
King has initiated a soft launch for Candy Crush Blast
King, the creator of Candy Crush, is currently testing a new variation of its popular puzzle game called Candy Crush Blast. This game is currently in a soft launch phase on Android in the Philippines. Noted by consultancy firm Naavik, Candy Crush Blast appears to be King's venture into the blast-puzzle genre, competing with games like Toy Blast and Toon Blast.
This marks King's second soft launch in the match-blast genre, following Candy Crush Cubes in 2018. Candy Crush Blast's beta launch closely follows Candy Crush 3D, another of King's spin-offs in the match 3D puzzler category. Candy Crush Solitaire, another spin-off, was soft-launched in July 2023 but seems to have been removed from testing in Canada and the Philippines.
According to Candy Crush Blast's description on Google Play, the game involves blasting "delicious jelly cubes of the same color to create power-ups and win levels," featuring tricky blockers, iconic boosters like the color bomb, and offline play. King's approach to game development involves testing and iterating, ensuring investment in games that players and the industry will love.
This expansion of King's premier IP comes after Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, King's parent company, in 2023. Microsoft, the new owner, has expressed its intention to launch its app store to compete with Apple and Google, where King is expected to play a crucial role in that strategy.
Source: adapted from an article by Neil Long, Founder and Editor for mobilegamer.biz.