2024.
Paananen shared his thoughts on the current situation: “The whole industry, and maybe us, should take more risks and do things that haven't been done before,” he said. “What's needed is more innovation, more risk taking. That's the only way the market will grow.”
Featured Image: Via DeviantArt
