By Sagar V. Mankar Supercell, the renowned Finnish game studio behind smash hits like Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars, has announced the end of development of Clash Mini.
Clash Mini is/was an auto-chess style game where you placed pieces on a board to automatically battle. You could upgrade certain pieces strategically to gain an advantage and win.
The developer is allowing players six weeks to transfer their purchased assets to other Supercell games before the app is removed from the App Store and Play Store.
What Happened to Clash Mini?
Despite its relatively short lifespan, it’s unfortunate to bid farewell to Clash Mini, especially considering its launch in Ireland just about a year ago.
The company cited its relentless pursuit of creating “great games that as many people as possible play for years and that are remembered forever” as the driving force behind this decision.
Despite Clash Mini being a “good game,” and generating over $2.3 million in revenue in the beta phase it ultimately fell short of Supercell’s lofty ambitions.
Merging It to Clash Royale
In a surprising move, Supercell acknowledged the “very high potential” of Clash Mini and announced its integration into the wildly popular Clash Royale.
We can still see very high potential and love for the game within Supercell and our Community. With that in mind, we have decided to commit to bringing the Clash Mini experience to Clash Royale to reach its fullest potential.
This move is a rarity for the Finnish studio, which typically discontinues projects in the beta phase without revisiting them.
By merging Clash Mini with Clash Royale, Supercell hopes to breathe new life into the former while capitalizing on the latter’s massive player base.
Why Merge Clash Mini with Clash Royale?
Several factors likely influenced Supercell’s decision to merge the two games:
- Clash Royale’s Popularity: With a massive and dedicated player base, Clash Royale remains one of Supercell’s most successful titles. Integrating Clash Mini’s mechanics and gameplay elements could revitalize the game and keep players engaged.
- Leveraging Existing Resources: By merging the two games, Supercell can streamline its development efforts and potentially save on costs associated with maintaining separate titles.
- Building on the Clash Universe: Both Clash Mini and Clash Royale are part of Supercell’s beloved Clash universe. Merging them could create a more cohesive and immersive gaming experience for fans of the franchise.
Supercell’s Struggles to Launch New Games
Interestingly, Supercell’s decision to merge Clash Mini with Clash Royale highlights the company’s ongoing challenges in launching successful new titles.
Supercell currently has five live games in its portfolio: Clash Royale, Clash of Clans, Hay Day, Boom Beach, and Brawl Stars.
But, since Brawl Stars’ global release in 2018, no Supercell project has managed to transition into a full-fledged live service game.
Last five years, the company has shuttered 30+ titles some of them including:
- Rush Wars – 2019
- Hay Day Pop – 2020
- Clash Quest – 2021
- Everdale – 2021-2022
- Boom Beach: Frontlines – 2021-2022
- Floodrush – 2023
- Clash Mini – 2021-2024
A New Approach: Treating Games as Startups
To adapt to these challenges, Supercell has announced a strategic shift in its approach to game development and operations.
Under the new strategy, new games and teams will be treated as startups, with creative freedom but limited resources.
This approach aims to get games in front of players as quickly as possible, leveraging both Supercell’s proprietary engine and third-party technologies like Unity or Unreal.
If a new game finds market fit and resonates with players, it will enter the scaling phase, transitioning the team into a “Scaleup” focused on continuous development and improvement as a live product.
Bouncing Back with New Talent and Ambitious Goals
Despite the setbacks, Supercell remains optimistic about its future prospects.
In his 2023, CEO Ilkka Paananen reaffirmed the company’s commitment to creating innovative new games and improving their successful live titles.
To achieve these ambitious goals, Supercell plans to hire new talent and grow its current headcount of over 550 employees, bucking the industry-wide trend of mass layoffs.
The company is also working on several new projects to release (or cancel) in the future that include:
- Clash Heroes
- Squad Busters
- Mo.co.
With their deep pockets, it is interesting to see how Supercell will carry out this approach or if their beta hiatus continues.