Chillingo
Chillingo is an EA-owned mobile game publishing studio based in Macclesfield, UK, that distributes a portfolio of freemium iOS and Android games — including WarFriends, Iron Force, and Micro Machines — to global consumers via app stores, with a current focus on live service titles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersMacclesfield, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Chillingo does
Chillingo is a mobile game publishing studio headquartered in Macclesfield, United Kingdom, founded in 2005 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Electronic Arts (EA) under the brand "EA Chillingo" / "Chillingo – An EA Studio." The company publishes and distributes a portfolio of mobile games across iOS and Android platforms, with titles spanning action/combat (WarFriends, Iron Force, Battlecopters, Tiny Troopers series), racing (Micro Machines, Go Rally), puzzle (Puzzle Craft 2, Another Case Solved), and casual (iCycle, Order Up!! To Go) genres. Historically, Chillingo was known for championing third-party mobile developers and published notable titles such as Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, and Contre Jour, though the current portfolio is concentrated on first-party live service games.
Chillingo's core technology stack centers on mobile gaming platform distribution through digital app stores (Apple App Store and Google Play Store), with no disclosed proprietary AI/ML systems, APIs, or SDKs. The studio has 11-50 employees and operates without separate certifications, patents, or independent regulatory compliance frameworks — leveraging EA's broader infrastructure for support (answers.ea.com), corporate channels (EA.com, EA social media), and distribution.
The business model is freemium mobile game publishing: titles are offered free-to-play with in-app monetization, generating ongoing revenue from player engagement rather than upfront purchase. Go-to-market relies on app store discovery, EA's corporate marketing channels, and global digital marketplace availability. End customers are individual mobile gamers (B2C) on iOS and Android devices globally. The company has explicitly evolved its publishing services toward a "select number of live service games" focus rather than broad third-party publishing, indicating a strategic narrowing of the catalog to deepen live-ops monetization on retained titles.
Chillingo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chillingo
- Legal name
- Chillingo
- Website
- https://chillingo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Chillingo is an EA-owned mobile game publishing studio based in Macclesfield, UK, that distributes a portfolio of freemium iOS and Android games — including WarFriends, Iron Force, and Micro Machines — to global consumers via app stores, with a current focus on live service titles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chillingo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Game Publishing
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores (BPAMAKAB)
Keywords
Where Chillingo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Macclesfield
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Chillingo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Mobile Game Publishing: Revenue generated through publishing mobile games via app stores, with focus on live service games that generate ongoing revenue from players.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Chillingo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chillingo is a mobile game publishing studio that operates as an internal studio under Electronic Arts, publishing and distributing a portfolio of mobile games across iOS and Android platforms. The studio focuses on live service mobile games spanning action, puzzle, racing, multiplayer, and casual genres, partnering with developers to deliver titles such as WarFriends, Iron Force, Micro Machines, Puzzle Craft 2, and the Tiny Troopers series to global audiences via major app stores.
Product overview
EA Chillingo is a mobile game publishing studio under Electronic Arts that publishes and distributes a portfolio of mobile games across iOS and Android platforms. The portfolio includes games across multiple genres: action/combat games (WarFriends, Iron Force, Battlecopters, Tiny Troopers series), racing games (Micro Machines, Go Rally), puzzle games (Puzzle Craft 2, Another Case Solved), and casual games (iCycle, Order Up!! To Go). The studio focuses on supporting live service games and partners with developers to publish innovative mobile gameplay experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- WarFriends
Companies that use Chillingo
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Chillingo technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Chillingo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Chillingo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kabam: Mobile game developer/publisher (Marvel Contest of Champions, Disney Mirrorverse) building live-service games distributed through app stores. Closely mirrors Chillingo's model within a broader publisher context.
- King Digital Entertainment: Mobile-first publisher (Candy Crush, Farm Heroes) and wholly-owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, with the same freemium, live-service, app-store-dependent model as Chillingo. Structurally analogous as a studio operating inside a major publisher's mobile division.
- Scopely: Mobile game publisher (MONOPOLY GO, Stumble Guys) running live-service titles across global app stores. Comparable in live-service publishing focus and freemium monetization.
- Playtika: Israeli-headquartered mobile game publisher focused on casual and casino-style live-service titles distributed through app stores. Comparable freemium model and reliance on platform stores.
- Zynga: One of the largest mobile-focused game publishers globally, generating revenue primarily through freemium mobile titles distributed via Apple App Store and Google Play. Direct comparable to Chillingo in business model, distribution, and live-service focus.
- Gameloft: Established mobile and multi-platform game developer/publisher with a broad free-to-play catalog distributed on iOS and Android. Operates a similar multi-genre mobile publishing model to Chillingo.
- Outfit7: Mobile game publisher (Talking Tom) owned by a major strategic (formerly Goldman Sachs, now private equity-backed). Operates a similar free-to-play, multi-game portfolio on iOS and Android.
- Rovio Entertainment: Finnish mobile game publisher best known for Angry Birds (historically distributed by Chillingo). Directly comparable mobile-first publishing business with multi-game portfolio.
- Tilting Point: Mobile game publisher that partners with independent developers to publish live-service games on app stores. Direct peer in the developer-publishing model that Chillingo champions.
Broad incumbents
- Electronic Arts (EA Mobile division): Chillingo's parent company and a broad incumbent in gaming, with mobile titles (FIFA Mobile, Madden Mobile, Apex Legends Mobile) that compete in the same app-store markets. Provides the parent-company strategic context within which Chillingo operates.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Chillingo social profiles
Digital presenceChillingo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chillingo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Chillingo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chillingo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chillingo
What does Chillingo do?
Chillingo is a mobile game publishing studio that operates as an internal studio under Electronic Arts, publishing and distributing a portfolio of mobile games across iOS and Android platforms. The studio focuses on live service mobile games spanning action, puzzle, racing, multiplayer, and casual genres, partnering with developers to deliver titles such as WarFriends, Iron Force, Micro Machines, Puzzle Craft 2, and the Tiny Troopers series to global audiences via major app stores.
Is Chillingo a public or private company?
Chillingo is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Chillingo founded?
Chillingo was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Chillingo based?
Chillingo is headquartered in Macclesfield, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Chillingo make money?
One revenue line is on record: mobile Game Publishing.
Who are Chillingo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kabam, King Digital Entertainment, Scopely, Playtika, Zynga, Gameloft, Outfit7, Rovio Entertainment and Tilting Point. Electronic Arts (EA Mobile division) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Chillingo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chillingo.
What industry is Chillingo in?
Chillingo's product category is Mobile Game Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAKAB, Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7990.