In February of last year, Sweden’s mobile powerhouse Modern Times Group (MTG) completed a $620 million purchase of Plarium, the developer behind the blockbuster hero‑collection game Raid: Shadow Legends. That deal, while already massive, appears to be only the opening move in a broader expansion plan, according to Maria Redin, MTG’s president and chief executive. Redin told GamesIndustry.biz that the company’s ambition, set 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 growth is aggressive: Redin targets a three‑to‑five‑year horizon to achieve the doubling. She noted that MTG has already demonstrated the ability to scale quickly, recalling that the firm set a similar goal in 2021 and ended up tripling its revenue base within a few years. The mobile gaming sector, once characterised by double‑digit expansion, has now settled into single‑digit growth as the market matures.
What used to be a blue‑ocean of untapped users has turned “decidedly red,” meaning that future growth will likely come from taking market share from competitors or, more commonly, by acquiring them outright. Acquisitions are only half of the equation; integration is the real challenge. The industry is littered with stories of studios that were bought only to be dissolved because the parent company failed to meld cultures, technology stacks, and business processes.
MTG, however, believes it has a clear roadmap for integration. Before buying Plarium, MTG already owned a portfolio of mobile studios, 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 experiences and hardcore titles.
These districts have now been rebranded as Playsimple and Playamp. Playsimple, named after the India‑based WordTrip studio, houses free‑to‑play, ad‑supported games, while Playamp contains the majority of MTG’s portfolio, which relies on in‑app purchases (IAPs) for revenue. The renaming is more than cosmetic; it reflects a strategic effort to build what Redin calls “one of the leading gaming villages.” The term is deliberately inviting, intended to foster a sense of community and belonging among the many teams that have been brought together under the MTG umbrella. Redin stresses that people are MTG’s most valuable asset.
“Gaming is the best marriage between creativity and data‑driven decisions. People are for sure one of our biggest assets, but you also need to create an environment for them to thrive,” she explained. The company’s acquisition strategy therefore includes a commitment to keep founding teams and key talent on board after a purchase, allowing the newly acquired studios to continue their growth trajectory within a supportive ecosystem. A major component of that ecosystem is the standardisation of technology and tools across the group.
Redin says that the push for a common tech stack began when she became CEO in 2020, but the scale required to roll it out effectively only materialised after Plarium joined MTG. “Not everything needs to be built uniquely for every single company,” she noted, adding that the standardisation effort is being applied selectively, recognising that the needs of Playsimple differ from those of Playamp. For the Casual District, Playsimple’s tech foundation will serve as the template for future acquisitions in that space. In the Midcore District, MTG has chosen to adopt parts of Plarium’s technology suite across the group, but only after a rigorous internal assessment identified where shared tools would add value and where they would not.
Plarium’s GoGame marketing platform and product‑detail‑page (PDP) data system have already been rolled out company‑wide, with MTG continuing to enhance them with new features. The goal of these upgrades is to boost studio productivity and output. “We want to make sure that we put our efforts where we get the biggest bang for our buck,” Redin said.
“We have some amazing game makers across the group, and with Playamp we want to super‑charge that with a tech suite they can leverage.” Artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, is another pillar of MTG’s modernization agenda. InnoGames, for example, has been using AI to generate all of the content for its mobile title Sunrise Village and is exploring broader AI‑driven content creation across its catalogue. Redin observes that AI is becoming embedded in production pipelines throughout the mobile sector.
“Generative AI is significantly more powerful than any other tool we’ve had before,” she said, noting that studios are experimenting with AI for A/B testing, graphics creation, quality assurance, and more. Successful AI solutions from individual studios are being integrated into the shared Plarium tech suite, allowing rapid diffusion of best practices. Redin emphasises a balanced approach: studios are free to experiment within an overarching AI framework that defines acceptable use cases, and when a breakthrough occurs, it can be scaled quickly across the organisation.
When asked whether AI will eventually replace human creativity, Redin was cautious. “I often get the question, is gaming AI going to be able to do everything you do?
I actually don’t think so,” she replied. “Our talent’s creativity is still something AI can’t replicate. However, if we don’t embrace AI we will fall behind competitors.
AI can super‑charge everything we do while we keep the human element at the core.” Financially, about 80 % of MTG’s revenue now stems from the Playamp division, with the remaining 20 % generated by the casual side, which currently consists of a single studio—Playsimple. Redin is eager to broaden both sides of the business.
“We bought Snowprint a couple of years back, and if we could find five more Snowprints around the world, that would be fantastic,” she said, expressing a desire to replicate that success in other regions. Looking ahead, Redin hinted at the possibility of adding a third “district” to the gaming village, though the exact focus is still under discussion. It would likely centre on core capabilities such as marketing platforms or data analytics, further leveraging the infrastructure already in place. Despite the rapid evolution of the market, the top‑ten mobile games list has remained remarkably stable.
“Every year we do the same analysis, and you realise that the top games remain very consistent,” Redin observed. This consistency reinforces MTG’s long‑standing belief in evergreen IPs—games that continue to generate revenue for years after launch. While Raid: Shadow Legends is expected to have many more profitable years ahead, Redin stressed that new titles remain essential to keep the creative pipeline alive.
The challenge of launching successful new games is underscored by industry commentary. Ilkka Paananen, head of Supercell, warned that Western mobile developers are “coasting,” noting that only two of the 22 mobile games that have surpassed $1 billion in revenue since 2020 originated in the West. Even Supercell’s own incubation efforts have struggled, with the recent Squad Busters project being shut down after a brief launch. Redin acknowledges these difficulties but argues that abandoning new‑game development would erode the creative DNA of MTG’s studios.
“We have a new Plarium title set to soft‑launch early next year,” she said. “Investing in new games is crucial for retaining creativity, passion, and drive.” In the broader context of a maturing market, Redin remains optimistic about growth 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 believe there is still room for growth.” She cautioned, however, that the era of hyper‑growth is likely over. “We see low to mid‑single‑digit growth depending on the data source. To exceed that, you need strong evergreen IPs and the ability to bring fresh games to market.” In summary, MTG’s strategy under Maria Redin’s leadership combines aggressive acquisition, thoughtful integration, technology standardisation, AI augmentation, and a balanced portfolio of evergreen and new titles.
The company aims to double its size within the next few years, create a cohesive “gaming village” that retains talent, and leverage both proven franchises and innovative tools to stay competitive in an increasingly crowded mobile gaming landscape.