Supercell has picked up a minority stake in California-based Redemption Games for $5 million, marking the Finnish company’s first investment in a US-based studio. 

Redemption notes that the arrangement is that of an investment rather than a publishing deal, explaining that the funds will go in part to helping the studio through the development of new titles and to then bring those resulting games to market.

Redemption Games itself was founded in 2015 by Michael Witz and Dan Lin, previously of Mob Science. At their previous studio, Witz and Lin worked on Jam City’s mobile game Cookie Jam. That past experience in mobile puzzle games is something the developer looks to carry forward in Redemption Games’ yet-unannounced first game.

"The funding will allow us to build and launch our own game with the care and attention it deserves,” Witz told PocketGamer. “The mobile games industry is extremely challenging and the odds of survival are low. Having an investment from Supercell is like meeting Gandalf in the dark woods and having him agree to join your quest. The odds are still against you, but it’s sure great to have some magic on your side.”

Supercell itself has been busy with investments lately. The Helsinki-based studio has poured large sums into studios like Space Ape Games, Shipyard Games, and Trailmix just in recent memory.