Return Entertainment, a Finland-based studio incubated by Sisu Game Ventures that aims to break down the boundaries of gaming with its cloud-native games and technology, announced €5.3M in funding led by BITKRAFT Ventures with Sisu Game Ventures, Vgames, 1Up Ventures, and SMOK Ventures participating. The funding will enable Return Entertainment to develop console-quality games that are playable across devices and easier to join than a video call.
Return Entertainment is working on two initial games that are designed from the ground up to take advantage of cloud, which means gameplay will be fully cross-playable between browsers on mobile, tablet, or PC. The company’s mission is to remove the barrier to entry that comes with needing expensive gear by offering cloud-native games. Their upcoming games enable one-click access along with impressive visuals and simulations powered by cloud computing to enable seamless switching from playing and watching.
Antti Sartanen, CEO of Return Entertainment said:
“Cloud-native gaming is basically gaming on steroids; you have the same devices that gamers already play on, but suddenly the experiences are more accessible, shareable, and rich in visuals and simulations. With the right combination of technology and game design, we can come up with incredible new types of games that were not previously possible, including games with more detailed worlds and physics, meaningful games that can be joined in an instant, and games that offer real-time interaction between players, streamers, and viewers.”
Return Entertainment was founded in 2019 by seven industry veterans including CEO Antti Sartanen, CTO Tuomas Paavola Co-Founder of Immersal (acquired by Hexagon) and Lead Designer Toni Hollming, Co-Founder of Helsinki GameWorks (acquired by Next Games).
Malte Barth, Founding General Partner, BITKRAFT Ventures also commented:
“Cloud-native gaming enables developers to offer deeply immersive 3D experiences at the convenience of a single click, making AAA more accessible to everyone and enabling new business models. From allowing viewers to more actively engage with their streamers through directly interacting with the gameplay to offering new monetization methods, Return Entertainment’s innovation has the potential to establish a new gaming category.
