Plarium’s Ukrainian office is undergoing a wave of layoffs. The company has confirmed that some positions will be eliminated as part of a global reorganization of the MTG group, which owns the studio.
Plarium’s Ukrainian office is undergoing a wave of layoffs. The company has confirmed that some positions will be eliminated as part of a global reorganization of the MTG group, which owns the studio.
According to GameDev DOU, which dev.ua cites, MTG is transforming its midcore direction and preparing to transition to a new District management model. Both Plarium and other studios in the group fall under these changes. The company explains that the goal of the reform is to speed up decision-making, optimize operational processes and make the business more sustainable, without stopping the current development of games and already planned releases.
Plarium emphasizes that it is the roles and structures that are changing, not the project pipeline: work schedules and game development, according to the company’s official position, remain unchanged. At the same time, some positions at Plarium and other MTG midcore studios will be reduced.
A support package is provided for specialists affected by the optimization. According to employees of the Ukrainian office, who spoke to journalists anonymously, those laid off are paid the equivalent of three months' salaries, and access to the company’s internal resources is disabled on the day of termination of cooperation. Officially, Plarium speaks of «comprehensive assistance», which includes financial payments, letters of recommendation, consultations, help with preparing a resume or portfolio, and advice on finding a new job.
The exact number of employees affected by the cuts is not disclosed. It is only known that this primarily concerns non-gaming divisions and that the process applies to all MTG midcore companies, not just Plarium Ukraine.
The restructuring comes amid broader changes within MTG itself. In February 2024, the Swedish media holding closed a deal to buy Plarium for around $820 million, with an upfront payment of $600 million. In the fall, MTG announced it was splitting its business into midcore and casual, with Plarium, along with Futureplay, InnoGames, Snowprint, Hutch and Ninja Kiwi, forming the «Midcore District.»
This is not the first wave of optimization for the studio: in February 2024, Plarium already carried out layoffs, including in Ukrainian offices. At that time, the company also announced financial support and assistance to the laid-off specialists in the transition to new employers. The new stage of changes shows that the consolidation of MTG assets in the midcore segment continues, and the game development market in Ukraine continues to feel the consequences of global decisions of international holdings.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how Stockholm-based digital entertainment company Modern Times Group (MTG) announced the successful closing of a deal signed in November 2024 to acquire 100% of Plarium, which created the game RAID: Shadow Legends and has hundreds of employees in Ukraine.
