Seattle-based startup AccelByte has raised $ 10 million.
Founded in 2016, AccelByte is a provider of backend tools for “live service” video games. Its platform provides a developer with a set of out-of-the-box tools to manage the behind-the-scenes requirements of an online multiplayer game.
The Series A round was led by New York-based venture capital firm Galaxy Interactive, with additional funding from Hangzhou-based NetEase, which publishes many mobile games for the Chinese market; South Korean firm KRAFTON, publisher / developer of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds; and Dreamhaven, which launched late last year in Irvine, California, by Blizzard CEO and co-founder Mike Morhaime.
AccelByte’s current development partners include Deep Silver Volition, Bandai Namco, Gearbox, Remedy, Versus Evil, and Stray Bombay from Seattle, which plans to release its debut title The Anacrusis later this year.
“AccelByte is focused on helping studios by offering a proven, efficient, and accessible online backend technology platform and tools at scale, so developers can do what they do best – create amazing games,” said Junaili Lie, CEO. of AccelByte and co-founder of the company, in a statement. Lie was previously director of online technology at Epic Games; an online games technical director for LucasArts; and Principal Technical Architect at Electronic Arts.
AccelByte’s general set of tools is intended to provide the necessary software and scalable architecture to game developers planning to operate “games as a service” (GaaS), releases that earn their money from in-app purchases or fees. subscription rather than a single upfront purchase price.
Useful examples of GaaS include Riot’s League of Legends, Psyonix’s Rocket League, and Valve Software’s Dota 2, all three of which are some of the most profitable success stories in modern industry. A “live service” game is generally destined to continue for years, if not indefinitely, with consistent updates adding more content and options.
AccelByte’s emphasis is on allowing a company to use its platform to handle work behind the scenes, which theoretically frees developers to work on various facets of the actual game.
It is not an unusual release in game development: there is an entire company out there to sell game developers with a short time sufficiently realistic virtual trees, much less a usable plug-and-play backend, but with more and more studios looking breaking your own piece of GaaS, there’s a natural argument in favor of letting another company handle much of a game’s multiplayer math.
AccelByte intends to use the Series A money to “expand its strategic partnerships,” according to a press release issued prior to the announcement. It was reportedly profitable up front, but the additional funding will allow you to accelerate your existing business plan.
