Trophy Games, a Danish studio, has recently acquired Playrion, the developer of Airport Simulator: First Class, from Paradox Interactive.
The acquisition involves an upfront payment of €2.25 million and a three-year earn-out based on net revenue performance.
As a result of this acquisition, 30 employees from Playrion will be joining Trophy Games.
Søren Gleie, the founder and CEO of Trophy Games, expressed his excitement about the acquisition, stating, “This is a significant milestone for Trophy Games. We have been following Playrion closely for the past four years. They have been a major competitor, and we believe that there is a strong strategic alignment between our companies.”
Fredrik Wester, the CEO of Paradox Interactive, commented, “This transaction is part of our strategy to focus on developing and publishing strategy and management games for PC and console platforms. Playrion is a talented mobile game developer with a proven track record, and we are pleased to have found a dedicated owner who can support the studio’s growth.”
Trophy Games plans to leverage Airport Simulator as the foundation for a new series of simulation games, following a similar successful approach with the acquisition of Airline Manager 4 in 2021.
Gleie added, “We have a clear vision of how we can take an existing game with a solid market presence and expand it into a successful series. We did this with Airline Manager, and we see the same potential with Airport Simulator. If we can replicate this model, Playrion could become a key growth driver for Trophy Games.”
Gleie also mentioned that Trophy Games is well-positioned for further growth, with six games currently in development.
“Over the past five years, we have experienced significant revenue growth, and we now have the resources to pursue larger acquisitions. Playrion represents our largest acquisition to date and aligns with our growth strategy,” stated Gleie.
Following the acquisition, Trophy Games has revised its 2026 financial projections, now expecting revenue between €22.8 million and €24.1 million, up from the previous estimate of €20.1 million to €22.4 million.
Paradox Interactive initially acquired Playrion in 2020. The Paris-based studio was established in 2010.