In February of the previous year, Sweden’s mobile entertainment leader Modern Times Group (MTG) completed a $620 million purchase of Plarium, the studio behind the blockbuster hero‑collection title Raid: Shadow Legends. That deal, however, is only the opening move in a broader expansion plan, according to MTG’s president and chief executive, Maria Redin. Redin told GamesIndustry.biz that the company set a bold vision after the Plarium acquisition: to double its size once again. "We set out the vision last year that post‑acquisition of Plarium we want to double yet again in size," she said.
"And yes, we want to fuel and continue to drive organic growth, but in order to do that, we will need to do more acquisitions." The timeline for this ambition is aggressive. Redin aims to achieve the doubling within roughly three to five years. She noted that MTG has already proven capable of rapid scaling, having tripled its size after a similar target was announced in 2021.
The mobile gaming market, once characterized by double‑digit growth, has now settled into single‑digit expansion as the sector matures. What was once a blue‑ocean of untapped users has turned into a crowded red‑sea, where growth increasingly means taking market share from rivals or absorbing them outright. Acquiring companies is the easy part; integrating them is where most firms stumble.
The industry is littered with stories of failed mergers that resulted in studio closures. MTG, however, believes it has a clear integration roadmap. Before buying Plarium, MTG already owned a suite of mobile studios, including InnoGames (creator of Forge of Empires), Snowprint (Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus), Hutch (F1 Clash), Ninja Kiwi (Bloons TD 6), and Futureplay (Merge Gardens). These studios were grouped into two “districts”: the Casual District and the Midcore District—the latter covering games that sit between casual and hardcore experiences.
These districts have now been rebranded as Playsimple and Playamp. Playsimple, named after the Indian studio behind WordTrip, houses free‑to‑play, ad‑supported titles, while Playamp contains the portfolio’s in‑app‑purchase driven games, which represent the bulk of MTG’s revenue.
Redin says the rebranding is more than cosmetic. Her goal is to create "one of the leading gaming villages," a term chosen deliberately to evoke a sense of community and belonging.
"It is supposed to create something that people want to be part of," she explained, emphasizing employee retention and cultural cohesion as critical when a company grows through frequent acquisitions. "I always say gaming is the best marriage between creativity and data‑driven decisions. People are one of our biggest assets, but you also need to build an environment where they can thrive," Redin added. She stressed that after an acquisition, MTG aims to keep founders and their teams on board, because the real growth story begins once those teams remain intact and continue to scale their businesses.
Standardising technology across the group is another pillar of the integration strategy. Since becoming CEO in 2020, Redin has pushed for a common tech stack, but only after the Plarium deal did MTG reach a scale sufficient to roll the vision out fully.
The company is now aligning tools and platforms across its studios, while recognising that the needs of Playsimple differ markedly from those of Playamp. "Playsimple’s tech stack will become the foundation for future companies we onboard in the Casual District.
For Midcore, we have selected parts of the Plarium suite to use group‑wide, but we are deploying it selectively to ensure the end game benefits all companies," Redin explained. An internal assessment determined where shared tools make sense and where bespoke solutions are required.
Plarium’s GoGame marketing platform and product‑detail‑page data system are already being leveraged across MTG, with additional features being added to enhance functionality. The aim is to boost studio productivity and ensure the company’s investments generate the highest possible return. Generative AI is also reshaping MTG’s development pipelines. InnoGames, for example, has been using AI to generate all content for its mobile title Sunrise Village and plans to expand AI‑driven creation across its catalogue.
Redin noted that AI is becoming embedded in many production processes, from A/B testing and graphics generation to quality assurance. "Generative AI is significantly more powerful than any other tool we’ve had before," she said.
"We are all trying to find the right balance—where to change workflows, where to keep them, and how to use AI to make our games more relevant and get new titles to market faster and better." MTG encourages studios to experiment within an overarching AI framework, sharing successful solutions across the group. "When one company develops something really good, we can roll it out quickly on a broader scale," Redin said. When asked whether AI will eventually replace human creativity, Redin cautioned against such a deterministic view.
"Our talent’s creativity is still something AI can’t replicate," she argued, while also acknowledging that ignoring AI would leave MTG lagging behind competitors. Financially, about 80 % of MTG’s revenue now comes from the Playamp division, with the casual side (Playsimple) contributing roughly 20 %. Redin expressed a desire to broaden the studio roster, noting that the company purchased Snowprint a few years ago and would welcome additional studios of similar profile. She also hinted at the possibility of adding a third district to the gaming village, though the exact focus remains undefined.
"It will be centred around the core capabilities we have—whether that means leveraging our marketing platforms or our data assets," she said. Despite the market’s maturity, Redin believes the top‑ten mobile games remain relatively stable, reinforcing MTG’s long‑standing belief in evergreen IPs. While Raid : Shadow Legends still has many years of revenue potential, the company also recognises the need for a fresh pipeline of titles.
The broader industry context is challenging: western mobile developers have struggled to produce new billion‑dollar hits, and even Supercell’s recent incubation projects have faltered. Redin acknowledges the difficulty, noting that Plarium is preparing a new title for soft launch early next year. "It’s hard to make a successful game and scale it," she admitted.
"But not investing in new games would erode the DNA of our studios, stifling creativity and passion." Looking ahead, Redin sees a market still worth pursuing. With three billion gamers worldwide, the sector remains compelling, even if growth rates have slipped to low‑single‑digit or mid‑single‑digit levels. To exceed those modest figures, MTG will need to continue nurturing its evergreen franchises while also bringing fresh experiences to players.
In summary, MTG’s strategy under Maria Redin combines aggressive acquisition, thoughtful integration, unified technology, AI‑enhanced production, and a balanced portfolio of proven and new IPs—all aimed at doubling the company’s size within the next few years while maintaining a vibrant, collaborative culture across its growing "gaming village."