In February of last year, the Swedish mobile powerhouse Modern Times Group (MTG) completed a $620 million purchase of Plarium, the studio behind the blockbuster hero‑collection title Raid: Shadow Legends. That transaction, while already sizable, appears to be just the opening act in a broader expansion agenda, according to MTG’s president and chief executive, Maria Redin.
Redin told GamesIndustry.biz that the company’s vision, set out shortly after the Plarium deal, is to double MTG’s 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 said, adding that organic growth will continue to be a priority but that further acquisitions will be essential to hit the target. The timeline she outlined is aggressive: the aim is to achieve the doubling within roughly three to five years.
She noted that MTG has already demonstrated the ability to meet lofty goals, recalling a 2021 ambition that resulted in the firm tripling its size. The mobile gaming market, once characterized by double‑digit growth rates, has now settled into a more mature, single‑digit expansion phase.
What was once a blue ocean of untapped users has become a crowded, highly competitive arena where growth often means taking market share from rivals or absorbing them outright. While buying companies is relatively straightforward, integrating them successfully is notoriously difficult. The industry is littered with cautionary tales of acquisitions that led to studio closures due to poor integration. MTG, however, believes it has a clear roadmap.
Prior to the Plarium purchase, the group already owned a portfolio of mobile studios such as InnoGames (known for Forge of Empires), Snowprint (Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus), Hutch (F1 Clash), Ninja Kiwi (Bloons TD 6), and Futureplay (Merge Gardens). These studios were originally split into two organisational units: the Casual District and the Midcore District – the latter covering games that sit between purely casual experiences and hardcore titles.
The districts have since been rebranded as Playsimple and Playamp respectively. Playsimple, named after the India‑based WordTrip studio, now houses free‑to‑play, ad‑driven games, while Playamp encompasses titles that rely primarily on in‑app purchases (IAPs), which represent the bulk of MTG’s revenue. Beyond a cosmetic name change, Redin emphasized that the rebranding is part of a larger cultural initiative to build “one of the leading gaming villages.” The term “village” is meant to evoke a sense of community and belonging, encouraging talent to stay and thrive within the organization. "People are one of our biggest assets," she explained, "but you also need to create an environment where they can flourish.
When we acquire a studio, we want the founders and their teams to remain on board because that’s when the real story begins – scaling the business together. The only way to make that happen is to give them a workplace they enjoy." A key element of the integration strategy is the standardisation of technology and tools across the group. Redin noted that not every piece of software needs to be built from scratch for each studio.
Since she became CEO in 2020, MTG has pursued a tech‑unification agenda, but the scale required to roll it out fully only materialised after Plarium joined the fold. The company is now applying a common tech stack where it makes sense, while allowing flexibility where the needs of the Casual and Midcore divisions diverge. For example, Playsimple’s technology foundation will serve as the baseline for future casual acquisitions, whereas the Midcore side will adopt selected components from Plarium’s suite. Redin stressed that the rollout is being done selectively, after a thorough internal assessment of where collaboration on tools adds value and where it does not.
Plarium’s GoGame marketing platform and product‑detail‑page (PDP) data system have already been deployed across MTG, with additional features being added to enhance functionality for all studios. The aim of these tech upgrades is to boost productivity and output across the entire group. "We want to put our efforts where we get the biggest bang for our buck," Redin said.
"We have amazing game makers across the group, and with Playamp we want to super‑charge them with a tech suite they can leverage, elevating everything that’s already been done." Artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, is another pillar of MTG’s future plan. InnoGames, for instance, has been using AI‑generated content for its mobile title Sunrise Village for some time and is exploring broader AI‑driven content creation.
Redin observed that AI is becoming embedded in production pipelines across the mobile sector. She described generative AI as "significantly more powerful than any other tool we’ve had before" and noted that studios are experimenting with AI for tasks such as A/B testing, graphic creation, quality assurance, and more. Successful AI solutions from individual studios are being incorporated into the shared Plarium tech suite, allowing rapid diffusion of best practices.
"We need to let our studios try different things, as long as they fit within our overarching AI framework," Redin explained. "When one company develops something great, we can roll it out across the group quickly." When asked whether AI is now indispensable for competing in the fast‑moving mobile market, Redin cautioned against over‑hyping the technology. She believes human creativity remains essential and that AI cannot fully replace it.
However, she warned that ignoring AI would leave MTG lagging behind rivals. "If we don’t embrace AI, we will be slower than our competitors," she said. "AI can help us overcome capacity shortfalls and accelerate development while preserving the creative vision of our teams." Financially, about 80 % of MTG’s revenue currently stems from the Playamp division, with the remaining 20 % generated by Playsimple. Redin expressed a desire to broaden both sides of the business.
She cited Snowprint as a model for future acquisitions, saying, "If we could find five more Snowprints around the world, that would be fantastic." On the casual side, she noted that Playsimple is presently a single studio but hopes to add more scale. Looking ahead, Redin hinted at the possibility of a third organisational district, though its exact shape is still under discussion. She suggested that any new district would likely leverage core capabilities such as the shared marketing platforms or data infrastructure.
Regarding the game portfolio, Redin observed that the top‑ten mobile titles change very little year over year, reinforcing MTG’s long‑standing belief in evergreen IPs. While Raid: Shadow Legends is expected to remain a revenue generator for many years, MTG still recognises the need for a steady pipeline of new games.
Redin acknowledged the challenges of launching fresh hits, citing Supercell’s recent struggles with new titles despite heavy investment in incubation programmes. Nevertheless, she maintains that developing new games is crucial for preserving studio DNA, creativity, and passion. "If we stop investing in new games, we lose a part of what makes our studios unique," she said. "New titles are a key driver of growth in a market that has moved from hyper‑growth to low‑single‑digit or mid‑single‑digit expansion." In summary, Maria Redin’s strategy for MTG blends aggressive acquisition, thoughtful integration, technology standardisation, AI adoption, and a balanced focus on both evergreen and emerging IPs.
By fostering a collaborative "gaming village" culture and equipping studios with shared tools, MTG aims to double its size within the next few years while navigating the increasingly competitive and mature mobile gaming landscape.