Zynga and NetEase bringing Dawn of Titans to China
High-end free-to-play mobile game due for Eastern release by the end of the year
Mobile giant Zynga has teamed up with Chinese publisher NetEase to facilitate a release for Dawn of Titans in the latter's home nation.
After years in development, the free-to-play game finally launched at the end of 2016, and research firm Sensor Tower claims has already grossed more than $21m to date, VentureBeat reports.
According to an official statement, Zynga and NetEase plan to release Dawn of Titans in china by the end of the year and are "excited to see how local action-strategy fans make the game their own".
NetEase has already established itself as one of the go-to partners for Western firms seeking to release their games in China. It has already helped bring the likes of Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft to the region, and is currently working with Mojang on Chinese versions of Minecraft and Minecraft: Pocket Edition.
The firm's games revenues surpassed $4bn in 2016, with another $1.6bn already generated during Q1 2017.
Dawn of Titans is a prime example of the new wave of high-end mid-core titles that firms are exploring in the mobile market. The game boasts detailed 3D graphics and real-time gameplay in a bid to appeal to more traditional gamers. The potential for this title contributed to Zynga's decision to purchase its creator, UK studio NaturalMotion, for $527m back in 2014.