Magic Games in Turkey raises $5M in seed funding

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Magic games is looking for the next wildly addictive casual game. The Turkish studio sees real potential in community-driven multiplayer puzzle games. The funding round passed the $5 million mark, in pursuit of the target. Makers Fund led the funding round, with participation from Hummingbird Ventures’ Firat Ileri.

The founders of Magic Games include former members of Peak Games. These individuals, Çağrı Öztürk, Rüya Çelikcan and Mert Kasar, bring a wealth of casual gaming experience. Their previous work has included games like Toy Blast, Toon Blast, and Star Blast. Zynga acquired Peak Games in 2020 for $1.8 billion, which set much of the Turkish game startup community in motion. The strength of that community has made Turkey a regular stop for venture capitalists and other investors.

“Our company builds on the belief that social interactions are the key to deepening and enriching our shared gameplay experience,” Magic Games boss Çağrı Öztürk said in a statement to GamesBeat. “We believe that in-game communities can change the way our users play with and against each other, creating friendly camaraderie beyond competition. Social features are an integral part of our development cycle as we work to build multiplayer games for everyone to enjoy.”

The studio plans to use the money to grow the Magic Games team. It is looking for artists and developers in Istanbul. Magic Games is also looking for talent elsewhere and has plans to open a second office in Europe.

“We were immediately drawn to Magic Games’ ambition to create match-3 puzzle games that combine community features with social/multiplayer elements, a genre that will appeal to both casual and core players on mobile,” said Curtis Urbanowicz of Makers Fund. “The casual games market is poised for more diverse, highly social games that build vibrant player communities.”

Magic Games is working on its untitled first game. It will be a social game with a match-3 core. Artists and developers who join the studio will likely find themselves working on the studio’s debut game.

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