Game of War dev valued at $3bn

It’s one of many (perhaps too many) mobile strategy games, but Game of War: Fire Age has garnered enough of an audience to propel its developer to a valuation of more than $3bn.

US-based studio Machine Zone is quickly becoming one of the world’s most lucrative start-ups thanks to its popular mobile title, with the company now in talks about raising funding for the aformentioned valuation, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Released a year ago, Game of War is currently the third highest-grossing game app on iOS, only losing out to Supercell’s Clash of Clans at No.1 and King’s Candy Crush Saga at No.2.

Thanks to sales of the title’s virtual currency, Machine Zone is on course to generate revenues of $600m in 2014.

Machine Zone originally started as dating app developer Addmired in 2008 before its co-founders branched into strategy games and renamed the studio in 2012.

Game of War: Fire Age stands out from similar titles thanks to its built-in language translator that allows players from different regions to play quests together.