FunPlus is a
video game developer and publisher headquartered in
Switzerland, with operations in
China,
Singapore and
Spain.[2] The company has developed the following mobile games: State of Survival, Frost & Flame: King of Avalon, Guns of Glory: Lost Island, Stormshot: Isle of Adventure and Sea of Conquest: Pirate War.[3]
FunPlus was founded in 2010 by Andy Zhong and Yitao Guan in Silicon Valley as Halfquest, focusing on web game development in
Silicon Valley and
Beijing.[5] In Beijing, the company created DianDian Interactive game studio, which became the casual games division of the company.[6] In October 2010, the company launched its first web game, Family Farm, on German social network VZ.[7] In June 2011, the game appeared on
Facebook.
In 2012, the company was relocated to Beijing and rebranded as FunPlus in 2012.[8] In the same year, FunPlus launched it first mobile game, Family Farm Seaside, as well as a second web game, Royal Story.[9]
A third web game, Happy Acres, launched in 2014.[10] In the same year, the company established a mobile strategy game studio, KingsGroup, in Beijing.
KingsGroup launched its first mobile strategy game, King of Avalon, in 2016.[11] In the same year, FunPlus sold its DianDian Interactive studio to the Century Group, a listed company on the Shenzhen stock exchange, for $1 billion, after which the game studio was renamed Century Game. After the sale of DianDian studio, FunPlus focused on investing in other game studios globally as well as developing strategy games, e-sports, live-streaming and game publishing platforms.[12][13]
In 2017, KingsGroup launched its second mobile strategy game, Guns of Glory.[14] In 2018, FunPlus started to grow its international studio presence with a new casual studio in Beijing called Puzala, as well as a new mobile development studios in Shanghai.[15]
In 2019, KingsGroup launched and self-published mobile strategy game State of Survival. The game has since achieved more than 100 million downloads.[16] FunPlus continued its international growth with new studios and a publishing office in Barcelona.[17][18]
In 2020, the company's Guangzhou studio was opened. In December 2020, FunPlus opened its corporate global headquarters in Switzerland.[19]
In 2021, FunPlus collaborated with AMC to introduce The Walking Dead to State of Survival.[20]
In April 2021, Imagendary Studios was acquired by FunPlus.[21] In December 2021, the company collaborated with DC to introduce the Joker to State of Survival.[22]
In January 2022, FunPlus launched the match-3 RPG Call of Antia.[23] In March 2022, FunPlus announced a partnership with
Orlando Bloom to bring his character to mobile strategy title, King of Avalon.[24]
In January 2023, FunPlus expanded its publishing operations in Barcelona to game development, focused on hybrid-casual games .[25] In July 2023, FunPlus announced DC: Dark Legion a new strategy video game set in DC universe currently in development. [26] In August 2023, Imagendary Studios was "deeply restructured" and laid off a majority of its employees. Studio head Ryan Pollreisz and other lead staff members left the company in the weeks prior.[27] In October 2023, FunPlus announced a partnership with Capcom to bring Resident Evil characters to mobile strategy title, State of Survival. [28]
In January 2024, FunPlus launched the strategy game Sea of Conquest: Pirate War, giving players a triple-A gameplay experience on mobile.[29]
Esports
FunPlus has an
esports division named FunPlus Esports that sponsors several esports teams and leagues around the world. In 2017, FunPlus Esports founded
FunPlus Phoenix, a professional esports organization[30] with a League of Legends team competing in China's top league (the
LPL), and operates the
Pacific Championship Series. During its run from mid-2018 to 2019, the
League of Legends SEA Tour was operated by FunPlus Esports.[31]
In 2018 FunPlus Esports, in partnership with Chinese online game developer NetEase, launched the world's first global battle royale pro league, "Rules of Survival Global Series".[32]
In 2019, FunPlus Phoenix won the League Of Legends World Championship in a 3-0 victory over
G2 Esports.[33]
In August 2021, FunPlus Phoenix’s mid laner
Doinb earned the League of Legends Pro League Most Valuable Player award for the 2021 summer split.[34]
In 2022, FunPlus Phoenix Wins the Chinese Wild Rift League.[35]
Ventures
In 2012, FunPlus received funding in the amount of $13 million in the Series A round from several Silicon Valley investors. In the Series B the company’s total funding raised was $87 million. Among other ventures, the investment went to the development of the DianDian Interactive game studio.[36]
In 2014, FunPlus raised $74 million in a series B funding round led by Orchid Asia Group, GSR Ventures, and Steamboat Ventures.[37]
Since 2014, the company has invested in other game studios and game-related projects globally.
In 2016, the company started a $50 million fund to invest in game startups.[38] The first investment that FunPlus made was in Sirvo Studios.[39][40]
In July 2016, FunPlus invested an undisclosed amount to Singaporean mobile game developer XII Braves.[41]
In June 2021, FunPlus became one of the investors in seed funding for Drop Fake, which raised $9 million.[42] In July 2021, FunPlus led a series B financing round for Singularity 6. The studio has raised $30 million.[43] In the same year, FunPlus participated in the seed funding round for Gardens Studio, in which it raised $4.5 million.[44]
In 2022, FunPlus invested in Conchship Games with a 25% stake.[45]
^Dorbian, Iris (18 March 2014).
"FunPlus rakes in $74 mln". Venture Capital Journal.
Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
^"Stradling". Stradling - Sirvo Studios Completes Hybrid Strategic Equity Investment and Publishing Agreement With FunPlus Ventures.
Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2022.