Angry Birds maker Rovio Entertainment partnered with competition platform WorldWinner to launch a game which is “a new spin on the classic mobile game” and will let users compete for cash.

“True to the Angry Birds franchise, the familiar physics-based gameplay and strategy puts players’ pig-popping skills to the test. Angry Birds Champions also features the charming characters and memorable sound effects that Angry Birds fans know and love,” the companies said in a joint statement.

Wilhelm Taht, EVP of Games at Rovio, said the company “wanted to take Angry Birds to the next level by offering our huge fanbase a chance to put their slingshot skills to the test, and compete for real money.”

“WorldWinner represents the best in class when it comes to designing tournament versions of the world’s most popular games,” he added.

The game will have two tournament formats, as well as all-new Angry Birds Champions gameplay features.

In November 2017 Rovio revealed its first results as a listed group, revealing it spent €22 million on acquiring new users for its games in Q3 2017, an increase of almost €17 million year-on-year.

The outlay impacted Rovio’s profit: the company posted a €500,000 pre-tax loss, compared to a profit of €4.6 million in the 2016 quarter. Operating profit dipped 70 per cent year-on-year to €1.6 million.