Independent game developer 1939 Games today announced that it has successfully raised $5.3m funding to bring its hugely successful PC digital collectible card game Kards mobile game to millions of mobile gamers in 2022. This investment has been a result of coming together of a collection of private and public sources, including Korea Investment Partners, Woori Technology Invest Co. Ltd., Seoul Investment Partners, Sisu Game Ventures, and Crowberry Capital. The majority of the investment will be used towards self-publishing on mobile and realizing the 1939 Games vision of making Kards a truly cross-platform title.
For those who do not know about them, 1939 Games was formed by brothers Ívar and Guðmundur Kristjánsson in 2015 to bring authentic, premium WWII experiences to gamers. The company pulls out its talent from several veteran executives who have worked extensively on AAA titles.
1939 Games Co-founder, Chief Creative Officer Guðmundur Kristjánsson was a project lead at CCP for almost 13 years, where he worked on various aspects of EVE Online’s development. Also, 1939 Games Senior Game Designer Hrafnkell Smári Óskarsson was also Director of Game Design at CCP for EVE Online.
We always intended for Kards to be a truly cross-platform title, and this funding enables us to bring the title to iOS and Android in 2022
Ívar Kristjánsson, CEo, 1939 Games
“Our investors recognize the enormous untapped potential for Kards in the mobile gaming market, which Newzoo recently projected to hit $116bn in 2024. A mobile version of Kards is our most common player request, and we’re very excited to now be able to deliver on this in the coming months,” he added further.
Multi-platform digital CCG Kards will be coming to mobile now
Kards is a free-to-play multi-platform digital CCG that over 700,000 players have enjoyed since its PC launch in April 2020. The title is built around the classic CCG concept of deploying different strategies through collecting cards and constructing decks, all within a unique WWII setting.
Kards has continually evolved since its launch, introducing four expansions that have built upon core CCG gameplay innovations, such as the frontline, which introduces a simple range and movement system that fits the warfare theme perfectly.
Players construct bespoke decks based on key WWII protagonists, including Britain, the USA, Japan, Germany, Soviet Union, Italy, France, and Poland. Combat units include infantry, armored vehicles, aircraft, naval units, and special ‘orders’.
Kards is a fantastically well-made game due to the pedigree of the team behind it. Our investment reflects our strong belief in the team as well as the title’s huge potential when it comes to mobile in the Asian market.
Sang-Ho Park, Executive Director Korea Investment Partners (KIP)
Speaking about this funding and the deal, Hekla Arnardottir, Chairman of the 1939 Games board and founding partner at Crowberry Capital concluded, “We are happy to follow up on our early investment as the 1939 team has proven its ability to build a stellar game. We are impressed by how they combine their artistic ability with industry insight and an innovative approach to digital card gaming. With such a great addition to the team of investors, the future is very exciting.”
Are you excited about the upcoming card game on mobile devices by 1939 Games, Kards, and the $5.3m funding? Do let us know your opinions in the comments below!
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