Ex-Disney and Pixar animators raised $2m for new Texas mobile studio Tonk Tonk Games

Former Disney and Pixar animators have raised $2 million in seed funding for a new mobile studio called Tonk Tonk Games.

The company will use the funds to establish a new HQ in Austin, Texas and scale the team as it gets to work on a competitive fighting title called uFighter on mobile.

The bulk of the capital invested came from BITKGRAFT esports ventures with the Modern Times Group joining.

Still in development, Tonk Tonk Games’ uFighter sees players’ faces digitised onto their avatar. Then using said avatar, players compete in real-time multiplayer battles with friends or foes from around the globe.

The game will feature clan battles, social-play and a spectator mode. uFighter has been in development since 2016 and will release for mobile devices sometime in the future.

"Incredibly excited"

"We are incredibly excited about our partnership with BITKRAFT esports ventures and Modern Times Group," said Tonk Tonk Games founder Joon Kim.

"Our vision is to give players delightful social experiences via networked play. Through financial backing and strategic partnerships, we will be able to attract top talent to our evolving team and craft an ambitious version of our first accessible mobile fighting game - uFighter."

BITKRAFT founder and managing partner Jens Hilgers added: “We are deeply impressed with Tonk Tonk’s culture and their emotionally resonant, proprietary personalised facial animation technology, which make them a clear stand-out in the massive mobile games market.”