Ares Interactive, Inc.
Ares Interactive is a privately-held mobile game developer and publisher founded in 2024, operating studios in San Francisco and Berlin to build and publish free-to-play titles including Heroes vs Hordes (13M+ installs), Baseball Hits 26, and The Walking Dead: Aftermath for global mobile gamers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersCalabasas, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Ares Interactive, Inc. does
Ares Interactive, Inc. is a privately-held mobile game developer and publisher founded in 2024 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, operating two development studios — 7th Inning in San Francisco and Swift Games in Berlin (acquired June 2024). The company builds and publishes free-to-play mobile games for iOS and Android, currently fielding three core titles: Heroes vs Hordes (a roguelite action RPG with 100+ heroes across five factions that has surpassed 13 million global installs), Baseball Hits 26 (launched March 2026 with officially licensed MLB Players, Inc. athletes, motion-capture animations, and four competitive game modes), and The Walking Dead: Aftermath (a roguelite developed with AMC Global Media launching summer 2026). The company targets mobile gamers, baseball fans, roguelite enthusiasts, and Walking Dead franchise fans through a horizontal segmentation approach.
Ares monetizes through a layered free-to-play model: in-app purchases of virtual currency (gems) and virtual assets, Season Pass subscriptions with progression tiers, rewarded video ads via TapJoy, and direct-to-consumer web stores offering premium bundles. The product surface is organized around continuous live operations — themed events, Tower Events, club competitions, and seasonal leaderboards — supported by AI-enabled development, marketing, and live-ops workflows intended to accelerate iteration and content scaling. Key licensing partnerships with MLB Players, Inc. (800+ professional athletes) and AMC Global Media (The Walking Dead IP) provide differentiated content, while veteran leadership (former Glu Mobile CEO Niccolo de Masi as Founder/Chairman, Mike DeLaet as President) and an advisory bench spanning Apple, Nintendo, Kabam, and Seriously Digital anchor operating credibility.
The company is venture-backed, having closed a $70 million Series A round in February 2026 led by General Catalyst — one of the largest early-stage gaming investments in recent years — earmarked for scaling operations, accelerating game development, potential acquisitions, and shared technology infrastructure. Distribution is global across App Store, Google Play, and proprietary web stores, with team members located across the United States, Germany, and Canada.
Ares Interactive, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ares Interactive, Inc.
- Legal name
- Ares Interactive, Inc.
- Website
- https://aresinteractive.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Ares Interactive is a privately-held mobile game developer and publisher founded in 2024, operating studios in San Francisco and Berlin to build and publish free-to-play titles including Heroes vs Hordes (13M+ installs), Baseball Hits 26, and The Walking Dead: Aftermath for global mobile gamers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ares Interactive, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Gaming
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (51321)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile & F2P Game Studios (MPAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores (BPAMAKAB)
Keywords
Where Ares Interactive, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Calabasas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Ares Interactive, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Free-to-Play In-App Purchases: Core free-to-play model with virtual currency (gems) and virtual assets (characters, weapons, player cards) available for purchase. Players can buy player packs, currency bundles, and limited-time offers through in-game stores.
- Season Pass Subscriptions: Season Pass with progression tiers, bonus reward levels, and exclusive rewards. Includes Extra Innings Bonus Levels after completion for continued daily rewards.
- Chain Offers: Limited-time sequential offer progression system with free, ad, currency, and in-app purchase rewards. Personalized offers based on player progression.
- Web Store Direct Sales: Official web stores for each game offering premium bundles, exclusive packs, and bonus value on purchases delivered directly to player accounts.
- Rewarded Video Ads: Players can earn in-game rewards by watching ads through TapJoy Offers and watching ads to earn additional event energy.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-play base game with optional in-app purchases |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ares Interactive, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ares Interactive is a free-to-play mobile game developer and publisher operating across multiple genres, with a current portfolio of three core titles: Heroes vs Hordes (a roguelite action RPG with 100+ heroes across five factions, 13M+ installs), Baseball Hits 26 (a licensed MLB Players Inc. mobile baseball game with 800+ officially licensed athletes), and The Walking Dead: Aftermath (a roguelite mobile game in AMC's The Walking Dead universe). The company runs two wholly owned studios—7th Inning in San Francisco and Swift Games in Berlin—and leverages AI-enabled workflows across development, marketing, and live operations, while also providing publishing and live operations services to external partners.
Product overview
Ares Interactive is a next-generation cross-platform free-to-play game developer and publisher with a portfolio of three core games: Heroes vs Hordes (a roguelite action RPG with 100+ heroes), Baseball Hits 26 (an MLB Players Inc.-licensed mobile baseball game with four competitive modes), and The Walking Dead: Aftermath (a roguelite set in AMC's The Walking Dead universe). The company operates two development studios—7th Inning (San Francisco) and Swift Games (Berlin)—and leverages AI-enabled workflows across development, marketing, and live operations. The company also provides publishing and live operations support services for external partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 7th Inning: San Francisco-based development studio specializing in competitive, high-engagement sports games; team behind Baseball Hits 26
- Swift Games
- Heroes vs Hordes
- Baseball Hits 26
- The Walking Dead: Aftermath
Products and services
- Heroes vs Hordes
Quantifiable outcome
- Heroes vs Hordes surpassed 13 million installs globally
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ares Interactive, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Ares Interactive, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
Ares Interactive, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- MLB Players, Inc.coreLicensing partnership providing officially licensed professional baseball players for Baseball Hits 26. Includes over 800 MLBPI athletes with real stats and player likenesses. Evo Kaplan, President of MLB Players, Inc. stated the goal to find new, authentic ways for fans to connect with their favorite athletes.
- AMC Global MediacorePartnership for The Walking Dead: Aftermath, the first free-to-play roguelite game set in AMC's The Walking Dead universe. AMC trusted Ares Interactive's Swift Games studio to create an authentic experience capturing the franchise's intensity and survival drama.
- 7th Inning StudiocoreSan Francisco-based studio founded by Ares Interactive and staffed by former developers of the MLB Tap Sports Baseball franchise. Aims to capture the spirit of the series' best moments while expanding fan engagement through competitive roster building and live content.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Ares Interactive, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Scopely: Mobile F2P publisher operating major IP-based titles (Marvel Strike Force, Monopoly GO, Stumble Guys). Comparable because it pairs licensed IP with live-ops mobile games and operates at similar scale to Ares' ambitions across multiple titles.
- Jam City: Mobile F2P studio/publisher with deep licensed-IP portfolio including Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Disney Frozen Adventures, and Family Guy. Direct comparison: both build mobile games around premium third-party IP with live-ops models.
- PlayStudios: Mobile F2P games developer (myVEGAS, Kingdom Boss) integrating real-world rewards. Comparable as a mid-sized mobile game publisher pursuing differentiated live-ops and loyalty mechanics across multiple titles.
- Product Madness: Mobile casino/slots publisher (Lightning Link, Heart of Vegas) under Aristocrat. Comparable mobile live-ops publishing machine targeting similar free-to-play consumer segments with similar monetization mechanics.
- N3TWORK: Mobile F2P game developer/publisher focused on connected, live-operated games ( Legendary: Game of Heroes, Tetris mobile). Comparable in operating model and live-services expertise, though now under Block.
Broad incumbents
- Zynga: Largest mobile F2P publisher (now under Take-Two) with Words With Friends, CSR Racing, FarmVille franchises. Comparable mobile F2P publishing model and live-ops approach, though substantially larger and more diversified.
- Wildlife Studios: Brazilian mobile game developer behind Tennis Clash, Zooba, and various F2P hits. Comparable as a multi-title mobile F2P operator with global distribution; differs in sports-game emphasis vs. Ares' licensing focus.
- Kabam: Mobile F2P developer (Marvel Contest of Champions, Disney Mirrorverse) with deep licensed-IP expertise. Direct comparison in mobile IP-based F2P, now part of NetMarble; Ares' advisory bench draws on Kabam alumni.
- Outfit7: Mobile gaming company behind Talking Tom Gold Run and My Talking Tom Friends, now under Chinese gaming group. Comparable as multi-title mobile F2P operator with global distribution.
Others
- Glu Mobile: Former mobile F2P publisher (now part of Electronic Arts) of Tap Sports Baseball, Covet Fashion, Design Home. Highly comparable predecessor — Ares' founder Niccolo de Masi was Glu Mobile's CEO, and 7th Inning studio is staffed by former Glu developers of MLB Tap Sports Baseball.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ares Interactive, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceAres Interactive, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ares Interactive, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Ares Interactive, Inc. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Ares Interactive, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ares Interactive, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ares Interactive, Inc.
What does Ares Interactive, Inc. do?
Ares Interactive is a free-to-play mobile game developer and publisher operating across multiple genres, with a current portfolio of three core titles: Heroes vs Hordes (a roguelite action RPG with 100+ heroes across five factions, 13M+ installs), Baseball Hits 26 (a licensed MLB Players Inc. mobile baseball game with 800+ officially licensed athletes), and The Walking Dead: Aftermath (a roguelite mobile game in AMC's The Walking Dead universe). The company runs two wholly owned studios—7th Inning in San Francisco and Swift Games in Berlin—and leverages AI-enabled workflows across development, marketing, and live operations, while also providing publishing and live operations services to external partners.
Is Ares Interactive, Inc. a public or private company?
Ares Interactive, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Ares Interactive, Inc. founded?
Ares Interactive, Inc. was founded in 2024. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Ares Interactive, Inc. based?
Ares Interactive, Inc. is headquartered in Calabasas, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ares Interactive, Inc. make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Free-to-Play In-App Purchases are the primary driver. The others are season Pass Subscriptions, chain Offers, web Store Direct Sales and rewarded Video Ads.
Who are Ares Interactive, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Scopely, Jam City, PlayStudios, Product Madness and N3TWORK. Broad incumbents are Zynga, Wildlife Studios, Kabam and Outfit7. Glu Mobile is listed as an others.
Does Ares Interactive, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ares Interactive, Inc..
What industry is Ares Interactive, Inc. in?
Ares Interactive, Inc.'s product category is Mobile Gaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAB, Mobile & F2P Game Studios, with a secondary code of BPAMAKAB, Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores. Its NAICS code is 51321 and its SIC code is 7990.