From Harvard Business Review · · 1m 40s
Supercell Restructures for Mobile Game Turnaround
Supercell reorganizes into New Games and Live Games divisions to revive its mobile gaming empire after a five-year drought of global hits.
In brief
Supercell reorganizes into New Games and Live Games divisions to revive its mobile gaming empire after a five-year drought of global hits. Supercell restructured into New Games and Live Games divisions to address a five-year drought in global mobile game hits after its founding model became unsustainable. Originally…
Supercell's Founding Model
Founded in 2010, Supercell created five global mobile game hits with a culture of small autonomous teams and minimal oversight.
Five Global Hits
Supercell generated over $10 billion in gross revenue from Clash of Clans alone and nearly $2 billion in annual revenue.
Five-Year Drought
The company had not released a new global hit game in five years after its last major franchise, Brawl Stars, launched in 2018.
2023 Restructuring
In 2023, CEO Ilkka Paananen restructured Supercell into New Games and Live Games divisions to address the five-year drought.
New Games Division
New Games focuses on creating new mobile game hits with small, autonomous teams and minimal hierarchy.
Live Games Division
Live Games manages existing franchises like Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars with added hierarchy and structure.
Champagne Toasts
Supercell celebrated game failures with champagne toasts, a practice that helped maintain high creative standards.
Five-Year Drought Impact
Supercell's market share declined by 25% while mobile casual gaming grew 193% from 2015 to 2023.
2024 Results
In 2024, Supercell saw 77% year-on-year revenue growth and over 80% profitability increase.
2025 Outlook
Supercell continues to monitor whether the New Games division will produce more global hits beyond the initial restructure.
Here's the gist
Supercell restructured into New Games and Live Games divisions to address a five-year drought in global mobile game hits after its founding model became unsustainable.
