A gaming studio has announced a substantial investment which could give it access to 50 million players.

Brighton-based studio Delinquent employs 12 people although it has yet to release a game.

The undisclosed investment from Swedish studio MAG Interactive will go towards developing Delinquent’s upcoming mobile game, which it is hoped could rival global smash Candy Crush Saga.

The boost is on top of a £100,000 business growth grant from Coast to Capital LEP last year.

The studio was formed in early 2014 by former staff of PopCap, EA, Mind Candy, Relentless and Activision.

MAG Interactive, based in Stockholm, created the top app store game Ruzzle downloaded more than 50 million times around the world.

David Amor, co-founder of Delinquent, said: “The investment is a vote of confidence. We look forward to welcoming those 50 million players to our games. No sense in creating something that no one sees.

“We were looking for investment for our next phase of growth. The executive team from MAG flew over, spent some time in the studio and were impressed with what they saw.”

Mr Amor added about the company’s upcoming release: “It’s a mobile, casual, free-to-play game. More news as we approach launch in quarter two 2015.”

Daniel Hasselberg, chief executive and co-founder of MAG Interactive, said: “There's a strong fit between the culture of our studios.

“Delinquent pitched us on their ambition to add genuine innovation into game genres we know and love.

“After spending time with the team and playing early builds of what they are producing, we believe they can truly do that.”

In November 2013 MAG Interactive secured $6 million funding from Nokia Growth Partners and in May 2014 announced a partnership with High Noon Entertainment.

David Bishop, chief operation officer and co-founder of Delinquent, added: “Every so often you find yourself part of a team that can make magic happen. We had that experience at PopCap and I wanted to re-create that feeling within Delinquent.

“We’ve been incredibly focused on securing and gelling the world’s best talent and have assembled a team that is now ready to cause some serious trouble. MAG Interactive felt like the final missing-link.”