Austin 3:16 says I just matched three gems!
Mobile game publisher company Scopely announced today that it will publish WWE Champions, a match-3 puzzle game based on the wrestling company and featuring its famous stars like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. WWE Champions is available in limited markets, and Scopely plans for a wide release on iOS and Android later this year. Scopely has previously worked on brand-based mobile games like The Walking Dead: Road to Survival and Yahtzee With Buddies. The mobile market is worth $34.8 billion a year, according to market research firm Newzoo.
WWE has explored mobile gaming before with the digital card game SuperCard and the fighter Immortals. At its height in August 2014, SuperCard was the No. 17 game in the U.S. Apple store. Immortals was No. 2 in January 2015. Wrestling’s association with gaming goes back even further with dozens of games released on consoles and arcades.
Of course, the match-3 market is a bit more crowded. King’s Candy Crush series dominates the field, and it has inspired thousands of knock-offs. Still, the popular WWE brand — which reaches 650 million homes in over 25 languages — could help Champions find an audience. WWE can even support its own digital network of new and archival content, and fans still show up to live events, including the annual WrestleMania (which each year sells out the large football arena it takes place in).