Legendary Play and ESL Raised $4M to Develop Esports-themed Mobile Simulation Games

Legendary Play, the developer behind esports-themed mobile games announced its partnership with Electronic Sports League (ESL) to develop a platform that shall enable players to rise through the ranks in virtual versions of ESL’s events. The developer previously released its first esports-themed game titled “Rivals” which saw success back in 2021 with over 1M downloads. Legendary Play has secured a $4M USD funding round co-led by BITKRAFT Ventures and Modern Times Group (MTG). It will be developing a portfolio of games that offers fans a new way to experience being an esports team owner, coach, and athlete across all esports genres, from FPS to MOBAs.

New Esports-themed Mobile Game under development by Legendary Play

With a mission to enable 500 million esports fans worldwide to live their passion through fun and authentic games, Legendary Play, and ESL will be developing esports-themed mobile games that will cater to various games from FPS to MOBA esports titles. The game shall be categorized as a co-op role-playing game (RPG) designed to allow fans to live the life of an esports athlete.

“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,” shared Roman Frank, CEO of Legendary Play.

As part of Legendary Play’s commitment to providing fans with an authentic esports experience, the upcoming mobile esports title will 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 mobile esports titles to provide a recognizable, immersive and authentic experience to the players.

“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,” said MTG’s EVP of Esports and Games, Arnd Benninghoff.

“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,” commented Jens Hilgers, BITKRAFT Ventures Founding General Partner.

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