Legendary Play raises $4M for esports-themed mobile games for fans

Legendary Play announced it has secured $4 million in funding for its latest project: A series of mobile games for esports fans. It has already produced its first title, Rivals, and it aims to make more.

Bitkraft Ventures and MTG led the round, with participation from 1Up Ventures and Level Up. Legendary Play has also partnered with ESL to make virtual versions of the latter’s esports events and keep the games feeling authentic. It also plans to add familiar esports teams, athletes, and influencers to all of its games.

Rivals Esports MOBA Manager, Legendary Play’s existing mobile title, is currently available on Google Play and the App Store. The developer plans to make further games, to recreate the full esports experience. Its next game is a co-op RPG about being an esports pro.

Roman Frank, Legendary Play CEO, said in a statement, “By 2026, there will be 970 million esports fans worldwide, and 70% of those fans play mobile games. We are creating mobile titles that provide a way for engaged fans to live their passion in a more casual setting. While we have started with manager games, our long-term vision is to roll out a diverse portfolio of esport-themed games including casual games, role-playing games, and story adventure games.”

Jens Hilgers, Bitkraft’s founding general partner, added, “By developing mobile games that address the entire audience of esports fans worldwide, Legendary Play is tapping into a passionate yet underserved market. The team has laid a strong foundation with the success of RIVALS and I’m excited to see them bring their additional games in the pipeline to life as they continue to cater to the needs of esports fans.”