LINE Studio

What LINE Studio does

LINE Studio (라인스튜디오) is a Korean casual mobile game developer and privately held subsidiary of LINE Corporation, headquartered in Seongnam/South Korea and operating with 101-250 employees. The company builds and operates a portfolio of LINE-branded free-to-play mobile titles spanning defense action RPG (LINE Rangers, 2014), bubble shooter puzzle (LINE Bubble 2012 / LINE Bubble2 2015), cooking simulation (LINE Chef, 2019), casual coin games (LINE Magic Coin, 2022), idle RPGs (LINE Idle Rangers, 2024), 3-match puzzles (LINE Match Flight, 2025), and BT21 character puzzles (HELLO BT21, co-serviced with Kakao Games). Its underlying platform is built on the LINE messenger ecosystem: games are distributed through the App Store and Google Play globally, with additional surface area via LINE Quick Game integration, LINE Identity, LINE stamps, and Toss Mini App distribution in Korea. The studio also produces original animated and cinematic content for LINE Rangers (TV animation spanning 13+ episodes and promotional movies).

LINE Studio monetizes primarily through a freemium in-app purchase model centered on gacha systems, premium currency, and time-limited collaboration items featuring licensed anime, manga, and brand IPs (Attack on Titan, Tokyo Revengers, Cardcaptor Sakura, Record of Ragnarok, Crayon Shin-chan, Snoopy, and others). Geographic focus is concentrated in East Asia and Southeast Asia, with documented top-grossing or #1-download rankings in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, and Indonesia. Customer base is mass-market consumer (LINE messenger users and global mobile casual gamers), and LINE Ranger's cumulative downloads exceeded 74 million with LINE Bubble series surpassing 70 million downloads; LINE Rangers achieved six consecutive years of revenue growth in Thailand as of December 2025. In December 2022, LINE Studio received a $30 million private-equity round from Premier Partners to expand its gaming platform and enter the web3 business. Subsequent moves include a metaverse MOU with The Sandbox (2022), a True Beauty game partnership with Naver Webtoon (2023), expansion onto Toss Mini App (2024-2026), and an internal AI Mini Game Contest (2025).

Name

LINE Studio

Legal name

LINE studio 주식회사

Website

https://linestudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LINE Studio (라인스튜디오) is a Korean casual mobile game developer and subsidiary of LINE Corporation that builds and operates a portfolio of LINE-branded free-to-play mobile games (LINE Rangers, LINE Bubble/Bubble2, LINE Chef, LINE Idle Rangers, LINE Match Flight) distributed globally via App Store, Google Play, and LINE ecosystem to mass-market casual gamers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Mobile Games

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores (BPAMAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gaming Community, Chat & LFG Platforms (BPAMAKAK)

Keywords

• Casual mobile games
• Free-to-play gaming
• Mobile RPG development
• Puzzle game studio
• LINE ecosystem 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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. In-App Purchases (Gacha/Premium Currency): LINE Studio generates revenue through in-app purchases including gacha systems, premium currency purchases, and collaboration-limited items. Games feature freemium model with premium features and limited-time collaboration content.
2. Premium Gacha and Collaboration Content: Revenue generated from premium gacha pulls featuring collaboration characters (SS-rank characters, limited edition rangers) and collaboration-specific LINE stamps sold during events.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

LINE Studio develops, publishes, and operates a portfolio of free-to-play casual mobile games integrated with the LINE messenger ecosystem, spanning defense action RPGs, bubble shooter puzzles, cooking simulations, idle RPGs, and 3-match puzzles. Games are monetized through in-app purchases, gacha systems, and time-limited collaboration content, distributed globally via the Apple App Store, Google Play, and LINE's own platforms with strong performance in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand.

Product overview

LINE Studio is a Korean casual game developer that creates mobile games enjoyed globally. The company operates a portfolio of LINE-branded games including LINE Rangers (Defense Action RPG), LINE Bubble/ Bubble2 (Bubble shooter puzzle games), LINE Chef (Cooking simulation), LINE Magic Coin (Coin game), LINE Idle Rangers (Idle RPG), LINE Match Flight (3-match puzzle), LINE Brown Stories (Strategy RPG), and HELLO BT21 (Puzzle). These games are primarily distributed through LINE's ecosystem and available on iOS and Android platforms, with extensive anime and brand collaborations integrated into gameplay. The company has achieved significant success in Asian markets, particularly Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand, while expanding to global audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LINE Rangers Defense action RPG featuring LINE characters; players rescue Sally from the alien military corps through strategic turn-based battles; reached 74M+ cumulative downloads by its 10th anniversary in February 2024.
• LINE Bubble Original bubble shooter puzzle game where players match and pop bubbles to clear boards; LINE platform integration including LINE stamp rewards.
• LINE Bubble2 Bubble shooter puzzle game featuring collaboration mechanics and LINE stamp integration; series accumulated 70M+ downloads across both titles.
• LINE Chef Cooking simulation game where players prepare dishes and manage themed restaurants; ranked #1 in downloads in Taiwan; supports brand collaborations.
• LINE Magic Coin Casual coin/dozer arcade game available globally in Japan, Taiwan, and Macau markets.
• LINE Idle Rangers Idle RPG featuring LINE Rangers characters with passive auto-battle progression system; targeted at players seeking low-time-commitment gameplay.
• LINE Match Flight 3-match puzzle game featuring anime and character IP collaborations including Crayon Shin-chan and Snoopy; achieved #1 in downloads in Japan upon release.
• LINE Brown Stories Strategy battle RPG featuring LINE characters with multiplayer co-op support, story mode, and event stages.
• HELLO BT21 Puzzle mobile game featuring BT21 characters created by BTS; co-serviced in Korean market with Kakao Games and globally launched with regular new character additions.
• Rangers Raising Casual idle game spin-off of the LINE Rangers franchise, distributed on the Toss Mini App platform in Korea.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70 million+ users selected LINE Rangers as their preferred Defense Action RPG game
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and exploratory.

• Naver WebtooncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2023LINE Studio partnered with Naver Webtoon to develop the mobile game 'True Beauty' (여신강림), a match-3 puzzle game based on the popular Naver Webtoon series. Pre-registration began in January 2023 ahead of global release.
• The SandboxexploratoryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2022LINE Studio signed an MOU with The Sandbox for metaverse business opportunities. The partnership was announced in November 2022 to explore web3 and metaverse gaming expansion.
• Kakao GamescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 May 2020Kakao Games co-serviced HELLO BT21 with LINE Studio for the Korean market. The BT21 puzzle game was jointly released and serviced in South Korea through Kakao Games platform.
• LINE CorporationcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLINE Corporation operates the homepage infrastructure (JR Shinjuku Miraina Tower, Tokyo) for LINE Studio. The parent company provides platform ecosystem, brand licensing, and operational support.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rovio Entertainment: Finnish casual mobile game publisher behind Angry Birds. Comparable as a long-running casual mobile franchise publisher pursuing live-ops and brand collaborations to extend franchise longevity.
• GungHo Online Entertainment: Japanese mobile game publisher built around a single mega-hit franchise (Puzzle & Dragons) plus live-ops/collaboration-driven casual titles. The most directly comparable peer in terms of franchise-led casual gacha monetization on the LINE-style Japan/Asia mobile market.
• Mixi: Operator of Monster Strike (one of Japan's highest-grossing mobile games) and a growing portfolio of casual/social mobile titles. Comparable for live-ops, gacha, and anime-IP collaboration monetization in the Japanese mobile casual market.
• Kakao Games: Korean mobile game publisher leveraging the KakaoTalk super-app for distribution — directly analogous to LINE Studio's distribution via the LINE super-app. Kakao Games has also co-published with LINE Studio (HELLO BT21).
• Cygames (CyberAgent group): Developer of Uma Musume, Princess Connect, and Granblue Fantasy — a top-tier Japanese mobile gacha publisher with strong IP/anime collaboration DNA. Comparable for live-ops, gacha monetization, and anime IP usage.
• KLab: Japanese mobile game developer known for Love Live! School Idol Festival and rhythm-game live-ops titles. Comparable for Japan-focused mobile games leveraging licensed IP/anime collaborations for engagement.
• NHN Corporation (NHN Entertainment): Korean mobile/publishing company operating mobile casual games and leveraging the LINE-style super-app distribution model (Hangame). Comparable as a Korean-headquartered casual mobile publisher with cross-platform ambitions.
• Supercell: Finnish mobile game developer behind Clash of Clans and Hay Day. Comparable as a global mobile casual/hyper-casual publisher with a track record of long-lived live-ops titles.
• King (Activision Blizzard): Developer of Candy Crush Saga and a portfolio of casual match-3 mobile games with heavy live-ops and collaboration mechanics. Comparable for casual mobile match-3/puzzle live-ops monetization at global scale.

Broad incumbents

• DeNA: Major Japanese mobile gaming and internet services company with a broader portfolio (Mobage platform, multiple casual/hardcore titles, and verticals beyond gaming). Comparable as a Japanese mobile gaming incumbent but with wider scope than LINE Studio's casual focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about LINE Studio