Kingdom Maker is a mobile-first MMO that mixes real-time strategy, 4X conquest, RPG depth, and simulation-style world-building. It’s battle maps meet soap operas.
At BITKRAFT Ventures, we invest in interactive experiences that move culture and the people bold enough to build them. We had known the founder of Global Worldwide (GWW) for years, and when we got a deeper look at their flagship title, Kingdom Maker, and the market opportunity around it, we saw something that made us lean in: a wildly ambitious game built by industry veterans that will soon be ready to scale.
What’s Kingdom Maker?
Imagine a game where your medieval dynasty doesn’t just survive—it schemes, trades, romances, and sometimes declares war. That’s the idea behind Kingdom Maker, a mobile-first MMO that mixes real-time strategy, 4X conquest, RPG depth, and simulation-style world-building. It’s battle maps meet soap operas.
The gameplay is structured to give players freedom, persistence, and plenty of personality. It’s the kind of multi-loop design that, in our view, could appeal to players looking for more than just idle tapping or endless timers.
Who's Behind It?
Great games rarely happen by accident. They’re usually built by teams who’ve been in the trenches together, like:
- Will Harbin, CEO: 15-year industry veteran and former Chairman and CEO of KIXEYE, in addition to multiple successful exits
- Paul Preece, Co-founder: Co-founded KIXEYE and created Desktop Tower Defense
- Dave Scott, Creative Director: Co-founded KIXEYE, developer for 25 years
- John Getze, CMO: Former CMO of KIXEYE (noticing a theme?) and Director of CRM for Monster
This team has worked together for over a decade. We look for real-world chemistry and experience operating live-service titles, and this team has the chops.
Why Now?
Mobile gaming continues to be a massive and fast-moving market. It is set to reach over $125 billion in annual revenue globally this year, with categories like strategy, RPG, and simulation consistently showing strong engagement. In our view, Kingdom Maker taps into the overlap between these genres in a way that feels distinct and fresh.
We had seen outsized success in the category already: Whiteout Survival passed $1bn in revenue in just 18 months, one of the few titles to join the ranks of Monopoly Go in achieving a milestone like this on such a short timeline. We see similar opportunity for Kingdom Maker with a unique product & game world appeal for players.
Meanwhile, marketing tools are catching up to post-IDFA realities, and that’s helping some mobile studios find efficiency in their campaigns again. These macro shifts don’t guarantee success, but they do suggest this is an interesting time to be building ambitiously in mobile.
What Now?
Our investment is intended to help the team at GWW build and scale Kingdom Maker. That includes live-ops, community-building, and marketing acceleration. We are also excited to support the Company with user acquisition financing resources.
“Will and his team are doing something different,” said Scott Rupp, Founding GP at BITKRAFT. “They’re drawing from what they’ve learned and building something genre-crossing and player-forward. We’re excited to be in their corner.”
Harbin states that “more than capital, BITKRAFT brings real insight into building long-term, player-first experiences. Their team understands the complexity of live games, respects creative ambition, and has been a sounding board for some of our biggest strategic decisions. We’re excited to have them alongside us as we evolve Kingdom Maker and grow Global Worldwide.”
We back founders we believe in, like those who see games not just as products, but as living worlds worth building and evolving. That’s what got us excited about Global Worldwide.
And if their game lets you roleplay a charming noble who plots diplomatic coups while hosting medieval dinner parties… well, that’s our kind of dynasty.
Disclosures
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