Wargaming tanks up its mobile arm with Boomlagoon acquisition

The publisher of World of Tanks further pushing into mobile gaming with the acquisition of the one of the studios that spun out of Angry Birds developer Rovio.

Wargaming announced today that it is scooping up mobile game studio Boomlagoon. The two companies did not announce the terms of the agreement. The Helsinki-based Boomlagoon started in 2012, and it has spent the last year working on digital-card game Spirit Hunter for iOS and Android. Now, the studio will lend its expertise toward bolstering its new parent company’s efforts in the $36.6 billion mobile gaming market as Wargaming Helsinki. World of Tanks is still one of the most lucrative free-to-play PC games in the world. It made $446 million in 2015, according to SuperData Research. But Wargaming wants more than just one big hit, and it sees mobile as an opportunity to capitalize on that.

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“Wargaming has spent a number of years establishing ourselves as a leader not only in the PC and console gaming space, but also on mobile platforms,” Wargaming mobile boss Keith Kawahata said in a canned statement. “The acquisition of Boomlagoon, in the mobile development hotbed of Helsinki, creates a great outpost for us to strengthen our market position. They share our vision of fun, high-quality products and services, and their extensive experience in mobile will help Wargaming deliver its future mobile titles to an even broader audience.”

Wargaming already has World of Tanks Blitz for iOS, Android, and Windows 10, but it obviously wants to introduce new apps into this space. By bringing in Boomlagoon, it can diversify its approach to mobile without taking away resources from its existing, successful games.

“We are thrilled to join Wargaming,” Boomlagoon chief executive Antti Stén said. “We get to continue creating world-class mobile experiences alongside a leading free-to-play developer and publisher whose passion for games, ideas, and plans resonate with ours.”

Wargaming did not announce any new projects related to this acquisition, but it did reveal that it is hiring talent for its new Helsinki division.