Trophy Games has acquired Playrion, the Paris-based developer of Airport Simulator: First Class, from Paradox Interactive for €2.25 million upfront plus a three-year earn-out tied to net revenue, the Danish publisher's largest deal to date.

The transaction brings 30 Playrion employees into Trophy Games and transfers ownership of the Airport Simulator franchise, a tycoon-style mobile sim aimed at transport management on iOS and Android.

What does the deal include?

The €2.25 million headline payment is supplemented by a contingent earn-out that spans three years and is linked to net revenue performance. Trophy Games has not disclosed the maximum earn-out value, leaving the final consideration open.

The acquisition lifts the company's 2026 financial outlook. Management now projects revenue between €22.8 million and €24.1 million, up from the prior range of €20.1 million to €22.4 million, alongside a six-game development pipeline already in motion.

Why does Trophy Games want Playrion?

CEO Søren Gleie framed the move as the acquisition of a target the company had watched for years. "This is a milestone for Trophy Games. We have had Playrion on our radar for four years," Gleie said. "They have been one of our biggest competitors, and we know the company, the games, and the market really well. Therefore, we see a very strong strategic match."

Gleie pointed to a repeatable playbook: identify a proven mobile hit, then build a series around it. Trophy Games executed the same template in 2021 when it acquired Airline Manager 4. "By now, we have a recipe for how we can take a game that has already proven there is a market and build an entire series around it," Gleie said. "We did that with Airline Manager, and that is the opportunity we now see in Airport Simulator. If we succeed in repeating the model, Playrion can become an entirely new growth pillar for Trophy Games."

The Danish publisher said it now has the capital for larger acquisitions. "We have more than quadrupled our revenue in five years and now have the capital to also make larger acquisitions. Playrion is our largest acquisition so far and another step in the growth strategy we have laid out," Gleie added.

What does Paradox get out of it?

For Paradox Interactive, the divestment continues a portfolio reorganisation around PC and console strategy and management games. CEO Fredrik Wester cast the sale as an alignment exercise rather than a retreat from mobile. "This transaction is a step in aligning our operations around developing and publishing strategy and management games primarily for PC and console," Wester said. "Playrion is a highly skilled mobile game developer with a strong track record, and we're happy to have found a committed owner who can support the studio's growth."

Paradox had owned Playrion since 2020. The studio, founded in 2010, will continue to operate from Paris under Trophy Games' ownership.

What changes operationally?

Playrion becomes Trophy Games' new "growth pillar," in the buyer's own phrasing, with Airport Simulator positioned as the launchpad for a wider simulation series. The combined catalogue — Airline Manager, Trophy Games' existing airport-management line, and the inherited Playrion portfolio — concentrates the publisher's strategy around transport and management titles for mobile.

The addition of 30 staff expands Trophy Games' headcount and brings in established live-ops expertise on a flagship mobile title.

The next test for the thesis will be how quickly Trophy Games can ship a successor or expansion within the Airport Simulator brand, and whether the earn-out triggers meaningfully under the new revenue range.