The Ares Gameplan: UA Financing, Non-US Developers, and Kim Kardashian

Ares Interactive is positioning itself as a successor to Glu Mobile, leveraging a strategic focus on user acquisition (UA) financing and partnerships with non-US development studios. Led by founder Niccolo de Masi and mobile industry veteran Mike DeLaet, the company aims to replicate the success of celebrity-driven mobile titles, including internal discussions regarding the development of a new game modeled after the hit Kim Kardashian: Hollywood.

The company recently secured $70 million in funding to scale its operations and expand its cross-platform, free-to-play portfolio. To support this growth, Ares has assembled an advisory board featuring high-profile industry figures, including former executives from Apple’s App Store, Kabam, Glu, and Seriously. This leadership team is currently overseeing a diverse release slate that includes an active title, an upcoming baseball simulation, and a future unannounced licensed project.

Ares distinguishes its operational model by intentionally avoiding partnerships with US-based studios, opting instead to collaborate with international developers. This geographic strategy, combined with a heavy emphasis on sophisticated UA financing, forms the core of the company's approach to market entry and scaling. By integrating these financial and operational pillars, the organization seeks to navigate the challenges of the modern mobile gaming landscape while attempting to recapture the cultural and commercial impact of previous celebrity-branded mobile hits.