Inside Wooga’s strategic shift

• With June's Journey at its centre, Wooga is doubling down on the IP and exploring new ways to expand player engagement.
• Korf says that Claire's Chronicles did not achieve desired results both in retention as well as monetisation.
• Wooga is exploring AI tools to speed up asset production.

When Dennis Korf stepped into the role of managing director at Wooga he says his approach was straightforward. To listen first and act with clarity, which led to four core priorities: ownership, speed, focus, and impact, that all now shape the studio’s direction. 

At the heart of that direction is June’s Journey, Wooga’s long-running, story-driven hidden object game. “I see a great deal of long-term potential in the game, and I believe it can continue to grow and evolve for many years. It deserves our full attention and support,” Korf says

Seven years after launch, June’s Journey has had to keep evolving as the industry changes. And for Korf, a successful 2025 will come from expanding the game’s reach and ensuring it continues that journey of evolution. 

That means not just new content but thoughtful live ops and player-driven features, as well as ensuring there remains a strong focus on community.

“There are areas within June’s Journey that we haven’t fully leveraged yet, and I’m determined to change that together with the team," he states.

Long-term thinking is crucial in today’s mobile market, where loyalty is increasingly being connected to a few big-name titles. Korf points to a study from last year that shows around 60% of time spent on mobile games goes to titles that are six years old or more, while only 10% is spent on new releases.

“Once players find a game they love, they tend to stick with it. Our job is to keep giving them reasons to stay," he says.

Building inclusive games

Player loyalty is a key focus area for the team in June's Journey, where 90% of players are women. It's a demographic that Wooga has intentionally supported through its design and community strategy, from targeting more resonant storytelling to social features like club mysteries and real-world events.

“These celebrations have become a meaningful way to thank our community and deepen their bond with the game,” says Korf, referencing their anniversary player meetups. “This social layer is essential. It not only supports retention, but also creates a sense of belonging.”

Inclusivity from the title is treated as a product strength, with Korf stating it is not some checkbox expertise but rather about embedding empathy and representation into the DNA of the development process. 

“One key lesson is to involve diverse voices early and often," he says. "That means ensuring your team reflects the players you hope to serve, not just in terms of gender or ethnicity but across age, culture, ability and identity. Authenticity comes from real lived experience, not assumptions.”

Korf goes on to explain that the studio's focus over the next few months is very clear: it’s on June’s Journey. 

“It’s our core product, and we’re committed to supporting and growing it in meaningful, player-driven ways," he states. "June is here to stay for years to come.”

Learning from Claire’s Chronicles

While June's Journey remains at the centre of the business, the studio has struggled to bring new ideas to fruition. Earlier this year, Claire's Chronicles was closed during its soft launch, resulting in layoffs of around 50 staff members across various departments. 

Korf shares what factors led to the decision to stop development.

“Claire’s Chronicles did not achieve the desired results both in retention as well as monetisation during soft launch," he explains.

"Today’s market requires large investments into marketing in order to establish a new game sustainably. With the results we have seen, such an investment would not have been justifiable. Which is why we stopped development.”

Speaking on what the team learnt from Claire’s Chronicles, Korf explains that "being quick with the development of new games is really important".

“We would be more rigorous in this respect, such as continuously checking in on the timeline, complexity and business aspects in order to create a game that meets a market need, while delivering on the high-quality bar our players are used to," he states.

Korf expands further, explaining that some of the biggest hurdles right now are finding the balance between creative ambition, business needs and innovation, and that "aligning all three is not easy".

So, what does success look like for Wooga’s next title?

“For us, success means creating an experience that players can truly immerse themselves in, just like they do with June’s Journey," says Korf. "All the pieces, story, gameplay, art, and monetisation all need to work together seamlessly. If we can build something that captures players’ hearts and minds in the same way, that's true success in our eyes.”

Future outlook

As for forward thinking and what the studio is currently working on, Korf shares that the team has been experimenting with AI to support the creative pipeline, particularly in asset production. 

Korf cites an example where an artist creates a new character and AI is then used to generate a wide range of facial expressions, saving time and allowing the artist to focus on refinement and polish. “This won’t lose jobs,” he states. “It will make jobs easier and improve the end product for players.”

Wooga is also exploring how it can engage players more directly, beyond the traditional app store ecosystems. “We’re definitely seeing a shift in the industry where developers want to establish a more direct relationship with players,” Korf says.

Korf goes on to explain that while App Store and Google Play remain key channels, Wooga is evaluating D2C approaches such as in-game stores and exclusive content, as long as they enhance the experience.

While the future of what titles may come next for Wooga is unclear, it appears that for now the team is firmly set on continuing to build up June's Journey as it approaches its eighth anniversary.