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 what MTG’s president and chief executive officer, Maria Redin, describes as an aggressive expansion plan. Redin told GamesIndustry.biz that the company set a clear vision after the Plarium transaction: "We want to double our size again after acquiring Plarium, and we intend to do that by pursuing further acquisitions while also driving organic growth." She added that the target timeframe for this doubling is roughly three to five years.
The ambition is not new – MTG aimed for similar growth in 2021 and, according to Redin, succeeded in tripling its scale at that time. The mobile gaming arena, which a few years ago was expanding at double‑digit rates, has now settled into single‑digit growth, reflecting a mature market. What was once a blue‑ocean of untapped opportunity has turned increasingly competitive, forcing companies to either capture market share from rivals or absorb them outright. Acquiring studios is the straightforward part; the real challenge lies in integrating them smoothly.
The industry is littered with cautionary tales of failed integrations that have led to studio closures, but Redin believes MTG has a solid roadmap. Before the Plarium deal, 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”: the Casual District and the Midcore District – the latter covering games that sit between pure casual and hardcore experiences.
The districts have recently been rebranded as Playsimple and Playamp. Playsimple, named after the India‑based studio behind WordTrip, focuses on free‑to‑play, ad‑supported titles, while Playamp houses the in‑app‑purchase‑driven games that represent the bulk of MTG’s revenue. Redin says the rebranding is more than a cosmetic change; it is part of a broader effort to build "one of the leading gaming villages." The term "village" is intentional, meant to foster a sense of community that encourages talent to stay and thrive. "Gaming is the perfect marriage of creativity and data‑driven decision‑making," she explained.
"People are our greatest asset, but we must 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 is when the real story begins – scaling the business together. The only way to ensure they stay is to make the workplace enjoyable and supportive." A parallel initiative underway since Redin took the helm in 2020 is the standardisation of technology and tools across MTG’s ecosystem. The Plarium acquisition gave the group enough scale to roll out this vision comprehensively.
Redin acknowledges that tech standardisation can be a double‑edged sword – citing Electronic Arts’ problematic push to force all studios onto the Frostbite engine – but stresses that MTG tailors its approach to the needs of each district. "Playsimple’s tech stack will become the foundation for any future casual studio we bring in, while for Midcore we are selectively adopting parts of Plarium’s suite," she said. "We have conducted a thorough internal assessment to decide where sharing tools makes sense and where it does not." Plarium’s GoGame marketing platform and product‑data platform (PDP) are now being deployed across the MTG portfolio, with additional features being added to enhance functionality.
The goal is to maximise impact: "We want to invest where we get the biggest bang for our buck," Redin noted, adding that Playamp will be "super‑charged" with a unified tech suite that elevates the work already being done by the group’s developers. Artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, is another area where MTG is making significant strides.
InnoGames, for example, has been using AI‑generated content for its mobile title Sunrise Village and plans to broaden AI‑driven creation across its catalogue. Redin observes that AI integration is now a common discussion point across the mobile sector.
"Generative AI is far more powerful than any tool we’ve had before," she said, emphasizing the need to strike a balance between automation and human creativity. "We are adding AI layers to existing pipelines – for A/B testing, graphics, quality assurance, and more – and successful AI solutions from individual studios are being rolled out to the wider Plarium tech suite." While Redin acknowledges the risk of over‑reliance on AI, she believes that ignoring it would leave MTG lagging behind competitors. "If we don’t embrace AI, we will be slower than the market," she warned, adding that AI can help bridge capacity gaps in analysis, coding, art, and complex logic, thereby allowing the creative teams to focus on what they do best. Revenue-wise, about 80 % of MTG’s income now stems from the Playamp division, with the casual side (Playsimple) contributing roughly 20 %.
Redin is eager to broaden both sides of the business. She cited the acquisition of Snowprint a few years ago and expressed interest in finding “five more Snowprints around the world.” On the casual front, she noted that Playsimple is currently the sole studio in that district but still generates a meaningful share of revenue. Looking ahead, Redin hinted at the possibility of adding a third district to the gaming village, likely centred around core capabilities such as marketing platforms or data analytics.
When asked about the future of mobile titles, Redin observed that the top‑ten games list changes little year over year, underscoring the importance of evergreen IPs. "Our thesis from day one has been to invest in evergreen properties," she said, referencing the long‑term potential of games like Raid. Nevertheless, she stressed that a pipeline of new games remains essential.
"We can’t stop creating fresh experiences; otherwise we lose the creative DNA that drives passion and innovation," she explained, noting that Plarium has a new title slated for a soft launch early next year. The broader market context is one of maturity rather than explosive growth.
Redin estimates global mobile gamers at three billion and acknowledges competition for user attention from streaming services, social media, and other digital entertainment. Yet she remains optimistic about continued growth, albeit at a more modest pace – low to mid single‑digit percentages depending on the data source. To exceed that baseline, she argues, companies must double‑down on strong evergreen IPs while also bringing new games to market. In summary, MTG’s strategy under Maria Redin combines aggressive acquisition, thoughtful integration, unified technology platforms, and a measured embrace of AI to sustain and expand its presence in a saturated mobile gaming landscape.
The aim is to double the company’s size within five years, nurture a collaborative "gaming village," and balance the reliability of proven franchises with the creative risk of launching fresh titles.