In February of the previous year, 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 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’s ambition, set shortly after the Plarium acquisition, is 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 scaling effort is aggressive: Redin estimates the target will be reached within three to five years. She pointed out that MTG has already demonstrated the ability to move quickly – the firm tripled its size after a similar ambition was announced in 2021. The mobile gaming market, once a blue‑ocean of double‑digit expansion, has now settled into single‑digit growth as the sector matures.
In this more competitive environment, gaining market share increasingly means either taking business from rivals or absorbing them entirely. Acquiring companies is the easier half of the equation; integrating them successfully is where many firms stumble. The industry is littered with cautionary tales of poorly merged studios that ultimately shut down.
MTG, however, believes it has a clear roadmap for integration. Before buying Plarium, MTG already owned a portfolio of mobile developers, 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”: a Casual District and a Midcore District – the latter covering games that sit between purely casual and fully hardcore experiences. Following the Plarium deal, the districts were rebranded as Playsimple and Playamp. Playsimple, named after the Indian studio behind WordTrip, aggregates free‑to‑play, ad‑supported titles, while Playamp houses the in‑app‑purchase‑driven games that now represent the bulk of MTG’s revenue.
Redin says the rebranding is more than a cosmetic change; it is part of a larger vision to create “one of the leading gaming villages.” The phrasing is intentional, aiming to foster a sense of community that encourages staff to stay and thrive. “Gaming is the best marriage between creativity and data‑driven decisions,” she explained.
“People are one of our biggest assets, but you also need to create an environment where they can flourish. We buy companies because we want the founders and teams to stay on board after the deal – that’s when the real story begins and the business can scale.” A key component of the integration strategy is the standardisation of technology and tools across the group. Redin has pursued this goal since becoming CEO in 2020, but she noted that the Plarium acquisition gave MTG the scale needed to roll the vision out fully.
The approach is measured: Playsimple’s tech stack will become the baseline for future casual‑district additions, while the Midcore (Playamp) side will selectively adopt elements of Plarium’s suite. “We have done a very thorough internal assessment on where it makes sense to collaborate and share technical tools, and where it doesn’t,” Redin said.
Plarium’s GoGame marketing platform and product‑data platform (PDP) are already being deployed across MTG, with additional features being added to enhance functionality. The aim is to boost productivity across all studios, ensuring that resources are allocated where they generate the greatest return.
“We want to make sure that we put our efforts where we get the biggest bang for our buck,” Redin emphasized. Technology, especially generative AI, is reshaping the mobile landscape.
InnoGames, for example, has been using AI‑generated content for its game Sunrise Village and plans to expand AI‑driven creation across its catalogue. Redin sees this as part of a broader industry trend: “Most parties I speak to are having similar discussions on how we are embracing new technology in our production chain,” she noted, adding that generative AI is “significantly more powerful than any other tool we’ve had before.” The company’s AI strategy focuses on layering intelligent tools onto existing workflows – from A/B testing and graphics creation to quality assurance. Successful AI solutions from individual MTG studios are being incorporated into the broader Plarium tech suite, allowing rapid diffusion of best practices.
“We need to allow our different studios to try different things, as long as they fit into our overarching AI framework,” Redin explained. “When one company develops something really good, we can roll it out on a broader scale quickly.” When asked whether AI will eventually replace human creativity, Redin was cautious. She believes AI cannot fully replicate the imaginative spark of talented developers, but she also warns that ignoring AI would leave MTG trailing competitors.
“If we don’t embrace AI, we will be slower than our rivals,” she said. “AI can super‑charge everything we do while we keep the creativity, innovation, and vision of our team.” Financially, about 80 % of MTG’s revenue now comes from the Playamp division, with the remaining 20 % generated by Playsimple.
Redin is eager to broaden both sides of the business. She cited the earlier acquisition of Snowprint and expressed interest in finding “five more Snowprints around the world.” On the casual side, she hopes to add more studios to the Playsimple district and is even entertaining the idea of a third district that would leverage MTG’s core capabilities in marketing and data. Despite the market’s maturity, Redin remains confident in its long‑term prospects.
“We have three billion gamers out there, so is it a compelling market? Yes,” she affirmed. “We compete for airtime with streaming platforms and social media, but I still believe there is growth potential.” She cautions, however, that the era of hyper‑growth is likely over; most forecasts now point to low‑single‑digit to mid‑single‑digit expansion.
To exceed that baseline, MTG must continue to nurture evergreen IPs like Raid while also delivering fresh titles to keep the pipeline healthy. In summary, MTG’s roadmap combines aggressive acquisition, thoughtful integration, technology standardisation, and AI‑enhanced production. By rebranding its divisions, fostering a village‑like culture, and balancing the development of proven franchises with the launch of new games, Maria Redin aims to double the company’s size within the next few years and solidify MTG’s position as a leading force in the mobile gaming arena.