From Russia with cash: Mail.ru bags War Robots studio Pixonic for $30 million

If the Cold War had gone differently, Russia would probably already have a reserve of walking tanks. Instead, our somewhat more peaceful reality will have to settle for mobile games about mechanized combat robots.

Mail.Ru, one of Russia’s top internet companies, has acquired developer Pixonic for $30 million. The studio’s War Robots, a strategy game featuring legged combat vehicles for iOS and Android, is a major hit in globally. With a purchase like this, Mail.Ru can now access a major new audience that is spending money on free-to-play apps in the $36.6 billion mobile-gaming industry — especially in the United States where War Robots generates the bulk of its revenues.