Kobojo

What Kobojo does

Kobojo is a privately-held French video game studio founded in 2008, headquartered in Paris (legal entity KOBOJO SAS, operating as Celsius Online) with an additional engineering studio in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company develops free-to-play multiplayer mobile and social games targeting the mid-core mobile gaming segment, with two primary franchises: Mutants: Genetic Gladiators, a creature-breeding and PvP arena combat game that surpassed 10 million installs, and Primal Legends, a Match-3/TCG hybrid strategy RPG featuring real-time PvP, 200+ levels, and 50+ heroes that launched globally in August 2016. Kobojo has released approximately 10 titles over its lifetime, reaching a stated community of 70 million registered players.

The studio's underlying technology combines classic Match-3 puzzle mechanics with trading card game deck-building and a proprietary hero placement system that allows heroes to be deployed directly on the board during battles, differentiating it within the match-3 genre. Games are built with hand-drawn 2D art and distributed across iOS, Android, Facebook Gaming, and dedicated web storefronts. Kobojo's go-to-market is product-led: free-to-play downloads with self-serve app store distribution, community forums, social media engagement, and competitive features driving organic retention and virality.

The company monetizes through two revenue streams: in-app purchases of virtual goods, heroes, and premium content, and targeted advertising supported by user data collected via the Celsius Online privacy framework. There are no subscription tiers or premium pricing models disclosed. Kobojo has raised approximately $14.75M in venture funding across two rounds (2011, 2015) from institutional investors including Oxford Capital, Endeavour Vision, Idinvest Partners, Blueprint Partners, and the Scottish Investment Bank, and operates with 43-100 employees.

Name

Kobojo

Legal name

KOBOJO SAS

Website

https://kobojo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kobojo is a French mobile game studio developing free-to-play multiplayer titles including Mutants: Genetic Gladiators and Primal Legends, targeting mid-core mobile gamers with competitive PvP, Match-3/TCG hybrid gameplay, and creature-breeding arena combat across iOS, Android, and social platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Free-to-play with In-app Purchases: Games are free to download and play with optional in-app purchases for virtual goods, heroes, and premium content. Revenue generated from player spending on additional game features and items.
2. Targeted Advertising: Advertising content present on games, targeted based on user data and gameplay behavior. Privacy policy references targeting advertising content.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kobojo develops and publishes free-to-play mobile games for iOS, Android, and Facebook, combining Match-3 puzzle mechanics with trading card game elements and real-time PvP multiplayer. Its portfolio includes Primal Legends (a Match-3 / strategy RPG hybrid with over 200 levels and 50+ heroes), Mutants: Genetic Gladiators (a creature-breeding and arena combat game that surpassed 10 million installs), and Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey (a J-RPG styled title). Revenue is generated through optional in-app purchases for virtual goods and heroes, supplemented by in-game targeted advertising.

Product overview

Kobojo is a mobile game developer offering a portfolio of multi-platform games for mid-core players. The company operates primarily two main titles: Mutants: Genetic Gladiators (a creature breeding and arena combat game) and Primal Legends (a Match-3/TCG hybrid strategy RPG). The company also developed Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey targeting J-RPG enthusiasts. Kobojo's games feature hand-drawn 2D graphics and multiplayer gameplay mechanics, distributed across mobile platforms (iOS, Android), web, and social platforms (Facebook).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Primal Legends: Mobile Strategy RPG combining Match-3 mechanics with turn-based strategy gameplay, featuring real-time PvP combat.
• Mutants: Genetic Gladiators
• Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey

Products and services

• Mutants: Genetic Gladiators A free-to-play multiplayer game available across PC, tablet, smartphone, and Facebook where players cross-breed creatures to unlock new mutants, discover secret recipes, train mutants, and unlock new attacks. Features synchronous PvP arena combat with worldwide competitions and is targeted at social and mid-core mobile gamers.
• Primal Legends A mobile Strategy RPG on iOS and Android that combines Match-3 puzzle mechanics with turn-based strategy gameplay, where players assemble armies of heroes to battle through PvE campaigns and real-time PvP modes across the magical world of Theria. Targets mid-core and competitive mobile gamers and features hand-drawn 2D graphics.
• Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey A J-RPG style game with an authentic Japanese role-playing game universe featuring a hand-drawn artistic vision aimed at J-RPG fans, with a distinct artistic style from Primal Legends.

Quantifiable outcome

• Primal Legends surpassed 600,000 installs
• +3 more outcomes

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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Meltdown Bar (Paris)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 August 2016Kobojo partnered with Paris' Meltdown Bar, a prestigious eSports establishment, for the launch of Primal Legends. Players visiting the Meltdown received exclusive gift codes for free epic Heroes and in-game gold and rubies. The partnership supports the mobile eSports scene and Kobojo's competitive gaming initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Peak Games: Istanbul-based mobile game studio specializing in match-3 and casual puzzle titles (Toon Blast, Toy Blast). Comparable as a match-3 specialist with similar freemium mechanics and mid-core casual audience.
• Gameloft: Paris-headquartered mobile game developer producing mid-core and casual titles for iOS, Android, and social platforms. Closely comparable to Kobojo given shared French origin, mobile focus, multi-game portfolio, and mid-core gameplay emphasis.
• Storm8: Mobile game developer and publisher focused on casual and mid-core social games across Facebook and mobile platforms. Comparable as a multi-title mobile game publisher with similar product-led growth and IAP monetization approach.
• Playrix: Mobile casual game developer behind Gardenscapes, Homescapes, and Township. Comparable as a match-3 and casual puzzle specialist with a similar mid-core-leaning gameplay loop and freemium IAP monetization model.
• Wooga: Berlin-based mobile and social game studio focused on mid-core and casual puzzle/strategy titles with comparable studio size and product-led growth model. Directly comparable as a European mobile game developer targeting similar demographics.

Broad incumbents

• Zynga: Social and mobile gaming giant with a portfolio of casual and mid-core titles across Facebook and mobile platforms. Comparable as a social/mobile gaming portfolio operator with similar freemium mechanics, though at significantly larger scale.
• Supercell: Mobile mid-core gaming leader behind Clash of Clans and Clash Royale. Comparable in mid-core mobile PvP focus, though operating at vastly larger scale and with a hit-driven rather than portfolio approach.
• King (Activision Blizzard): The category-defining match-3 publisher behind Candy Crush Saga and a portfolio of mobile casual titles. Comparable as a match-3 and mobile casual gaming specialist, but vastly larger and serving as the dominant benchmark in Kobojo's target genre.
• Rovio Entertainment: Finnish mobile game studio behind Angry Birds with a broader casual and mid-core portfolio. Comparable as a European mobile game studio with multi-game portfolio and IAP-driven monetization.

Regional players

• DeNA: Japanese mobile and social game publisher with historic strength in Asian markets through games like Final Fantasy Record Keeper. Comparable as a mobile/social game publisher, though primarily serves Asian geographies where Kobojo is underpenetrated.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kobojo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/KobojoGames
• Facebookfacebook.com/kobojo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kobojo
• Instagraminstagram.com/kobojo_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors5 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 Kobojo