Finnish video game studio Supercell, developer of Clash Royale and Brawl Stars, is set to launch its popular titles on Tencent Holdings’ WeChat as installation-free mini games, leveraging the super app’s vast user base.

Jakub Barczyk, business and operations lead for Supercell’s Clash of Clans, said on Wednesday that Brawl Stars was already available on WeChat, known as Weixin in mainland China, while Clash Royale was “currently being developed” for a September release on the WeChat mini-game platform. He made the remarks during a live-streamed session at a WeChat event in Chongqing.

Helsinki-based Supercell “is focusing on seamless integration between the platform and mobile games, enabling effortless switching through synchronised assets”, Barczyk said. “This approach accommodates both existing players, ensuring their progress is saved, and new players, who will benefit from a streamlined experience.”

“This strategy aims to seamlessly integrate Supercell’s popular games into the everyday routines of Chinese users through WeChat, providing easy access with classic experiences,” he added.

Barczyk said Supercell was focusing on WeChat mini games because of the rapid growth of the market and the rising popularity of lightweight games that can be played almost instantly without downloading a separate app.

Since WeChat launched mini games in 2018, which run entirely within the super app, they have amassed 500 million monthly active users. Over 300 mini games had achieved quarterly sales of more than 10mil yuan (RM5.89mil or US$1.4mil), according to WeChat data released on Wednesday.

The move marks another partnership between the two companies since Tencent acquired an 84% stake in Supercell for US$8.6bil in 2016. That year, Clash Royale integrated its login system with Tencent’s WeChat and QQ, another messaging app popular among teenagers, allowing users to see their friends’ activity and rankings.

Gaming has long been a key pillar for Tencent, which operates the world’s largest video gaming business by revenue. It recorded a 23% jump in first-quarter revenue to reach 16.6bil yuan (RM9.78bil), which was “driven by growth in revenues from Brawl Stars, Clash Royale and PUBG Mobile.”

Investing in video game developers overseas has been a primary growth strategy for Tencent. Besides Supercell, Tencent holds a roughly 40% stake in US-based developer Epic Games, maker of Fortnite, and wholly owns League of Legends developer Riot Games. – South China Morning Post