Supercell to acquire Merge Mansion studio Metacore as 160 jobs could be cut

• Supercell is set to acquire the rest of Metacore and bring Merge Mansion into its live games portfolio alongside Hay Day.
• Operations in Germany and Sweden are also under review.
• Metacore failed to launch a new hit game, resulting in the latest restructure at the company.

Supercell will fully acquire the remainder of Finnish developer Metacore and bring Merge Mansion into its live games portfolio.

Alongside the purchase, Metacore is cutting up to 160 roles in Finland as part of a restructuring focused on Merge Mansion.

Already Metacore's largest shareholder, Supercell intends to fold the merge-2 pioneer fully into its operations and run Merge Mansion as part of its live games stable next to Hay Day. 

Metacore is currently initiating change negotiations in Finland and reviewing its operations in Germany and Sweden.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

CEO Mika Tammenkoski said the company built an organisation around growth ambitions that did not materialise. He added that competition in the merge-2 space has intensified every year since Merge Mansion's launch, with tiles like Gossip Harbor and Travel Town proving to be particularly successful in the genre.

“Best days ahead” 

Launched in 2020, Merge Mansion's growth has plateaued and Metacore's attempts to launch follow-up titles have not landed globally.

The company previously secured €25 million ($29.6 million) from Supercell back in 2020 as it rebranded from Everywear Games. It later agreed a $180 million (€150 million) credit line with the Clash Royale studio in 2021 to scale up Merge Mansion.

“Since the launch of Merge Mansion in 2020, Metacore has grown significantly as a company, building the organisation with the ambition to scale Merge Mansion further and launch new games," said Tammenkoski. 

“While Merge Mansion remains a strong and stable game with a loyal player base and a strong brand, its growth has plateaued over the past few years, and Metacore’s new games investments have not succeeded in launching new games globally."

He added: "I truly believe Supercell is the best future home for Merge Mansion. It's an amazing game, and it deserves the best possible chance to succeed going forward."

Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen commented: "Merge Mansion has a strong core that players have genuinely loved for over five years, built by a team that pioneered the merge-2 category itself.

“I believe Merge Mansion's best days are still ahead. With Supercell's experience turning around and scaling global live games, alongside our capabilities in live operations and user acquisition, we can help it climb back to the top of its category - where it belongs."