September 15, 2026 // Franchising.com // ZAGREB, Croatia — Friendly Fire – the rapidly expanding gaming café franchise and esports hub born and based in Croatia – has taken another major step in its global expansion, opening three new locations in Croatia, Austria, and Cyprus.
The openings mark significant milestones for the brand, including Friendly Fire’s first location in the northern Adriatic city of Rijeka, Croatia; the opening of its third location in Vienna, Austria; and its official debut in Limassol, Cyprus.
“Friendly Fire has always been about more than gaming cafés," said co-founder and CEO David Kosir. "We're building a global gaming community, and every new location gives us the opportunity to bring more people into that community. Opening three locations in three different markets on the same day is a major milestone — and we believe it's just the beginning."
Here’s a closer look at the three new locations:
The three new locations add to a rapidly expanding international network for Friendly Fire, which now operates 22 company- and franchise-owned locations across six countries: Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, and the Netherlands.
Friendly Fire’s international expansion continues to gain significant momentum, with 31 franchise agreements signed to date, representing a pipeline of nearly 200 additional locations across 11 countries.
While Europe remains the brand’s primary operational stronghold and immediate scaling priority, the company is seeing accelerated franchise inquiry volume from the United States, as well as long-term interest across Gulf countries.
The Esports Advocate, an independent digital media platform that covers the business, finance, and economics of the global esports industry, recently commented on Friendly Fire’s broadening pipeline, reporting, “Friendly Fire has done something few gaming café operators have managed, which is to run the format at a profit in its home market and carry it across borders.”
The openings in Croatia, Austria, and Cyprus come on the heels of another significant milestone for Friendly Fire: the recent closing of a €4 million ($4.7 million) Series A funding round with AYMO Ventures, a Zagreb-based venture capital firm that provides funding and strategic support to technology startups and growing businesses.
The capital is earmarked for accelerating Friendly Fire’s ongoing international expansion efforts, further developing the company's proprietary technology platform, and strengthening its franchisee support systems.
“With this investment, we now have real wind at our backs and everything we need to deliver on our vision and become the largest gaming franchise in the world,” said Kosir upon closing the funding round last week.
Founded in Zagreb, Croatia in 2017, Friendly Fire began as a visionary project by Kosir and a group of gaming enthusiasts who wanted to create more than just a place to play, aiming instead to build a modern, social environment where both casual gamers and competitive players could gather, connect, and compete. Today, the burgeoning brand operates 22 company- and franchise owned locations across six countries, blending cutting-edge gaming equipment, immersive social spaces, and a dynamic calendar of amateur tournaments and esports events.
The brand’s growing global community includes more than 220,000 gamers on the Friendly Fire platform, while its locations have hosted more than 1,000 amateur esports tournaments to date.
For more information, visit https://friendlyfireesports.com/.
SOURCE Friendly Fire
The brand blends cutting-edge gaming equipment with immersive, social-driven spaces, creating an environment where players and fans connect.