Developer Supercell expands the battlefield in the biggest Clash of Clans update of 2017, featuring an all-new 1-on-1 battle mode.
Nearly five years after its initial launch, this mobile strategy game is still going strong, reporting earnings of $1 billion in 2016. According to the market research firm App Annie, Clash of Clans was also one of the top 10 downloads in the strategy category in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play store for the last year.
“We estimate that Clash of Clans has earned more than $2.8 billion in worldwide net revenue since it first launched in 2012,” said Randy Nelson, head of mobile insights at research firm Sensor Tower. Nelson added that 46 percent of all revenue came from U.S. accounts, reflecting a strong interest in the game from overseas markets.
Citing Supercell’s capability to create globally successful mobile games, Tencent spent $8.6 billion to acquire a majority stake last year, a move that values the studio at $10.2 billion. According to market analyst Niko Partners, the mobile games market in China is growing quickly and estimated to reach $35 billion in 2021.
The latest Clash of Clans update is centers around the Builder Base on a new part of the map. New features include:
- 1-on-1 Versus Battle mode
- Upgraded abilities for existing buildings, such as the Archer Tower
- New abilities for characters, such as a new cloaking ability for the Sneaky Archer
- New troops, including Bomber and Cannon Cart
- An unlockable new hero, the Master Builder