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‑collecting title Raid: Shadow Legends. That deal, while already a headline‑grabber, appears to be only the opening move in a broader expansion playbook, according to MTG’s president and chief executive, Maria Redin. Redin told GamesIndustry.biz that the acquisition of Plarium was set against a clear‑cut vision: after integrating Plarium, MTG aims to double its overall size once more. “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 that ambition is aggressive. Redin estimates the doubling could be achieved within a three‑to‑five‑year window. She notes that MTG has already proven capable of rapid scaling – the company tripled its size after a similar ambition set in 2021.
The mobile gaming sector, once characterised by double‑digit growth, has now settled into single‑digit expansion as the market matures. What was once a blue ocean of untapped opportunity has become a crowded, highly competitive arena where growth often means capturing market share from rivals or absorbing them outright. Acquiring studios is the easier half of the equation; the real challenge lies in integration.
The industry is littered with cautionary tales of poorly merged studios that ultimately shuttered. MTG, however, believes it has a roadmap to avoid those pitfalls. Before the Plarium deal, the group already owned a portfolio of mobile developers, including InnoGames (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 for lighter, ad‑supported games, and a Midcore District for titles that sit between casual and hardcore, typically monetised through in‑app purchases (IAPs).
Following the acquisition, MTG rebranded these districts as Playsimple and Playamp respectively. Playsimple, named after the India‑based studio behind WordTrip, now houses the free‑to‑play, ad‑driven portfolio, while Playamp contains the IAP‑centric games that make up the bulk of MTG’s revenue.
The rebranding is more than cosmetic; it reflects a strategic push to build what Redin calls “one of the leading gaming villages.” The terminology is intentional, designed to foster a sense of community and belonging among employees—a crucial factor when a company is rapidly adding new studios and talent. Redin emphasised that people are MTG’s greatest asset. “Gaming is the best marriage between creativity and data‑driven decisions,” she explained. “We buy our companies, which also means that we want the founders and the teams to stay on board post‑acquisition, because that’s when the true exciting story should start and you continue to scale the businesses.
The only way you can make sure they stay is if you create an environment which they enjoy.” A key component of that environment is the standardisation of technology and tools across the group. Since Redin took the helm in 2020, she has advocated for a unified tech stack, but it wasn’t until the scale provided by Plarium that the vision could be fully rolled out. The plan is to avoid reinventing the wheel for every studio while still respecting the differing needs of casual versus midcore development. Playsimple’s tech foundation will serve future casual acquisitions, whereas Playamp will selectively adopt components of Plarium’s technology suite, after a thorough internal assessment of where shared tools add value.
Plarium’s GoGame marketing platform and product‑detail‑page (PDP) data system are already being deployed across MTG, with additional features being added to enhance functionality. Redin believes that this shared infrastructure will boost productivity across the board, allowing studios to focus on what they do best—making games—while benefiting from a common set of powerful tools. Artificial intelligence is another pillar of MTG’s modernization agenda. Generative AI is already reshaping content creation at InnoGames, where all assets for the mobile title Sunrise Village are produced with AI assistance, and the studio plans to broaden AI‑generated content across its portfolio.
Redin notes that AI is becoming embedded in many stages of game production, from A/B testing and graphics generation to quality assurance. Successful AI solutions from individual studios are being folded into the broader Plarium tech suite, creating a feedback loop that accelerates innovation. When asked whether AI could eventually replace human creativity, Redin was cautious.
“I often get the question, is gaming AI going to be able to do everything you do? And I actually don’t think so,” she said. “What is important is that our talent has amazing creativity, which doesn’t sit yet within AI. However, if we don’t embrace AI we will be slower than our competitors.
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 stems from the Playamp division, with the remaining 20 % generated by the single casual studio under Playsimple. Redin expressed a desire 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. On the casual side, we would like to add more scale,” she said.
The company is also entertaining the idea of a third district that would leverage core capabilities such as marketing platforms or data analytics, though the exact shape of that addition remains under discussion. Despite the market’s maturity, Redin believes the top‑ten mobile games list remains remarkably stable, reinforcing MTG’s long‑standing belief in evergreen IPs.
While Raid: Shadow Legends still has many years of revenue potential, the group also recognises the need for a fresh pipeline of titles. Plarium is preparing to soft‑launch a new game early next year, and MTG continues to explore new concepts to keep its portfolio vibrant. The broader industry context is sobering.
Supercell’s Ilkka Paananen 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 faced setbacks, with projects like Squad Busters being discontinued after a brief launch. Redin acknowledges these challenges, stating that creating and scaling successful games is difficult, but essential for maintaining the creative DNA of each studio.
“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, MTG’s strategy under Maria Redin blends aggressive acquisition, thoughtful integration, technology standardisation, and AI‑enhanced production to pursue a bold goal: doubling the company’s size within the next few years while preserving the creative spirit that fuels its games. By nurturing a “gaming village” where talent feels valued and equipped with shared tools, MTG hopes to stay competitive in a crowded mobile landscape, continue to profit from evergreen franchises, and launch fresh experiences that keep players engaged for years to come.