Scopely’s had a busy twelve months. Since July 2021 it has acquired or invested in Burlingame, GSN Games, The Games Fund, Omnidrone, Pixel Toys and Tag Games, and last week it launched Kingdom Maker, a new 4X strategy game from another new partner, Global Worldwide.
After Star Trek Fleet Command and Marvel Strike Force, Kingdom Maker makes it three strategy titles in the Scopely portfolio; the company’s games president Steve Huff tells us that 80% of Fleet Command players are playing seven days a week, and Marvel Strike Force players spend about two hours in the game per day.
Hopes are high for Kingdom Maker too, a project “originally created by Global Worldwide more than seven years ago,” which was “further developed in partnership with our team at Scopely,” Huff tells us.
Scopely helped bring the game to market having been struck by the combat, social interaction and humour in the game – the latter, in particular, is being used in the game’s marketing to stand out in a crowded genre.
With Kingdom Maker finally out the door, Scopely will continue to strike deals with studios it feels are the right fit, says Huff.
“While we have no acquisition news to share right now, we are always looking to align with strategic partners,” he tells us. “When we consider any kind of partnership or investment, we keep a close eye on what is happening in the games space and then look for partners with three core qualities: First and foremost, we look for teams that are the best in the world at something – whether that’s genre expertise or a deep understanding of a specific technology or demographic.”
“Second, we seek out teams that are interested in a long-term, collaborative relationship – whether that’s as an external partner or formally joining our Scopely team. Finally, we make sure that teams and companies share our passion for games, our values, and our deep commitment to innovation and creative excellence.”
(Incidentally – we had to ask, right? – Huff bats back our question about an IPO: “Right now, we’re laser-focused on continuing to grow our live franchises, as well as bring new experiences to players worldwide.”)
Besides yet more investments and acquisitions, Huff says there’s more game releases to come outside of mobile too, after the launch of Star Trek Fleet Command on PC and the expansion of WWE Champions and Scrabble to be playable in browsers.
“We see cross- and multi-platform experiences as a key element in our ongoing growth,” he tells us. “We want to meet players wherever they are and continue to hear their desire for more flexibility as to where and how they play our games. We believe the future of play is not beholden to any one platform or device.”
Scopely is also committed to multiple web3 projects too, through its investments in Animoca, IndiGG and Polygon.
“We’re big believers in both digital ownership and the power that blockchain and web3 have in cultivating community-driven ecosystems,” says Huff. “We believe that ownership drives engagement, and the most engaged communities will be at the forefront of the future of play.”
