Massive Entertainment

What Massive Entertainment does

Massive Entertainment (legal entity Ubisoft Entertainment Sweden AB) is a privately held AAA video game development studio headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, with a secondary engineering site in Stockholm. Founded in 1997 and wholly owned by Ubisoft (EPA: UBI) since the 2008 acquisition from Vivendi, the studio employs approximately 600 people drawn from more than 50 countries, roughly half of whom are expatriates. It develops and operates major franchises including Tom Clancy's The Division 2 (2019, ongoing live service), Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2023, co-developed with Lightstorm Entertainment and Disney), and Star Wars Outlaws (2024, co-developed with Lucasfilm Games), with Tom Clancy's The Division 3 currently in active development.

The studio's technology stack centers on the proprietary Snowdrop game engine, which underpins its AAA titles and is shared across Ubisoft's global studio network. Massive also leads Ubisoft Connect (the publisher's cross-platform player services and distribution backbone) and Ubisoft Scalar (a cloud-native technology initiative intended to remove hardware constraints on future titles). Internal research and development assets include the Games Lab, an on-site playtesting facility with biometrics and predictive player modeling, and a dedicated User Research & Analytics team focused on accessibility, usability, and player psychology.

Commercial operations are routed entirely through publisher Ubisoft: revenue is generated via one-time game license sales and post-launch DLC/seasonal live-service content across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, Steam, and Ubisoft Connect channels, with retail partners handling physical distribution. Studio revenue is not separately disclosed by Ubisoft. Strategic partnerships include core co-development arrangements with Lucasfilm Games and Lightstorm Entertainment, alongside minor collaborations such as the Akribian EdTech math-learning app and a Concept Artist scholarship with Ung Svensk Form. In late 2025 the studio initiated a voluntary career transition program, and in 2025 The Division 3 executive producer Julian Gerighty departed to EA, signaling concurrent restructuring and creative leadership transition.

Name

Massive Entertainment

Legal name

Ubisoft Entertainment Sweden AB

Website

https://massive.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Massive Entertainment is an AAA video game studio based in Malmö and Stockholm, Sweden, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ubisoft. It develops franchises including Star Wars Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and The Division series, and builds the proprietary Snowdrop engine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AAA Video Game Development

NAICS

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console) (MPAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Subscription, Bundling & Membership Distribution (Game Pass-like, Humble-like) (MPAFABAI), PC & Console Game Distribution Platforms (BPAMAKAA)

Keywords

• AAA game development
• Open world games
• Game engine technology
• Live service games
• Action adventure games

Headquarters

HQ city

Malmö

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Video Game Sales: Massive Entertainment develops AAA video games sold as one-time purchases through retail and digital platforms. Games include Tom Clancy's The Division 2, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Star Wars Outlaws, released across console and PC platforms.
2. Live Services & DLC: Post-launch content including downloadable expansions, seasonal updates, and live service events. Examples include Wild Card and A Pirate's Fortune DLCs for Star Wars Outlaws, and ongoing seasonal content for The Division 2.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Massive Entertainment is a AAA video game development studio that develops and supports open-world action-adventure and looter-shooter games including Star Wars Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and the Tom Clancy's The Division franchise. The studio also develops and licenses the proprietary Snowdrop game engine and contributes to Ubisoft Connect and Ubisoft Scalar cloud technology platforms used across Ubisoft's global studio network. Game products are sold to consumers through Ubisoft as publisher across console, PC, and digital storefronts.

Product overview

Massive Entertainment is a world-leading AAA video game development studio located in Malmö and Stockholm, Sweden, and part of the Ubisoft family. The studio develops multiple major game franchises including Star Wars Outlaws (2024), Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2023), Tom Clancy's The Division 2, and Tom Clancy's The Division 3 (in development). Beyond game development, Massive spearheads key Ubisoft technology platforms including the Snowdrop game engine (used across multiple Ubisoft studios globally), Ubisoft Connect (the company's digital ecosystem and distribution platform), and Ubisoft Scalar (cloud-native technology initiative). The studio employs approximately 600 people from over 50 different countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Snowdrop: Proprietary game engine developed by Massive Entertainment that enables content creators to build ambitious AAA games with flexible and fast development tools.
• Ubisoft Connect
• Ubisoft Scalar

Products and services

• Star Wars Outlaws An open-world Star Wars adventure game developed by Massive Entertainment in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, released in 2024. Targeted at AAA gaming consumers across console and PC platforms.
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora An open-world game based on James Cameron's Avatar franchise, developed in collaboration with Lightstorm Entertainment and Disney, built on the Snowdrop engine. Targeted at AAA gaming consumers across console and PC platforms.
• Tom Clancy's The Division 2 A live-service looter-shooter set in post-pandemic Washington D.C., with ongoing seasonal updates, events, and content expansions. Targeted at AAA gaming consumers across console and PC platforms.
• Tom Clancy's The Division 3 The third installment in The Division franchise, announced in 2023 and currently in active development at Massive Entertainment. Targeted at AAA gaming consumers across console and PC platforms.
• Snowdrop Engine Proprietary game engine developed by Massive Entertainment that powers multiple Ubisoft AAA titles. Provides flexible building blocks, fast iteration times, and full creative control for developers across the Ubisoft network including studios in Canada, Japan, and Europe.
• Ubisoft Connect Ubisoft's cross-platform gaming services ecosystem led by Massive Entertainment, providing chat, friends, news, Challenges & Rewards, Stats, Share Play, in-game store, games library, and access to trials and betas across platforms. Targeted at AAA gaming consumers.
• Ubisoft Scalar A cloud-native foundational technology led by Massive Entertainment that enables Ubisoft titles to utilize cloud computing power, allowing developers to push game world boundaries beyond conventional hardware limitations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% accuracy in predicting player motivations from gameplay data
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lucasfilm GamescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2021Ubisoft announced collaboration with Lucasfilm Games on a new story-driven open-world Star Wars video game. Massive Entertainment leads development of the project, utilizing Snowdrop engine and working with Disney and Lucasfilm Games to create an authentic Star Wars adventure.
• Lightstorm EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMassive Entertainment collaborated with Lightstorm Entertainment and Disney to develop Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, based on James Cameron's Avatar film franchise.
• AkribianminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMassive Entertainment partnered with EdTech startup Akribian (formerly Scientific EdTech) to help develop a math learning app for children called Count on Me!. Massive's Games Lab was used to test the app and study children's reactions.
• Ung Svensk Form (Young Swedish Design)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMassive Entertainment partnered with Ung Svensk Form to create a Concept Artist Scholarship focused on fashion, expression, and creative design in video games. The scholarship is a six-month paid internship bridging physical and digital design spaces.
• Ubisoft Studios (Internal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMassive Entertainment collaborates with other Ubisoft studios worldwide for game development. The Division 2 was developed with eight other Ubisoft studios in six different countries. Snowdrop engine is used by Ubisoft studios globally including Canada, Japan, and multiple European studios.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Naughty Dog: Sony-owned AAA studio known for cinematic, narrative-driven open-world/action franchises (The Last of Us, Uncharted). Most directly comparable to Massive as a publisher-owned premium console/PC studio developing high-budget narrative experiences with proprietary internal tools.
• CD Projekt Red: Polish AAA studio behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077. Comparable to Massive in scale, open-world franchise development, proprietary REDengine tooling, and reliance on a major publisher/distributor for go-to-market.
• Bethesda Game Studios: Microsoft-owned studio developing large-scale open-world RPGs (Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Starfield) with proprietary Creation Engine. Direct peer given scale, open-world franchise model, and proprietary engine architecture.
• BioWare: EA-owned AAA studio working on Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises. Comparable to Massive as a publisher-embedded, narrative-driven AAA developer with proprietary internal tooling and franchise-based revenue.
• Crystal Dynamics: Developer of Tomb Raider and now working on a Perfect Dark reboot under Microsoft. Peer to Massive as an AAA studio developing high-profile licensed/narrative franchises using proprietary engines and operating under a major publisher (Square Enix, then Microsoft).
• Avalanche Studios: Swedish-based AAA studio (Malmö-adjacent) behind Just Cause, theHunter, and Generation Zero with the proprietary Apex engine. Strong regional and structural overlap with Massive given shared Swedish AAA heritage, proprietary engine strategy, and open-world genre focus.
• Larian Studios: Developer of Baldur's Gate 3, operating at AAA scale with a proprietary engine. Peer to Massive given AAA budget, narrative depth, multi-platform release strategy, and proprietary tooling.
• Rockstar Games: Take-Two-owned studio behind Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. Comparable to Massive at the highest end of open-world AAA development scale, with proprietary engine (RAGE) and publisher-owned IP-led strategy.
• Guerrilla Games: Sony-owned studio behind Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West and Killzone. Direct peer to Massive as a Sony/PlayStation-aligned AAA developer with proprietary Decima engine and open-world franchise focus.

Broad incumbents

• id Software: Microsoft/ZeniMax-owned studio (part of broader Xbox Game Studios portfolio) developing DOOM and Quake franchises. Comparable to Massive given AAA console/PC development with proprietary engine (id Tech), but operates within a larger incumbent publisher portfolio rather than as a single-franchise specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/massivecareers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MassiveEntertainment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/massive---a-ubisoft-studio
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ubisoft.Massive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Massive Entertainment