Critical Force

Critical Force is a Finland-based mobile game developer and publisher founded by Veli-Pekka Piirainen and a small team of game development students in 2012. The company’s major esports title, “Critical Ops” is a free-to-play first-person shooter (FPS) game that offers three game modes (Deathmatch, Defuse, and Gun Game). The game is available on both iOS and Android platforms. Prior to its launch, the company launched a prototype version of the game titled “Critical Strike Portable.” 

In January 2020, the company established a new studio in Helsinki. It is claimed to be located in the center of the densest pool of talent in the country. As of September 2023, the company had two game development studios in Finland.

The company generates revenue via sales of in-game items, such as gun designs.

Key customers and partnerships

As of 2023, It is claimed that Critical Ops was downloaded over 100 million times.

In June 2020, Critical Force partnered with Critical Ops League and Gizer to launch a new esports league, Critical Ops Circuit, where teams will compete for a total prize pool of USD 15,000. 

In September 2023 , Critical Force partnered with Epulze to leverage Epulze’s platform to create grassroots and professional tournaments for Critical Ops. 

Funding and financials

In January 2021, Critical Force raised USD 10 million from an undisclosed investor. The company planned on using these funds to implement its future growth strategy and increase the size of its team.