The Tool Desk
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What did Supercell’s CEO say?
In his February 15, 2023 essay, “The Next Chapter of Supercell”, Paananen wrote: “We have launched 5 hit games but we have killed 30+, by my latest count.” He was describing the difficulty of creating new successful games, adding that “Creating a hit game is really, really hard, and requires a lot of luck too.”
The wording matters: “30+” was Paananen’s latest count in 2023. It should not be treated as a verified industry statistic or as a current total. Supercell’s later statements add context about cancellations, but do not supply a new overall count.
Which five games did Supercell call hits?
In a 2022 essay, Paananen named the five games associated with the company’s hit tally:
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- Hay Day
- Clash of Clans
- Boom Beach
- Clash Royale
- Brawl Stars
Those titles were named in Paananen’s 2022 essay. At that time, he said the five games had more than 5 billion downloads and 250 million monthly players collectively, and that each had grossed more than $1 billion in lifetime revenue. He also said Clash of Clans and Clash Royale had grossed more than $10 billion in lifetime revenue combined. These are Supercell’s figures as reported in 2022, not current measurements.
What does “killed” mean in this context?
It means Supercell stopped developing a project. The company’s history shows that projects could be cancelled at different stages, including early internal development and beta. The 30-plus figure does not mean 30 games were all launched worldwide.
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Supercell’s company history describes an internal “company playable” milestone at which employees across the company can try a game. A project might be stopped after that stage. Its examples include Magic, which a five-person team worked on for nearly six months, as well as early mobile projects Pets vs. Orcs, Tower and Battle Buddies. Members of the Magic team later went on to develop Clash of Clans.
Why does Supercell cancel games?
Supercell says it stops work when a project falls short of its vision or fails to show the fun and player interest it is seeking. Its company history describes Gunshine, the company’s first game, as a product that did not meet its vision: players became bored after a month or two, and the team did not believe it would become a game people would play for years. The experience contributed to a shift from a cross-platform strategy toward tablet-first and then mobile-first development.
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The company’s retrospective puts the trade-off plainly: “It’s usually better to kill games earlier rather than later.” That is Supercell’s explanation of its approach, not a rule that applies to every developer. The underlying logic is that making games with the potential to keep players engaged for years involves risk; a company pursuing that goal will have projects that do not make the cut.
Is the 30-plus figure still current?
Supercell has not provided an updated overall cancellation tally in the later statements covered here. In a February 2026 essay, Paananen said that Squad Busters had become Supercell’s “first-ever killed game after global launch.” That establishes a post-launch cancellation after the 2023 tally, but it does not reveal a revised total.
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In the same essay, “The Best Games Haven’t Been Made Yet,” Paananen reported that Squad Busters had 40 million pre-registrations and 75 million downloads in its first year, while describing its eventual outcome as unsuccessful. Those company-reported figures show why early interest or downloads alone do not settle whether a game meets a company’s longer-term goals.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can a game with strong early numbers still be canceled?
Squad Busters illustrates the difference between an early result and lasting success. In its February 2025 essay about 2024, Supercell said the game generated more than $100 million in gross revenue during its first seven months of 2024, while also saying it had not reached the team’s aspirations. The figure covers that stated early period, not lifetime revenue. Supercell’s subsequent decision to end the game after global launch shows that a sizable launch does not guarantee a product will remain part of the company’s long-term plans.
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Supercell also reported more than 300 million monthly active players worldwide across its live games in its account of 2024 results, published in 2025. That broader figure covers its live portfolio at the time; it is not a measure of the five hits’ current player base or a revision to the 2023 “30+” tally. The company’s statements about results and future investment plans are self-reported.
Quick Recap
What the headline claim does—and does not—tell you
- It tells you: In February 2023, Paananen said Supercell had launched five hit games and had killed more than 30 projects by his latest count.
- It does not tell you: That every canceled project reached global release, that 30+ is a current or audited total, or that early downloads or revenue guarantee a game’s long-term future.
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