Mobile game studio Traplight is launching its Battle Legion mobile strategy game worldwide and announcing a $9 million funding round that EQT Ventures led.
Battle Legion combines strategy with an auto-battler core in something the company calls an auto mass-battler experience. Players can pick a strategy and watch the game unfold in 100-versus-100 mass battles. The team’s ambition is to build the next global gaming success story, and with that level of funding, it’s worth taking seriously.
The game comes from Finland, of course — the land of massive mobile game hits like Small Giant Games’ Empires & Puzzles (EQT invested in Small Giant, and Zynga acquired the company for $700 million) and Supercell’s Clash Royale. Tampere, Finland-based Traplight is focused on mid-core games, or hardcore-themed games you can play in a short time.
Above: The Traplight team
Besides EQT Ventures, investors include Play Ventures and existing investors Initial Capital and Heartcore Capital. The funding will be used to double down on Battle Legion, which merges qualities from mid-core and casual titles.
Traplight was founded by game veterans Sami Kalliokoski, Jari Paananen, and Riku Rakkola. They scored a hit in 2016 with Big Bang Racing, and now they have a team of 30 working on Battle Legion.
Above: Traplight’s Battle Legion pits 100 soldiers against 100 more.
The mass battle multiplayer spectator game has strategy elements, but AI-controlled troops do all the fighting. Players can build their dream army from dozens of fighters, customize everything, and discover an expanding collection of skins, battlefields, portraits, banners, and titles. The company has been working for two years, building lots of prototypes with small teams and improving production. Traplight believes engagement with the new game is so strong it could have a hit on its hands.
