StudioBside

What StudioBside does

StudioBside (주식회사 스튜디오비사이드) is a South Korean mobile game developer founded in 2017, headquartered in the Pangyo tech hub of Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do. The company develops and self-publishes subculture/anime-style collection RPGs, with two primary titles: Counter Side, an urban fantasy graphic novel RPG launched in Korea in 2020 and expanded to approximately 150 countries by 2022; and StarSavior, a character-raising RPG with a proprietary one-year 'Journey' development system that launched simultaneously in Korea and Japan on November 20, 2025, with global release scheduled for March 2026. Both games employ 3D-2D fusion graphics, full voice acting, turn-based combat with proprietary mechanics, and gacha-based character collection monetization on mobile (iOS/Android) and PC (Steam) platforms.

The company's revenue model is freemium with in-app purchases centered on gacha recruitment, premium currency, battle passes, and seasonal content. StudioBside transitioned Counter Side from Nexon publishing to self-service operation in February 2023, capturing direct revenue control. The company also operates Cafe Strega, a permanent IP-themed cafe near Pangyo Station that extends the Counter Side universe into physical merchandise and food/beverage sales, with additional pop-up collaborations at gaming conventions. Revenue is generated primarily through mobile game microtransactions, with supplementary income from PC/Steam sales, merchandise, and cafe operations.

StudioBside has raised cumulative investment exceeding 250 billion KRW (~$190M USD), with backing from Devsisters Ventures, KDB Industrial Bank, Smilegate Investment, KONA Venture Partners, Daesung Venture Investment, and Shinhan Capital. The company serves a global consumer base of subculture and gacha RPG enthusiasts, with particularly strong market positions in Korea, Japan, and across East/Southeast Asia. Marketing is conducted through official social media (YouTube, X/Twitter, Naver Game Lounge), pre-registration and CBT campaigns, major gaming conventions (Tokyo Game Show, Anime X Game Festival), and offline collaboration events.

Name

StudioBside

Legal name

주식회사 스튜디오비사이드 (StudioBside Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://studiobside.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

StudioBside is a South Korean mobile game developer founded in 2017 that develops and self-publishes subculture gacha RPGs including Counter Side (150 countries) and StarSavior, targeting anime/gacha gaming enthusiasts globally via freemium in-app purchases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Gaming

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Mobile game development
• Anime-style RPG games
• Gacha collection games
• Character-raising RPGs
• Free-to-play mobile games

Headquarters

HQ city

Seongnam

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Mobile Game In-App Purchases (Gacha/Collection Mechanics): As a subculture collection RPG developer, StudioBside generates revenue primarily through in-app purchases in its mobile games. Both CounterSide and StarSavior feature character collection and gacha-style recruitment systems, premium currency purchases, and limited-time event character pulls. The games also include battle passes, season passes, and various in-game item purchases. This is the core revenue driver.
2. PC/Steam Version Purchases and DLC: CounterSide is also available on Steam with age verification, and StarSavior has a PC (Steam) version. Revenue is generated through the game client as well as potential DLC and in-game purchases on the PC platform, expanding revenue streams beyond mobile.
3. Cafe Strega Merchandise and Food & Beverage Sales: StudioBside operates a physical themed cafe (Cafe Strega) near Pangyo Station, selling character-themed food, beverages, and game merchandise (goods, acrylic stands, coasters, etc.), both at the physical location and through Naver Smart Store online.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

StudioBside is a South Korean mobile game developer and self-publisher that creates subculture, anime-style RPG games. The company develops and operates two main titles — Counter Side, an urban fantasy graphic novel RPG, and StarSavior, a collection-type character-raising RPG featuring a proprietary 'Journey' character development system. The studio also operates Cafe Strega, an IP-themed physical cafe near Pangyo Station that sells character merchandise and themed food and beverages.

Product overview

StudioBside is a game development studio that operates primarily as a developer and direct service provider for its own game titles. The company has two main game products: Counter Side (카운터사이드), an established urban fantasy graphic novel RPG with global operations across Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia since 2020-2022; and StarSavior (스타세이비어), a newer collection-type character-raising RPG launched in 2025 featuring an innovative 'Journey' character development system. StudioBside also operates Caffe Strega (카페 스트레가), a themed cafe brand that extends its IP into physical retail experiences. The company self-publishes its games after transitioning from third-party publishing arrangements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Counter Side: Urban fantasy graphic novel RPG featuring 2D illustration-based graphics and immersive storytelling. First major title developed and published by StudioBside.
• StarSavior (스타세이비어)
• Caffe Strega

Products and services

• Counter Side (카운터사이드) Urban fantasy graphic novel RPG featuring 2D illustration-based high-quality graphics and immersive storytelling. Players take on the role of 'Administrator' to protect the real world from 'Erosion' entities using 'Counter' characters. Targeted at subculture and anime fans who enjoy narrative-driven collection RPGs with gacha mechanics.
• StarSavior (스타세이비어) Collection-type character-raising RPG with the tagline 'The Tale of Raising Saviors Touched by Stars.' Players act as 'Commander' and raise 'Saviors' through a proprietary 'Journey' system spanning one in-game year. Features 3D-2D fusion graphics, turn-based battles with 'Resilience' (강인도) and 'Break Skill' mechanics, and full voice main story. Available on mobile (iOS/Android) and PC (Steam).
• Caffe Strega (카페 스트레가) IP-themed cafe inspired by the witch cafe from Counter Side. Located near Pangyo Station exit 1 (Sinbundang Line), it offers character-themed food and beverages, game goods (acrylic stands, coasters, merchandise), and serves as a physical brand extension. Operates both a permanent location and popup stores at gaming conventions. Merchandise also sold online via Naver Smart Store.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Blueshark Coffee BEXCO BranchminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 November 2025StudioBside partnered with Blueshark Coffee's BEXCO branch in Busan to run a 4-day collaboration cafe (November 13-16, 2025) promoting StarSavior's launch. The collaboration featured themed menu items, limited-edition merchandise, and cosplay meetups with popular cosplayers.
• Cafe Strega (Pangyo Branch)coreOthers · 1 January 2022StudioBside operates its own themed cafe 'Cafe Strega' near Pangyo Station (Exit 1, Shinbundang Line), translating the in-game cafe from CounterSide into a real-world experience. The cafe sells themed food, beverages, and game merchandise. It also hosts pop-up store events at conventions like AGF.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Shift Up: Korean developer of Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, a mobile gacha shooter RPG with anime-style art and ongoing live-service content. Closely comparable mobile-first Korean gacha studio with cross-platform ambitions and a high-profile new title cycle.
• Devsisters: Korean mobile game developer behind Cookie Run franchise with collection/character mechanics and global live-service operations. Devsisters Ventures is also a StudioBside investor, underscoring the business-model similarity.
• Yostar: Mobile gacha publisher/developer (Arknights, Blue Archive, Mahjong Soul) with anime aesthetic and global multi-region publishing. Comparable in target subculture audience, gacha model, and global rollout approach.

Broad incumbents

• Com2uS Holdings: Major Korean mobile game publisher with established global portfolio (Summoners War) and broader mobile/publishing operations. Comparable Korean mobile gacha category leadership, though with broader portfolio scope.
• Nexon Korea: Korean global publisher formerly publishing CounterSide before StudioBside's 2023 self-publishing transition. Comparable as a Korean mobile/PC publisher with subculture and RPG titles, with substantially larger scale.
• Krafton: Major Korean game holding company (PUBG, The Callisto Protocol). Comparable as a Korean top-tier game studio with global publishing reach, though operating at a much larger scale and more diversified portfolio.
• Pearl Abyss: Korean developer of Black Desert Online franchise with cross-platform MMO/RPG live-service operations. Comparable as a Korean self-publishing RPG developer with global live-service ambitions, though at substantially larger scale.
• Smilegate: Korean developer/publisher (Crossfire, Lost Ark, Epic Seven) and investor in StudioBside via Smilegate Investment. Comparable Korean live-service RPG developer/publisher with global footprint, though with broader portfolio.
• HoYoverse (miHoYo): Global gacha RPG leader (Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail) with anime aesthetic, cross-platform play, and live-service content cadence. Comparable in target subculture audience and gacha monetization, but operating at category-leading scale.
• Cygames: Japanese gacha game developer (Uma Musume, Granblue Fantasy, Princess Connect). Comparable in anime aesthetic, gacha monetization, and Japanese-market live-service operations, though at substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/studiobside
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@countersidekr
• Facebookfacebook.com/studiobside

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors9 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about StudioBside