SoftBank, GungHo purchase majority stake in Supercell for $1.5B

Mobile game giants Supercell and GungHo Online Entertainment teamed up earlier this year with large-scale cross-promotions in their games. Clearly the move struck a chord with both companies, as GungGo parent Softbank has now purchased a 51 percent stake in Supercell. Softbank and GungHo have made a strategic investment of $1.5 billion in the Clash of Clans behemoth, and although Softbank is now the majority shareholder in the Finnish company, Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen was keen to stress that "we are still in full control of our future and will continue to operate independently." In a memo provided to Gamasutra, Paananen explained that his goal is to take Supercell to a global scale, and this partnership with Softbank will allow him to expand more rapidly in the East. Of course, Supercell has already been doing this on its own, launching Clash of Clans in Japan earlier this year. "Although our aspirations are global, our roots and future are very much in Finland," Paananen said. "Our operations remain in Finland, our management team remains in Finland and in San Francisco, and we continue to pay taxes in Finland. I think more and more people in this country are realizing that there is life after Nokia!" As part of the investment, GungHo has put in 20 percent of the total amount. A spokesperson for Supercell told Gamasutra that a new company has been formed for the transaction between SoftBank and GungHo, and this new entity now controls the 51 percent stake in Supercell. More details regarding this new company will be released soon.