The wave of layoffs sweeping the Western gaming industry has finally reached Finland.
Recently, two major layoff announcements have emerged regarding Supercell, the renowned Finnish mobile gaming giant: first, Metacore—which Supercell recently acquired—has laid off 159 employees in Finland; second, Supercell’s North America Studio, which had been in development for over three years, has had its projects shut down and its team disbanded.
Why has this once-evergreen mobile game company been making frequent strategic shifts recently? Let’s take a closer look.
I. Layoffs Immediately After Acquisition? Metacore’s “Cutting Off the Arm to Save the Body” Before Merging with Supercell
On June 6, 2026 , mobile game studio Metacore confirmed the layoff of 159 employees in Finland and the closure of its operations in Germany and Sweden. Notably, this occurred less than a month after Supercell officially announced the acquisition of the company.
Why such massive layoffs so soon after the acquisition?
This was not a malicious purge by Supercell, but rather a restructuring plan agreed upon by both parties prior to the merger.
Growth Hitting a Wall: On May 5, Metacore’s official blog revealed that its flagship title, *Merge Mansion*, had “stalled in recent years,” and that substantial R&D investments made recently had failed to yield successful new games.
Soaring User Acquisition Costs: As competition in the global user acquisition market intensifies, the casual gaming sector has become a red ocean, with profit margins severely squeezed.
Metacore CEO Mika Tammenkoski stated:
“Making these decisions has been extremely difficult and heartbreaking… To support the affected employees, we have developed a transition plan that includes fair severance packages, permission to retain office equipment, and extended occupational health and welfare services, doing our utmost to assist everyone in finding new job opportunities.”
Industry Perspective: Given the narrowing profit margins and even losses, layoffs are understandable. This also suggests that this restructuring is highly likely a “prerequisite” for a merger agreement between the two companies.
II. After Three and a Half Years, Supercell’s U.S. In-House Development Project Fails
If Metacore’s layoffs stem from the casual gaming boom reaching its peak, then the dissolution of Supercell’s own U.S. R&D team signals a partial failure of its “global in-house development” initiative.
On June 11, according to a report by PocketGamer, Supercell’s game development operations in the U.S. are being gradually shut down.
Major shake-up in the core team: Senior veterans from EA and Riot Games have all left
Supercell’s U.S. R&D initiative began in February 2022. At the time, the company aimed to leverage top North American talent to create industry-defining hits. However, just three and a half years later, the project has come to an end:
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Steve Desilets, co-founder of Supercell’s U.S. project, confirmed on social media:
“After three and a half years, this latest chapter of my career will come to a close in July. A six-month-long interview process in 2022 led me to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity… Supercell is a unique company with a top-notch creative atmosphere and a culture of ‘unlimited empowerment,’ but unfortunately, the team has been involved in the project from its inception through to its final wrap-up and dissolution. ”
Marketing and Administrative Departments Unaffected
According to information on Supercell’s official recruitment website, this restructuring affects only the game R&D department. The marketing and administrative departments in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco remain unaffected and are currently hiring as usual. This indicates that Supercell is not completely exiting the U.S. market but is instead refocusing its efforts on publishing and operations.
III. Conclusion: The “Major Shakeup” in the Gaming Industry Continues
From Metacore’s setbacks in the casual gaming sector to the failure of Supercell’s in-house development studios in North America, these events reflect the intense cyclical adjustments currently sweeping the global gaming industry. Even Supercell—which owns super IPs like “Clash of Clans” and “Brawl Stars” and places a strong emphasis on team autonomy—has been forced to make more cost-effective business decisions in the face of high R&D costs and uncertain market returns.
Tags: Supercell layoffs, Metacore layoffs, Merge Mansion, Supercell's U.S. studio, gaming industry layoffs
