In February of the previous year, Sweden’s mobile‑gaming powerhouse Modern Times Group (MTG) completed a $620 million purchase of Plarium, the studio behind the wildly popular hero‑collection title Raid: Shadow Legends. That transaction, however, is only the opening move in what the company’s chief executive, Maria Redin, describes as a far‑reaching expansion plan. Redin told GamesIndustry.biz that MTG entered 2023 with a clear vision: after integrating Plarium, the group intends to double its overall scale once more. “We set out the vision last year that post‑acquisition of Plarium we want to double yet again in size,” she explained, adding that organic growth will continue to be a priority but that further acquisitions will be essential to hit the target.
The timeline she gave is aggressive – roughly three to five years – yet she noted that MTG has already demonstrated an ability to exceed its own forecasts, having tripled its size after a similar ambition was set in 2021. The mobile gaming market, once characterized by double‑digit growth, has settled into single‑digit expansion as the sector matures.
What used to be a blue‑ocean of untapped users is now a crowded, competitive arena where growth often means taking market share from rivals or absorbing them outright. While buying studios is relatively straightforward, the real challenge lies in merging disparate teams, cultures, and technologies without triggering the kind of integration failures that have led many studios to shutter in the past. MTG entered the Plarium deal already overseeing a sizable portfolio of mobile developers. Its roster includes InnoGames (creator of Forge of Empires), Snowprint (Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus), Hutch (F1 Clash), Ninja Kiwi (Bloons TD 6), and Futureplay (Merge Gardens).
Historically, these studios were grouped into two “districts”: the Casual District for lighter, ad‑supported games, and the Midcore District for titles that sit between casual and hardcore experiences and rely primarily on in‑app purchases (IAPs). Following the acquisition, MTG rebranded these divisions as Playsimple and Playamp, respectively.
Playsimple now houses free‑to‑play, ad‑driven titles, while Playamp contains the bulk of MTG’s IAP‑centric portfolio. The rebranding is more than a cosmetic change. Redin says the ultimate goal is to craft “one of the leading gaming villages,” a phrase chosen deliberately to evoke a sense of community and belonging. The emphasis is on employee retention and seamless integration, crucial for a company that has been on an acquisition binge.
“People are one of our biggest assets,” Redin asserted. “We need to create an environment where they thrive, and that means keeping founders and teams on board after a deal so the real story can continue to unfold.” Standardising technology across the newly expanded group has also been a priority since Redin took the helm in 2020.
She notes that the Plarium purchase gave MTG the scale needed to roll out a unified tech vision across all studios. However, she is careful to point out that the tech stacks for Playsimple and Playamp differ dramatically, so the standardisation effort is tailored to each district’s needs. Playsimple’s tools will serve as a foundation for future casual acquisitions, while Playamp will adopt selected components of Plarium’s tech suite on a case‑by‑case basis. This selective rollout is intended to maximise benefits while avoiding the pitfalls seen elsewhere in the industry—for example, Electronic Arts’ forced adoption of the Frostbite engine, which caused significant friction for teams working on titles like Mass Effect.
Plarium’s GoGame marketing platform and product‑detail‑page (PDP) data system are already being deployed across MTG, with additional features and functionality being added to enhance their utility. Redin believes that by concentrating resources where they yield the highest return, MTG can “supercharge” its existing studios and accelerate the development pipeline. Artificial intelligence is another lever in MTG’s growth engine. The company, like many of its peers, is experimenting with generative AI to streamline content creation, testing, and quality assurance.
InnoGames, for instance, has been using AI to generate all of the assets for its mobile title Sunrise Village and plans to broaden AI‑driven production across its portfolio. Redin observes that AI is becoming a standard discussion point across the mobile sector, with studios weighing how to incorporate it without compromising creative integrity.
“Generative AI is significantly more powerful than any other tool we’ve had before,” she said, noting that the technology is being layered onto existing workflows for tasks such as A/B testing, graphic generation, and bug detection. The company’s AI strategy emphasizes flexibility: individual studios can experiment within an overarching framework that outlines permissible uses and best practices. Successful AI solutions are then propagated throughout the group, ensuring rapid diffusion of innovation. Redin cautions, however, that AI will not replace human creativity.
“Our talent’s imagination is still the core driver,” she explained. “If we ignore AI, we risk falling behind competitors, but we must also preserve the creative spark that makes games memorable.” Financially, about 80 % of MTG’s revenue now stems from the Playamp division, with the remaining 20 % generated by Playsimple. Redin is eager to broaden both sides of the business.
She cites Snowprint as a model acquisition and expresses interest in replicating that success with additional studios that share a similar DNA. On the casual front, she hopes to add more scale to Playsimple, which currently consists of a single studio, and even contemplates a third “district” that could leverage the group’s marketing and data capabilities in new ways.
When asked about the future of mobile gaming, Redin observes that the top‑ten charts have remained remarkably stable, reinforcing the company’s long‑standing belief in evergreen IPs. While Raid: Shadow Legends still has many years of revenue potential, MTG continues to invest in fresh titles to keep the pipeline flowing. The CEO acknowledges the difficulty of launching new hits, citing Supercell’s recent challenges with its Squad Busters incubator, but stresses that a steady flow of new games is essential to retain creative vigor and prevent stagnation.
The broader market context is one of maturity rather than explosive growth. With roughly three billion gamers worldwide, the sector remains sizable, but competition now extends beyond other games to streaming platforms, social media, and a host of digital distractions.
Redin believes growth will continue, albeit at low‑ to mid‑single‑digit rates, and that the path to outpacing the market lies in a balanced mix of strengthening evergreen franchises and bringing innovative new experiences to players. By combining strategic acquisitions, thoughtful tech standardisation, and responsible AI integration, MTG aims to navigate the evolving landscape while keeping its creative heart intact.