The situation was further complicated in April 2022 when Supercell released an update for Brawl Stars that was not available for existing players in Russia and Belarus.
Follow Us
In response to the conflict in Ukraine, mobile game company Supercell made the decision to suspend its operations and remove all games from app stores in Russia and Belarus as of March 2022. The company clarified that access for existing players would be discontinued with the next client updates. However, despite the restrictions, users who already had Clash of Clans and other titles on their accounts could continue playing them.
The situation was further complicated in April 2022 when Supercell released an update for Brawl Stars that was not available for existing players in Russia and Belarus. This made it impossible for local users to play the game without changing their app store regions.
It is worth noting that Russia was Supercell’s 14th country in terms of revenue, with local players having spent over $161 million in the company’s games. The top five countries by in-app purchase (IAP) revenue were the United States ($4.2 billion), Germany ($814 million), China ($619 million), South Korea ($574 million), and Japan ($553 million).
Overall, Supercell’s decision to suspend operations in Russia and Belarus highlights the challenges faced by companies in navigating geopolitical conflicts and tensions. Despite the suspension, the popularity and revenue generated by Supercell’s games in the affected countries demonstrate the significant impact of the mobile gaming industry on global markets.
Clash of Clans players in Russia have reportedly been unable to log in to the game a year after Supercell removed its games from local app stores. On March 14, iOS and Android users in Russia began reporting issues accessing the game’s community on the Russian social media platform VK. The error message that appeared stated, “Login failed. Your current location doesn’t allow you to sign in. Try again.”
While some players have managed to bypass the region block by using VPN services, it seems that others have encountered permanent account bans for “account phishing attempt.” This can occur when attempting to use a VPN from another country shortly after an unsuccessful login attempt with a Russian account.
Read More Hogwarts Legacy: A Great Game, but Lacking Immersion
Overall, the situation highlights the challenges and consequences of geo-restrictions and region blocks in the gaming industry, and the measures that players may resort to in order to continue playing their favorite games.
Supercell has recently released its financial results for the year 2022, including revenue figures. CEO Ilkka Paananen has also addressed the company’s main challenges and outlined crucial steps that the Clash of Clans developer should take to achieve its mission of creating innovative live service games. This information provides valuable insights into the company’s performance and strategic direction, highlighting its commitment to staying at the forefront of the mobile gaming.
The latest financial results for Supercell in 2022 reveal a decline in revenue of 6% year-over-year, amounting to €1.77 billion. Although EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) reached €632 million, it was down by 14% due to increased investments in the company’s future. The decision to remove Supercell’s games from Russia and Belarus also impacted its financials. Despite being a difficult call, the CEO, Paananen, believes it was the right one to make. Nonetheless, Clash of Clans achieved a major milestone by surpassing $10 billion, and Hay Day accumulated over $2 billion in lifetime revenue.
Paananen reiterates that Supercell’s primary objective is to create “forever” games that provide long-term enjoyment for players. He emphasizes that achieving this goal requires the development of brilliant new games on a regular basis and the continuous improvement of existing ones to enhance players’ experiences indefinitely. As he states, the company’s mission is to make great games even better, thus ensuring the continued success of Supercell in today’s competitive gaming industry.
Supercell’s CEO, Paananen, acknowledges two simultaneous challenges the company must address: creating innovative new games and continuously improving existing successful titles. The lack of innovation in the mobile industry partially contributed to its slowdown in 2022. However, developing a great new game is a monumental feat, and Supercell has tried various approaches to development, including establishing small independent teams within the company, known as “cells,” and prioritizing developer experience and passion over data.
Supercell has launched only five hit games in its history but has killed over 30 others, with the last successful launch being Brawl Stars in 2018. According to Paananen, the company’s biggest problem is to repeat its previous success, meaning they must focus on what might work in the future, rather than what has worked in the past.
Regarding the second challenge, Paananen notes that the company’s live service development teams aim to respect the game’s legacy, provide predictable challenges, improve existing features, and cater to new players. Despite the challenges, Supercell’s primary goal is to create “forever” games that provide long-term enjoyment for players.
Paananen believes that to achieve this mission, the company must create brilliant new games regularly and continuously improve its existing titles. With this in mind, Supercell’s approach is to focus on what players enjoy and cater to their needs rather than relying solely on data. In conclusion, Supercell faces significant challenges in the highly competitive gaming industry, but by prioritizing innovation, excellence, and player satisfaction, the company can continue to achieve success in the future.
Achieving the right balance between creating new games and improving existing titles requires Supercell to understand what players truly desire, not just what they claim to want. The company must also enhance the gaming experience for all users, including both hardcore and casual players, by viewing the game as a comprehensive experience rather than a collection of isolated components. Furthermore, to satisfy player needs effectively, Supercell must perform routine tasks intelligently. Overall, these approaches enable Supercell to create and improve games that provide long-term enjoyment for players, thus fulfilling its mission of developing “forever” games.
To achieve its objectives, Supercell will take several critical steps. First, it plans to attract ambitious developers and enhance its internal engine to create new and innovative games. While mobile will remain its primary platform, the company intends to launch new titles for consoles and PC.Â
Second, Supercell will increase the size of teams working on successful live service games to ensure they have adequate resources to improve the games for existing and future players.Â
Third, the company is developing five new games, including Squad Busters, at its headquarters in Helsinki, and will encourage its other teams to take significant risks and invest more in third-party studios.Â
Finally, to attract talent from other countries, Supercell will offer hybrid and fully-remote work options. These steps are crucial for Supercell to remain at the forefront of the gaming industry and achieve its mission of creating “forever” games that provide long-term enjoyment for players.
Get the latest from Sportslumo.com by following us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
