Legendary Play, developer of esports-themed mobile games, announced today that it had secured a $4M funding round co-led by BITKRAFT Ventures and MTG, with participation from 1Up Ventures and Level Up. The funding will enable Legendary Play to develop new mobile games designed for the esports audience.
With a mission to enable 500 million esports fans worldwide to live their passion through fun and authentic games, Legendary Play (formerly META Games) is developing a portfolio of games that allow fans to live the experience of being an esports team owner, coach, and athlete across all esports genres, from FPS to MOBAs. After surpassing 1M downloads in 2021 for their first title, RIVALS, a mobile game where players can coach and manage their esports team and compete against other fans, Legendary Play is expanding its suite of games with the development of a co-op role-playing game (RPG) designed to allow fans to live the life of an esports athlete.
As part of Legendary Play’s commitment to providing fans with an authentic esports experience, the company has partnered with ESL, the world’s largest esports company operating numerous online and offline competitions, to enable players to rise through the ranks in virtual versions of ESL’s events. Additionally, Legendary Play is bringing esports teams, athletes, casters, and influencers inside their games to provide a recognizable, immersive and authentic experience to their players.
“By 2026, there will be 970 million esports fans worldwide, and 70% of those fans play mobile games. We are creating mobile titles that provide a way for engaged fans to live their passion in a more casual setting. While we have started with manager games, our long-term vision is to roll out a diverse portfolio of esports-themed games, including casual games, role-playing games, and story adventure games.”
Roman Frank, CEO of Legendary Play.
“MTG is excited to support Legendary Play on their continued growth journey. Their strategy and founding team are well aligned with our highly selective and targeted investment strategy, and we’re proud to be the co-leaders of this investment round. Legendary Play is targeting a well-defined and passionate slice of the gaming community and we look forward to following their progress closely going forward.”
Arnd Benninghoff, MTG’s EVP of Esports and Games.
“By developing mobile games that address the entire audience of esports fans worldwide, Legendary Play is tapping into a passionate yet underserved market. The team has laid a strong foundation with the success of RIVALS and I’m excited to see them bring their additional games in the pipeline to life as they continue to cater to the needs of esports fans.”
Jens Hilgers, BITKRAFT Ventures Founding General Partner.
