Metacore Games

What Metacore Games does

Metacore Games Ltd is a Helsinki-based mobile games studio that developed and operates Merge Mansion, the pioneering title of the merge-2 puzzle genre, alongside a smaller pipeline of new mobile games. Founded in 2019 and launched in 2020, Merge Mansion is a free-to-play mystery puzzle game built around merging items to renovate a family estate, driven by a serialized narrative featuring the characters Maddie and Grandma Ursula. The company combines an in-house merge-2 game engine, a player-first data-driven development loop, and an in-house creative storytelling capability (reinforced by the October 2023 acquisition of animation studio Piñata). Distribution is global through Apple's App Store and Google Play, with user acquisition historically driven by distinctive celebrity-led creative (Kathy Bates, Pedro Pascal).

Metacore monetizes Merge Mansion through a hybrid free-to-play model: in-app purchases of virtual currency and items form the primary revenue stream, supplemented by in-game advertising introduced in September 2025. The game has reached 60-65M downloads and $700M-$800M+ in lifetime revenue, with a 4.6/5 app store rating, and the company reports profitability. Beyond the flagship, Metacore had been building a portfolio of new games and previously operated a Berlin office and a Sweden-based title (Everdale, discontinued September 2024). The company is funded almost entirely by Supercell, its majority shareholder and now full owner after the May-June 2026 acquisition, placing Metacore within Tencent's broader gaming portfolio.

In 2024, Metacore reported EUR 154M in revenue and employed 280+ people across 40+ nationalities, although the May 2026 restructuring reduced 159 roles in Finland and closed German and Swedish operations as the company refocused on the core live game under new Merge Mansion GM Jose Saarniniemi (appointed June 2026, formerly CEO of Small Giant Games).

Name

Metacore Games

Legal name

Metacore Games Ltd

Website

https://metacoregames.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Metacore Games is a Helsinki-based mobile games studio that develops and operates Merge Mansion, the pioneering merge-2 puzzle game, serving 60M+ casual mobile players globally through a free-to-play model with in-app purchases and advertising, and is now wholly owned by Supercell.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Gaming

akta.pro primary industry

Casual/Hypercasual Game Studios (MPAFAAAG)

Keywords

• Mobile puzzle games
• Casual mobile games
• Free-to-play gaming
• Merge puzzle games
• Narrative mobile games

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. In-App Purchases: Merge Mansion generates revenue through virtual item purchases within the game. Players can buy virtual currency and items to enhance their gameplay experience. The game is free-to-play with optional paid upgrades.
2. Advertising: Metacore introduced ad monetization within Merge Mansion, showing ads to players without compromising the overall player experience. This includes in-game advertising as part of the hybrid monetization strategy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Metacore Games develops and publishes free-to-play mobile games built around narrative-driven puzzle gameplay, with its flagship title Merge Mansion pioneering the merge-2 genre since 2020. The company monetizes through in-app purchases of virtual items and in-game advertising, and distributes globally through the Apple App Store, Google Play, and a dedicated game website. Metacore is also building a pipeline of additional mass-market mobile games leveraging lessons learned from Merge Mansion.

Product overview

Metacore Games is a mobile game company that operates a portfolio approach centered on its flagship title Merge Mansion, a pioneering merge-2 genre puzzle game. The company is currently transitioning from a single-hit model to a broader portfolio strategy, developing new games while scaling its live game operations. Metacore's product ecosystem consists of: (1) Merge Mansion — the core live game launched in 2020, a mystery puzzle game featuring narrative storytelling around Maddie and Grandma Ursula, which has generated over $800M in lifetime revenue and 65M+ downloads; (2) New Games — a pipeline of new mobile games under development aimed at creating a diverse portfolio with mass-market appeal; and (3) Piñata (acquired) — an animation and illustration studio acquired in 2023 to strengthen in-house creative storytelling and marketing capabilities. Metacore also operates a trainee program called Press Play for emerging game industry talent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Merge Mansion A free-to-play mystery puzzle mobile game in which players match and merge items to renovate a neglected family estate while following a narrative starring Maddie and her Grandma Ursula. Aimed at casual mobile gamers globally, with monetization via in-app purchases and advertising; the game has generated over $700–800 million in lifetime revenue and 60–65+ million downloads.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60M+ game downloads
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PiñataminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2023Metacore acquired animation and illustration studio Piñata to enhance creative storytelling and in-house marketing capabilities. The acquisition deepens the partnership in creating narrative-driven mobile games and marketing content.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• King (Activision Blizzard): King is the global leader in casual/puzzle mobile games (Candy Crush) — directly comparable to Metacore in genre (match/merge casual), free-to-play model, IAP monetization, and mass-market demographic. Several Metacore leaders (David Telenius, Daniel Lindkvist) are King alumni.
• Playrix: One of the largest casual mobile game developers (Homescapes, Gardenscapes), directly comparable to Metacore in casual puzzle genre, narrative-driven meta-layer, free-to-play with heavy IAP, and global mass-market audience.
• Rovio Entertainment: Finnish mobile game studio best known for Angry Birds. Comparable as a fellow Finnish mobile games company of similar heritage, with casual mobile portfolio and a track record of corporate exit (acquired by SEGA in 2023). The current Metacore CTO is a former Rovio CTO.
• Small Giant Games: Finnish mobile studio behind Empires & Puzzles, a merge-3 puzzle RPG. Directly comparable to Metacore in merge-puzzle genre and Finnish origin. Acquired by Zynga in 2019. Its former CEO, Jose Saarniniemi, is now GM of Merge Mansion at Metacore.
• Wooga: Berlin-based casual mobile game studio (June's Journey, Tropicats). Closely comparable to Metacore in narrative-driven casual mobile games and storytelling-led marketing; also a relevant benchmark for what Metacore's now-closed Berlin operation looked like as a peer studio.
• Scopely: Mobile games developer/publisher with a strong portfolio in casual and mid-core (Monopoly GO, Stumble Guys). Comparable to Metacore in mobile F2P scale, IAP-driven monetization, and live-ops sophistication. Acquired by Savvy Games Group in 2023.
• Peak Games: Turkish mobile game studio (Toon Blast, Toy Blast) — a direct match-2/puzzle genre peer with comparable mass-market audience and IAP monetization. Acquired by Zynga in 2020.
• Gram Games: Istanbul-based casual mobile studio (1010!, Merge Planes) — a direct peer in both the casual puzzle and merge sub-genres. Acquired by Zynga in 2018.

Broad incumbents

• Supercell: Metacore's majority shareholder and now full parent. Comparable as a top-tier mobile games operator with a live-games portfolio, though Supercell focuses on mid-core strategy games (Clash, Hay Day) rather than casual puzzle.
• Zynga: A large, established mobile and social games publisher (now under Take-Two). Overlaps with Metacore in casual mobile and has acquired multiple puzzle/social-casual studios (Small Giant Games, Peak Games, Gram Games) that are direct genre peers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/metacoregames
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metacoregames

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metacore Games