Candivore, the Israel-based mobile game development company behind the popular mobile game Match Masters, has concluded its latest fundraising drive, raising $10 million from VGames, an Israeli venture capital firm specializing in video games, and Tiger Global Management. 

Following this latest round, Carnivore’s total fundraising has reached $22 million - $12 of which was closed back in February of this year. The Candivore team intends to allocate most of the funds towards marketing initiatives, both online and TV, for its Match Masters game.

Additionally, this latest funding coincides with Candivore’s upcoming online and TV ad campaigns for the UK. The marketing campaign, which is set to launch on May 27th, features legendary personalities like Robbie Williams and Vinnie Jones. 

It is expected to be one of the largest ad campaigns rolled out by Candivore to date, covering both online and offline channels. Carnivore had earlier launched similar campaigns for Match Masters in Germany with tennis star Boris Becker and in Poland with comedy artist Cezary Pazura. 

In addition to the star-studded TV and online campaigns, Candivore will also host a real-life free-to-enter festival in Potters Field Park near London Bridge on June 11th and 12th, featuring interactive games and contests, influencer and celebrity meetings, and other related activities.

Advancing Match-3 Puzzle Gameplay

Match 3 puzzle games like Candy Crush have shattered several records, both in terms of user acquisition and revenue. Amid this popularity, several other titles with similar gameplay entered the market, only to fade with time. However, Candivore reinvented the Match-3 puzzle gameplay with new mechanics, reward systems, and player-versus-player (PvP) competitions.

Unlike the existing Match-3 games, Carnivore’s Match Masters allows players to compete with friends and other players in real-time. Gamers take turns playing against each other by integrating online turn-based mechanics into the game - something that no other Match-3 game offers. With this new addition to the game, players are forced to consider the scores they will receive from their moves and the opportunities their moves would provide to their opponents.

Although a free-to-play game, Match Masters features more than 20 different in-game powerups and boosters designed to help players tip the game in their favor. Furthermore, players who reach the top of the leaderboards are entitled to rewards, prizes, and in-game items.

Since its launch, Match Masters has positioned itself as a popular and successful Match-3 puzzle game, generating revenues that compare favorably with games commanding much larger audiences. According to research firm Sensor Tower, Candivore's Match Masters game generated $7 million in March 2022. In comparison, 8 Ball Pool, with tens of millions of active users per month, recorded total revenue of $10 million during the same period.