Maria Redin of mobile giant MTG on rebranding, buying Raid: Shadow Legends, and plans to double the company's size

Summary

In February last year, Swedish mobile gaming giant MTG (Modern Times Group) acquired Plarium, the developer behind the hugely successful hero collector Raid: Shadow Legends, for a cool $620 million. This acquisition is a key step in MTG's strategic transformation from traditional media to digital entertainment. CEO Maria Redin revealed plans not only to double the company's size through acquisitions and organic growth but also to rebrand the company to better reflect its focus on gaming and esports. Redin emphasized that Plarium brings MTG strong mobile development capabilities and a global publishing network, with Raid: Shadow Legends demonstrating profitability in the free-to-play model. Looking ahead, MTG will invest more in existing titles and explore new IP and genres. This move highlights the accelerating consolidation in the mobile gaming industry, where large groups acquire established studios to expand market share, while smaller developers seek funding and resources to compete. For players, this means more high-quality games and richer experiences, but it also raises concerns about industry concentration.