Imperia Online turns 20, take a look back at the history of this small but mighty studio

Imperia Online is a veteran mobile developer now celebrating two decades in the industry.
It was established alongside its debut title, Imperia Online.
Since then, the studio has released and acquired numerous other games, including the full GameLabs catalog.

It’s easy to overlook just how young mobile gaming still is as a platform. Though its roots trace back to the late 2000s, smartphone gaming as we know it truly took off around 2015. Yet many studios currently active in mobile have long, storied histories—and Imperia Online is a perfect example.

Marking 20 years since its founding in 2005, Imperia Online might not ring a bell right away, but you’ve likely played one of its titles. Most notably, Imperia Online itself—the long-running MMO strategy game—has been going nearly as long as the studio.

Imperia Online now boasts over 70 releases in its portfolio, some developed in-house and others acquired from other studios. These include Siege: World War II, Crush Them All, War Commander: Rogue Assault, and, of course, the full GameLabs catalog.

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While Imperia Online may lack flashy graphics or a barrage of merge and match-three minigames—those are found elsewhere in its catalog—it has endured the test of time, thanks largely to a fiercely loyal player base that has stayed with it for years.

Imperia Online’s ongoing success is a testament to the rich history embedded in gaming, mobile included. It proves that even in an era dominated by rapid turnover and fleeting trends, some developers quietly persist with quiet dedication.

Still, there are always exciting new releases filling in the gaps. And who knows? Perhaps in ten years, we’ll be writing about today’s newcomers too. In the meantime, if you’d like to stay updated on the latest and best mobile game launches from the past week, explore our weekly roundup of the top five new mobile games to try.