Free-to-play dev Rumble Entertainment raises nearly $20m

Multiplatform free-to-play developer Rumble Entertainment has raised $17.5m from its latest funding round.

The Series B investment was led by Japan publishing giant Nexon, and also included Google Ventures, Khosla Ventures and TriplePoint Capital, as well as a number of other investors.

To date, Rumble has raised more than $35 million.

The funds will be used expand its portfolio of games and reach new platforms.

“We are inspired by Nexon’s leadership in merging the free-to-play model with more immersive gameplay experiences,” said Rumble CEO Greg Richardson.

“Welcoming Nexon as a financial and strategic partner allows us to capitalise on their global market presence and free-to-play expertise, enabling a unique opportunity for us to build global franchises that redefine the video game experience on digital platforms."

Nexon CFO Owen Mahoney added: “As a first-mover in the West, Rumble is at the forefront of the industry’s evolution to free-to-play. As a developer and publisher of high-quality, immersive F2P games that are both synchronously multiplayer and fully playable across mobile devices and in PC browsers, Rumble delivers unique and compelling offerings to the market. We are incredibly excited to work with Rumble’s world-class team as they continue to influence the future of gaming by combining top-quality interactive entertainment with mobile, web, and free-to-play.”

Founded in 2011 and staffed by ex-Zynga, activision, BioWare and Blizzard devs, the California-based developer has worked on titles such as multiplayer FPS Ballistic and fantasy RPG Kings Road.