In a major move in the gaming industry, Modern Times Group (MTG) has announced its acquisition of Raid: Shadow Legends developer Plarium from current owner Aristocrat Leisure Limited. The $620 million deal marks a strategic expansion for MTG, aiming to leverage Plarium’s expertise and established game titles to strengthen its market share in mobile gaming.
Key Highlights of the Acquisition:
1. Acquisition Details: MTG is set to pay $620 million for Plarium, with $20 million deferred to 2026. The acquisition is expected to close in Q1 2025, marking one of the biggest acquisitions in MTG’s history.
2. Revenue Boost: The deal is projected to drive MTG’s total annual revenue beyond SEK 12 billion (approximately $1.1 billion). Plarium, known for its strong revenue performance, reported $613 million in earnings for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024—a 1.2% year-over-year increase.
3. A Strategic Addition: Plarium’s most popular title, Raid: Shadow Legends, is a massively successful mobile RPG and will become a flagship product in MTG’s portfolio. This acquisition will add Plarium’s three other active games and a robust pipeline of mid-core and casual game projects.
4. Growth and Monetization: Plarium’s monetization and user acquisition (UA) tools were highlighted as assets in MTG’s acquisition decision. Plarium’s proprietary techniques have enabled strong revenue generation, making it a strategic acquisition for MTG, which aims to boost user engagement and extend its mobile gaming reach.
5. Expansion of MTG’s Portfolio: This acquisition is the latest in MTG’s aggressive mergers and acquisitions strategy, which includes recent buyouts of AutoAttack Games and Snowprint Studios. By integrating Plarium’s portfolio, MTG strengthens its position in mobile gaming—a high-growth market segment.
Why Plarium?
Maria Redin, MTG’s CEO, emphasized Plarium’s successful portfolio of live games and its future projects as critical components in the acquisition decision: “Plarium brings an exciting and highly successful portfolio of live games spearheaded by Raid: Shadow Legends, an exceptional evergreen mid-core IP, to our line-up,” Redin said. “The studio also has an exciting pipeline in both mid-core and casual segments, creating strong growth potential.”
Plarium’s expertise in mid-core games aligns with MTG’s long-term vision to diversify its offerings. Since Aristocrat acquired Plarium in 2017, the studio has shown consistent growth and has expanded its reach in the mobile gaming industry.
What This Means for the Gaming Industry
This acquisition highlights MTG’s ambition to consolidate its position in the mobile gaming space by acquiring companies with proven monetization and user engagement models. As mobile gaming continues to grow, companies like MTG aim to tap into this lucrative market by acquiring companies with strong portfolios and advanced monetization capabilities.
For players, this acquisition may mean new content and potential improvements to Raid: Shadow Legends and other Plarium games, as MTG will likely invest in expanding these titles. This deal is set to be a milestone for both MTG and Plarium as they look toward a future of growth in mobile gaming.
As MTG continues to push forward with its acquisition strategy, the gaming community will be watching closely to see how Plarium’s titles evolve under MTG’s umbrella—and whether they bring new innovations to the mobile gaming landscape.