Cygames, Inc.[a] is a Japanese video game development studio established in 2011 by CyberAgent. Mobile and e-commerce company DeNA acquired a 24% stake in the studio in 2012, and Nintendo acquired another 5% stake in 2018, leaving CyberAgent with 69% of the shares and as such, they are the parent company of Cygames. From its formation, the company produced mobile games, initially on the Mobage platform, and from 2013 on Android and iOS. The company headquarters is located in Tokyo while other divisions are located in Osaka and Saga in Japan and Seoul, South Korea.
Cygames, Inc.
Native name
株式会社Cygames
Romanized name
Kabushiki gaisha Saigēmusu
Company type
Industry
Founded
May 9, 2011; 13 years ago (2011-05-09)
Headquarters
Number of locations
14
Key people
Koichi Watanabe (President)
Yuito Kimura (Executive director)
Kenichiro Takaki (General Manager, console division)
Owner
Number of employees
3,354 (2023)
CyberAgent
Osaka Cygames
Cygames Saga Debug Center
Cygames Saga Studio
Cygames Korea
Cygames Taiwan
Cygames America
Cygames Europe
CyDesignation, Inc.
BlazeGames, Inc.
WithEntertainment, Inc
Citail, Inc
CygamesPictures
Kusanagi, Inc
LogicLinks, Inc.
Cymusic, Inc.
Cysharp, Inc.
Scoop Music Corporation
CyFoods, Inc.
CySphere, Inc.
flaggs, Inc.
Cygames Capital, Inc.
Website
Key IPs include Uma Musume Pretty Derby (2021), Princess Connect! Re:Dive (2018), Shadowverse (2016), Granblue Fantasy (2014), The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls (2011, with Bandai Namco Entertainment), and Rage of Bahamut (2011). The company began development of console games in 2015. In 2016 Cygames announced the establishment of an anime studio CygamesPictures. The company also began funding anime for its mobile property and for new projects and adaptations for anime. The company also entered the manga, music and design market in the time period.
Cygames, Inc. was established in 2011 by CyberAgent,[1] a Japanese web services company. In 2012, DeNA purchased a 24% stake in Cygames.[2] Shortly thereafter, the studio was chosen by Gamasutra as one of the top 10 game developers of the year.[3]
In June 2012, Cygames founded CyDesignation, a company specialized in Design, Illustration, Game planning and Game development.[4][5]
In March 2016, Cygames announced the establishment of its own anime production division and anime studio as a subsidiary known as CygamesPictures to do planning, production and animation both for Cygames own IPs and original anime projects as well.[6][7]
In June 2016, Cygames announced the acquisition of the gaming and anime background studio Kusanagi.[8]
In 2016, Cygames announced that it was developing Project Awakening, its first large-format title for consoles[9] as well as the establishment of their Osaka studio focused on console games.[10]
In May 2017, Cygames and Kodansha announced that they formed a partnership to launch a new label called Cycomi to release volumes in print distributed by Kodansha for manga already published online by Cygames on its digital manga website called Cycomics.[11] However, in April 2019, Cygames formed a new partnership with Shogakukan.[12]
On June 8, 2017, Cygames and its parent company CyberAgent announced that they jointly established CA-Cygames Anime Fund", a fund for investing in anime IP which will inject funds to the anime production committee to obtain the rights to stream anime videos on the Internet and produce games with a total amount of funds to be 3 billion yen.
In 2017, Cygames founded its esports team, Cygames Beast, with Street Fighter players Daigo Umehara, Snake Eyez, and PR Balrog.[13][14] Since July 2017, Cygames is an official sponsor of Juventus Football Club.
In April 2018, a partnership with Nintendo was announced to develop the game Dragalia Lost, for the purpose of facilitating the partnership Nintendo will obtain approximately 5 percent of Cygames's issued stocks.[15]
In May 2018, Cygames announced the establishment of a subsidiary for music production and artist management called Cymusic.[16]
In April 2021, Cygames announced the establishment of a subsidiary called CyberSphere which is focused on 3DCG production for anime and games.[17] Cygames produced the anime The Marginal Service which started airing in 2023.
In April 2023, Cygames opened two more international offices focused in marketing for its regions; one in Los Angeles called Cygames America and one in London called Cygames Europe.[18]
Since January 2024, Cygames is an official sponsor of Sagan Tosu.[19]
Title
Original release date
Publisher(s)
Platforms
JP
WW
Notes / Remarks
Yes
Terminated
Terminated
No
Servers were closed on March 30, 2023
Terminated
No
Terminated
No
Super Sentai Heroes
Terminated
No
Battle Spirits: Hasha no Houkou
Terminated
No
Sakatsuku S World Stars
Terminated
No
Terminated
No
Terminated
No
Sangokushi Puzzle Taisen
Terminated
No
Knights of Glory[20]
Terminated
No
La Rudiaia Chronicle
Terminated
No
Dragon Quest Monsters: Super Light
Terminated
No
Servers were closed on January 31, 2024
Yes
No[b]
Terminated
Terminated
Terminated
No
LINE Paper Dash World
Terminated
No
Yes
No
Terminated
No
Terminated
No
Android, iOS, DMM Games, Microsoft Windows (through Steam)
Yes
Yes
Unreleased
No
Closed Beta Test was held in August, 2017
Terminated
No
Closed on December 27, 2022
Terminated
No
Yes
Terminated
English servers were closed April 30, 2023
Terminated
Terminated
Servers were closed November 30, 2022
Terminated
Yes
JP server were closed February 20, 2024. WW version is set to shutdown on July 25, 2024.[22]
Yes
No
Current Active Servers: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China Mainland (4 in total)
Eiyuu Gakuen Hero-ka
TBA
Yes
No
Title
Original release date
Publisher(s)
Platforms
The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Viewing Revolution
Shadowverse: Champion's Battle[24]
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows
Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows
Console (TBA)
Untitled Metal Max project
Console (TBA)
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