In February of the previous year, Sweden’s mobile entertainment leader Modern Times Group (MTG) completed a $620 million purchase of Plarium, the developer behind the blockbuster hero‑collection title Raid: Shadow Legends. That deal, however, is only the opening move in a broader expansion play, according to MTG’s president and chief executive, Maria Redin.
Redin told GamesIndustry.biz that the acquisition of Plarium was part of a vision set out last year to double MTG’s size once more. “After bringing Plarium into the fold we intend to grow again, and we plan to do that by continuing organic expansion while also pursuing additional acquisitions,” she explained. The timeline she gave for this ambition is roughly three to five years, a target she believes is realistic because the group has already demonstrated the ability to triple its scale since 2021. The mobile gaming market, once characterized by double‑digit growth, has settled into a more mature, single‑digit expansion phase.
What used to be a blue‑ocean of untapped users has turned into a crowded, highly competitive arena where growth now often means taking market share from rivals or absorbing them outright. While buying studios is relatively straightforward, the real challenge lies in integrating them smoothly—a process that has tripped up many companies and led to studio closures.
MTG, however, believes it has a clear roadmap for successful integration. Before the Plarium deal, MTG already owned a portfolio of mobile developers, including 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 grouped into two “districts”: the Casual District and the Midcore District—the latter covering games that sit between purely casual and hardcore experiences. Following the acquisition, the districts were rebranded as Playsimple and Playamp.
Playsimple, named after the Indian studio behind WordTrip, houses free‑to‑play, ad‑supported titles, while Playamp focuses on games that generate revenue primarily through in‑app purchases, which now represent the bulk of MTG’s earnings. Redin emphasizes that the rebranding is more than a cosmetic change; it is meant to foster a sense of community she calls a “gaming village.” The goal is to create an environment where employees feel they belong, which is crucial when a company is rapidly adding new studios. “Gaming is the perfect marriage of creativity and data‑driven decision‑making,” she said.
“Our people are our greatest asset, so we must build a workplace where they can thrive. When we acquire a studio, we want the founders and their teams to stay on board because that’s when the real story begins—scaling the business together.” A key pillar of the integration strategy is the standardisation of technology and tools across the group. Redin notes that not every studio needs a bespoke tech stack; a shared foundation can drive efficiencies. This standardisation effort began when she became CEO in 2020, but the scale required to roll it out fully only materialised after the Plarium acquisition.
The company is careful, however, to tailor tools to the needs of each district. Playsimple’s tech stack will serve as the baseline for future casual acquisitions, while the Midcore side will adopt selected components of Plarium’s suite, deployed selectively after thorough internal assessments to ensure they truly add value. Plarium’s GoGame marketing platform and its product‑detail‑page data system have already been rolled out across MTG, with additional features being added to enhance their utility. Redin explains that the aim is to concentrate resources where they generate the greatest return, leveraging the strong talent pool within the group and supercharging it with a unified tech suite.
Artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, is another area where MTG is investing heavily. InnoGames, for example, has been using AI to generate content for its mobile title Sunrise Village and plans to extend AI‑driven creation across its portfolio. Redin says the industry as a whole is grappling with how to embed AI into production pipelines, balancing workflow changes with areas that remain untouched.
“AI is far more powerful than any tool we’ve had before,” she remarked, noting that the technology is being layered onto existing processes for tasks such as A/B testing, graphic creation, and quality assurance. Successful AI solutions from individual studios are being incorporated into the broader Plarium tech suite, allowing rapid dissemination of best practices. Redin stresses the importance of giving studios the freedom to experiment within a company‑wide AI framework, then sharing learnings so that breakthroughs can be scaled quickly.
When asked whether AI will eventually replace human creativity, Redin was cautious. She believes creativity remains a uniquely human trait that AI cannot fully replicate, but also warns that ignoring AI would leave MTG lagging behind competitors. “If we don’t embrace AI, we risk falling behind,” she said.
“AI can help us overcome capacity constraints in coding, art, and complex logic, allowing us to maintain our creative edge while moving faster.” Currently, about 80 % of MTG’s revenue stems from the Playamp division, with the casual Playsimple side contributing roughly 20 %. Redin is eager to broaden the studio roster, noting that acquiring additional studios similar to Snowprint would be “fantastic,” and that the casual side, despite being represented by a single studio today, still offers significant growth potential.
She also 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. Looking ahead, Redin observes that the top‑ten mobile games list changes very little from year to year, reinforcing MTG’s long‑standing belief in evergreen intellectual property. While the group will continue to invest in proven titles like Raid, it also recognises the necessity of a fresh pipeline. Plarium is preparing a new game for a soft launch early next year, and Redin stresses that nurturing new concepts is essential to retain the creative DNA of each studio.
The broader market context is one of maturity rather than explosive growth. With three billion gamers worldwide, the sector remains attractive, but growth rates are now measured in low to mid‑single digits. Redin concludes that to exceed these modest figures, MTG must double down on both its strong evergreen franchises and the development of new experiences, leveraging technology, talent, and a cohesive corporate culture to stay competitive in an increasingly crowded mobile landscape.