Rudel

What Rudel does

Rudel, Inc. (株式会社ルーデル) is a Tokyo-based mobile game developer founded in February 2013 and operating as a subsidiary of Reazon Holdings, Inc. (株式会社レアゾン・ホールディングス). The company designs, develops, publishes, and operates a portfolio of free-to-play smartphone games distributed globally through Apple's iOS App Store and Google Play, with a concentration on titles based on popular Japanese anime and manga intellectual property. As of January 2026, Rudel employs 337 staff and runs five titles: BLUE LOCK Project: World Champion (flagship soccer training simulation, 15M+ downloads), Kingdom Itadaki (Kingdom manga-based training sim), Hajime no Ippo Fighting Souls (boxing RPG), Dragon Egg: Encounter with Friends (monster-collecting guild RPG in its 10th year of live-ops), and the upcoming SAKAMOTO DAYS Mission: Rogue Dawn (pre-registration open, Summer 2026 release).

The company operates a full in-house development model spanning planning, design, engineering, live operations, data analytics, and marketing, and documents a deliberate AI-augmented production approach. AI is used to generate art foundations, automate bug detection and reporting at scale, and run data-science pipelines for game optimization and live-ops decision-making — positioning AI as a creative partner that compresses routine work and frees human staff for concept development and player-experience design. The technology stack includes Unity Gaming Services for performance and fraud prevention, Firebase (Analytics, Crashlytics, Cloud Messaging), OneSignal for messaging, Adjust for marketing attribution, and NHN AppGuard for app security.

Rudel monetizes exclusively through freemium in-app purchases — primarily gacha summoning mechanics and item transactions within each title — with no disclosed pricing tiers, subscription products, or advertising as a primary revenue stream. The go-to-market motion is product-led: new titles are seeded through pre-registration campaigns on the app stores, amplified via official X (Twitter) accounts per game, and supported by press-release distribution through prtimes.jp. A Top Partner sponsorship of J-League club FC Machida Zelvia (renewed for 2025) provides brand visibility in Japan. Rudel is privately held, has not disclosed any external funding rounds, and is led by Representative Director and CEO Hare Izumi (和泉 晴), who founded the company with colleagues lacking prior formal social-game experience. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Rudel

Legal name

株式会社ルーデル

Website

https://rudel.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Rudel is a Tokyo-based mobile game developer and Reazon Holdings subsidiary creating free-to-play iOS and Android games based on major anime/manga IPs (Blue Lock, Kingdom, Hajime no Ippo). It employs AI-augmented production across full-stack in-house development, distributing titles globally via app stores.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mobile Game Item Sales (Gacha/In-App Purchases): All five released titles operate on a free-to-play (基本無料) model with item-based in-app purchases. Revenue is generated through gacha summoning mechanics, item transactions, and premium content purchases within the games. Blue Lock Project: World Champion reached over 1 billion total gacha pulls as of October 2025, indicating substantial monetization from this stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rudel is a Japanese mobile game development studio that creates free-to-play smartphone games for iOS and Android, with a portfolio based on popular anime and manga intellectual properties. The company operates a fully in-house development model covering planning, design, development, live operations, analytics, and promotion, and monetizes through item-based in-app purchases and gacha mechanics. Its five released titles include Blue Lock Project: World Champion, Kingdom Itadaki, Hajime no Ippo Fighting Souls, Dragon Egg, and the upcoming SAKAMOTO DAYS Mission: Rogue Dawn.

Product overview

Rudel is a smartphone game development company that operates a portfolio of mobile games based on popular anime and manga IPs. The company handles all development in-house including planning, design, development, live operations, analysis, and promotion. Their current product lineup includes: BLUE LOCK Project: World Champion (soccer training simulation based on Blue Lock anime IP, their most successful title with over 15 million downloads), SAKAMOTO DAYS Mission: Rogue Dawn (upcoming roguelite action game in pre-registration), KINGDOM ITADAKI (training simulation based on Kingdom manga IP), Hajime no Ippo Fighting Souls (boxing RPG based on Hajime no Ippo manga), and Dragon Egg (guild-based monster RPG that celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025). The company focuses on developing games with popular IP partnerships and achieves rapid development cycles through complete in-house production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BLUE LOCK Project: World Champion A soccer training simulation game featuring characters from the Blue Lock anime. Players train their favorite characters and build competitive teams, competing against rivals with a unique Chemical Reaction system. Achieved 15 million downloads by 2025 and 1 billion+ gacha pulls.
• KINGDOM ITADAKI (キングダム 頂天) A training simulation game set in the Kingdom universe. Players act as military trainers recruiting and developing generals to build powerful armies and battle for supremacy in ancient China.
• Hajime no Ippo Fighting Souls (はじめの一歩 FIGHTING SOULS) A boxing RPG featuring characters from the Hajime no Ippo manga. Players aim for the boxing world championship with gym-based gameplay, rival battles, and gym wars, featuring storyline faithful to the original series with over 100 character illustrations.
• Dragon Egg: Encounter with Friends (ドラゴンエッグ) An online RPG combining monster-collecting adventure with guild-based multiplayer battles. Players team up with Dragon and Hunter companions to explore unknown worlds and compete against rival guilds.
• SAKAMOTO DAYS Mission: Rogue Dawn A training and roguelite action game based on the SAKAMOTO DAYS manga/anime IP. Players engage in rogue-lite gameplay with training mechanics.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FC町田ゼルビア (FC Machida Zelvia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Rudel became a Top Partner (トップパートナー) of FC Machida Zelvia, a professional Japanese football (soccer) club, starting in 2023. The partnership was renewed for the 2025 season. This sponsorship aligns with Rudel's brand and community-building strategy, connecting the company's gaming brand with sports entertainment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• gumi Inc. Tokyo-listed mobile game developer (TSE: 3903) producing free-to-play mobile titles including Final Fantasy Brave Exvius and various anime-IP titles. Comparable scale and IP-licensing-driven model.
• KLab Inc. Tokyo-listed mobile game developer (TSE: 3656) specializing in anime/manga IP-based mobile games including Love Live! School Idol Festival, Bleach: Brave Souls, and Captain Tsubasa. Most directly comparable peer — same IP-licensing model, same Japanese free-to-play mobile market, same gacha-driven monetization.
• Sumzap: Tokyo-based mobile game developer (Sega Sammy subsidiary) known for mobile adaptations of Japanese IPs. Direct comparable as a focused Japanese mobile-game studio with similar licensing-driven content strategy.
• Bushiroad Inc. Tokyo-listed (TSE: 7803) Japanese entertainment company developing mobile games based on its owned IPs (Cardfight!! Vanguard, BanG Dream!). Comparable as a Japan-headquartered mobile game publisher with IP-driven content strategy, though with a stronger owned-IP portfolio.
• Akatsuki Inc. Tokyo-listed mobile game developer (TSE: 3932) focused on free-to-play mobile titles, including anime IP adaptations such as DBZ: Dokkan Battle (with Bandai Namco). Comparable Japanese mobile-game studio targeting similar anime/manga fan demographics.
• Colopl, Inc. Tokyo-listed (TSE: 3668) Japanese mobile game developer behind White Cat Project and other free-to-play mobile titles. Comparable as a Japan-focused mobile-game developer with similar scale and monetization model.
• Level-5 abby: Japanese game developer behind Professor Layton, Inazuma Eleven, and Yo-kai Watch franchises, including mobile titles. Comparable IP-driven Japanese game studio, though with stronger owned-IP focus.

Broad incumbents

• Mixi, Inc. Tokyo-listed (TSE: 2121) developer of Monster Strike, one of Japan's highest-grossing mobile games. A larger incumbent with established hit-making capability in the Japanese mobile market, providing a benchmark for scale.
• DeNA Co., Ltd. Tokyo-listed (TSE: 2432) major Japanese internet/mobile gaming company; co-developed Pokemon Masters and operated the Mobage platform. Broader incumbent with a wider portfolio of mobile games and platform operations.
• Cygames: Major Japanese game developer (CyberAgent subsidiary) behind Uma Musume Pretty Derby, Granblue Fantasy, and Princess Connect. A larger, more diversified incumbent operating in the same anime-IP mobile gaming space with broader hit portfolio and deeper live-ops infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/bluelock_pwc
• Instagraminstagram.com/bluelock_pwc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Rudel