Clash Royale Heading to WeChat as a Lightweight Minigame

Image: Clash Royale Heading to WeChat

Finnish mobile gaming giant Supercell is working on bringing one of its flagship titles, Clash Royale, to Tencent’s WeChat platform. The move follows the successful addition of Brawl Stars—already live under the local branding of Weixin—and aims to capture a larger share of China’s fast-growing market for lightweight, instantly accessible games.

As reported by PocketGamer, the new WeChat version of Clash Royale won’t require users to install a full game app. Instead, it will run directly within the WeChat ecosystem. Jakub Barczyk, business and operations lead for Clash of Clans, said the goal is to “accommodate both existing players, ensuring their progress is saved, and new players, who will benefit from a streamlined experience.”

Supercell appears to be doubling down on the potential of WeChat minigames. Barczyk noted that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to integrate Supercell’s games more deeply into the daily digital routines of Chinese users—who spend a significant amount of time on WeChat.

The partnership between Supercell and Tencent is not new. Tencent, which owns WeChat, has held a majority 84% stake in Supercell since 2016 following an $8.6 billion acquisition. This close relationship has led to several collaborations, including Tencent’s role in publishing Squad Busters earlier this year in China, although that title has yet to make a significant impact.

WeChat’s minigame ecosystem itself is booming. Since its inception in 2018, it has attracted over 500 million monthly active users. According to official WeChat data, more than 300 games on the platform have generated quarterly revenues exceeding ¥10 million (about $1.4 million USD).