Supercell has bought out all of Space Ape, and plans to turn it into its first London office by spring 2025.
The Finnish firm has confirmed to us that “Space Ape will become part of Supercell rather than operate on its own” following the acquisition, which was announced earlier today.
Space Ape, soon to be ‘Supercell London’, will join the Clash of Clan maker’s Helsinki, Shanghai, San Francisco and Seoul offices. Supercell has been a majority investor in Space Ape since 2017, and upped its stake in the firm to 75% in July 2022, investing a further $37m.
Space Ape is currently working with Supercell on Hay Day, says the announcement. It has also previously collaborated on a soft launched Boom Beach spin-off, Frontlines, which was killed in November 2022.
Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen said of today’s deal: “We believe the best teams create the best games, so we are really excited to find our place within London’s incredibly talented games ecosystem by joining forces with Space Ape. This move will bring in amazing new colleagues and make our games teams even stronger. With the best talent globally, we move faster on our mission of creating great games that as many people as possible play for years and that are remembered forever.”
Space Ape CEO John Earner added: “We’ve loved working closely with Supercell for many years, and this move is the next stage in that partnership. I am so proud of Space Ape’s contribution to the gaming industry over the last twelve years. I am looking forward to this next step in our evolution as part of the Supercell team.”
This story was edited after publication to fully clarify that Supercell is to fully absorb Space Ape and turn it into its London office, rather than opening a separate studio in London.
