Hawken

What Hawken does

Hawken Entertainment, Inc. was a private video game developer founded in 2012 and headquartered in Calabasas/Huntington Beach, California, with a staff of 1-10 employees. The company developed Hawken, a free-to-play multiplayer mech first-person shooter in which players pilot customizable mechanized war machines across three weight classes (Light, Medium, Heavy) featuring a heat-based weapon system, 25+ unique mechs, deployable combat items, and multiple competitive game modes including Team Deathmatch, Missile Assault, and Siege. The game's technical architecture supported player progression through pilot XP, mech ranks, and a dual-currency economy (HAWKEN Credits earned in-game and Mech Credits purchased with real money for cosmetics and upgrades).

The company operated a product-led go-to-market motion, distributing the game digitally through Steam (PC, sunset 2018), PlayStation Store, and Xbox Store, with revenue generated via microtransactions and platform revenue share. All software IP was owned by publisher 505 Games SpA (Milan, Italy) under a publishing agreement, and the company served two consumer segments: general video game consumers and competitive FPS players seeking skill-based mech combat. Supporting ecosystem efforts included an official community forum, a free Fan Kit for content creators, and the HAWKEN: Genesis graphic novel published by Archaia to expand the franchise narrative.

All game servers were taken down by 2018 — console servers in May 2017 and the PC version was removed from Steam on January 2, 2018 — and Hawken Entertainment, Inc. is reported as no longer an active operating entity. No funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership changes, or subsequent product activity are disclosed in the available data.

Name

Hawken

Legal name

Hawken Entertainment, Inc.

Website

https://playhawken.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hawken Entertainment, Inc. was a small private game developer that built and operated Hawken, a free-to-play multiplayer mech FPS game published by 505 Games across PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, serving competitive and casual gamers before all servers were sunset by 2018.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Games (Free-to-Play Multiplayer FPS)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Casual/Hypercasual Game Studios (MPAFAAAG)

Keywords

• Free-to-play gaming
• Mech combat shooter
• Multiplayer FPS
• Video game development
• Console gaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Calabasas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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 Base Game: Core game is free-to-play, allowing broad player acquisition without upfront cost. Revenue generated through optional in-game purchases.
2. Mech Credits (MC) Purchases: Premium in-game currency purchasable with real money. Used to buy cosmetic items, upgrade mechs, and purchase style customizations including mech body parts, thrusters, camouflage, paint, trim, and emotes.
3. Platform Distribution Revenue: Revenue share from platform holders (Sony, Microsoft) for distributing game through PlayStation Store and Xbox Store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hawken is a free-to-play multiplayer mech first-person shooter game where players pilot customizable mechanized war machines in team-based combat. The game features 25+ mechs across three weight classes (Light, Medium, Heavy) with a distinctive heat-based weapon mechanic, pilot/mech progression systems, multiple game modes (Team Deathmatch, Missile Assault, Siege, Deathmatch), and is monetized through optional in-game purchases of Mech Credits for cosmetics and upgrades.

Product overview

Hawken is a single core product - a free-to-play mech first-person-shooter game developed by Hawken Entertainment, Inc. and published by 505 Games. The game features a comprehensive mech combat system with three weight classes (Light, Medium, Heavy), each with multiple unique mechs, primary and secondary weapons, deployable combat items, and upgradeable internals. Players progress through pilot and mech levels, earning HAWKEN Credits (HC) through gameplay to purchase upgrades and customization options. The game includes eight distinct maps with unique environments and strategies, multiple game modes (Team Deathmatch, Missile Assault, Siege, Deathmatch), and a Mech Garage for customization. Supporting products include a free Fan Kit for community content creation and the HAWKEN: Genesis graphic novel published by Archaia. Originally launched on PC with subsequent console releases on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the game has since had server shutdowns with the PC version removed from Steam.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HAWKEN A free-to-play multiplayer mech first-person-shooter game where players pilot mechanized war machines in a dystopian world with tactical, fast-paced gameplay across multiple competitive modes including Team Deathmatch, Missile Assault, Siege, and Deathmatch. Features customizable and upgradable mechs with various weapon loadouts. Previously available on PC (Steam), PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
• HAWKEN Fan Kit Free downloadable fan kit containing wallpapers, artwork, screenshots, logos, icons, and other materials to help fans create HAWKEN websites, blogs, posters, and artwork.
• HAWKEN: Genesis Comic Graphic novel published by Archaia telling the story behind the game universe. Includes 10,000 HAWKEN Credits for in-game use. Available in physical and digital formats through Amazon and comiXology.

Segments2 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.

• 505 GamescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor505 Games is the publisher of HAWKEN. The EULA states that 505 Games SpA, based in Milan, Italy, owns all rights to the Software Product. They handle distribution and publishing responsibilities for the game on all platforms.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Direct peers

• Piranha Games (MechWarrior): Developer of MechWarrior 5 and the MechWarrior franchise, the most iconic mech simulation series. Directly comparable to Hawken in the mechs-as-product category, though Piranha's titles lean simulation while Hawken leaned FPS arena gameplay.
• FromSoftware (Armored Core): Developer of the Armored Core series, mech action games featuring customizable mechs with deep loadout systems. Comparable to Hawken for the customization/progression loop and the mech-combat primary loop, though FromSoftware's titles are typically single-player/versus rather than live-service multiplayer.
• Respawn Entertainment (Titanfall): Developer of the Titanfall franchise, which is the closest direct competitor to Hawken: a multiplayer FPS built around piloting mechanized combat units with progression and class-based loadouts. Both target competitive shooter players seeking robot/mech combat rather than infantry-only gameplay.
• Pixonic (War Robots): Developer of War Robots, a free-to-play multiplayer mech shooter for mobile and PC with similar weight-class structure, premium currency monetization, and progression systems. Closest comparably positioned competitor in the live-service F2P mech-shooter space.

Emerging players

• Robot Wars / BattleBots-style franchises: Robot-combat entertainment brands (BattleBots, King of Bots) that tap into the same mech/robot combat enthusiasm that Hawken targets. Adjacent comparable for understanding the consumer appetite for mechanized combat experiences.
• Harebrained Schemes (BattleTech): Developer of BattleTech (2018), a mech tactical game in the same fictional universe. Comparable IP-adjacent player building mech-themed combat with progression and customization, though in a turn-based tactical format rather than an FPS.

Others

• 505 Games: Publisher of Hawken and owner of the Hawken IP per the EULA. While not a developer peer, 505 Games is the most relevant counterparty for any commercial revival, asset purchase, or licensing deal involving the Hawken franchise.

Broad incumbents

• Activision (Call of Duty): The dominant force in competitive multiplayer FPS via the Call of Duty franchise. Hawken competes for the same 'competitive FPS player' persona, though Call of Duty is infantry-focused and operates at vastly greater scale; relevant for understanding the competitive pressure that likely contributed to Hawken's shutdown.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/playhawken
• Facebookfacebook.com/playhawken
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hawken-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Hawken