Technology investor Mercia Fund Management has backed a gaming company with a £200,000 funding package to support its move into free-to-play games.
Edge Case Games is the team behind space flight combat game Strike Suit Zero which has been downloaded by more than a million gamers on PC, XBOne and PS4.
It is now looking to move into free-to-play games as a service model and is currently focusing on the core PC gamer audience ahead of the launch of its first game which is soon to be announced under the new model.
Warwickshire-based Mercia is supporting the firm which was founded by industry veterans James Brooksby and Chris Mehers in Surrey.
Mr Mehers said: "These funds will be used to expand the development team, and create the right launch platform for our first free to play game.
"We chose Mercia as our funding partner as their experience and depth of knowledge in the digital entertainment sector means that they will add value way beyond simply being a financial investor."
Mike Hayes, head of Mercia Fund Management's digital division, added: "Digitally delivered, free-to-play games as a sector is enjoying explosive growth with games like League of Legends, World of Tanks and many more delivering hundreds of millions of dollars of high margin revenue, disrupting the traditional retail and digital pay to play incumbents.
"Investing in this sector with an expert team is a natural choice for us as we expand our digital portfolio."
