Trophy Games has agreed to acquire Playrion, the Paris-based developer behind Airport Simulator: First Class and Airlines Manager, from Paradox Interactive in a deal designed to expand Trophy’s growing portfolio of management and simulation games.
The transaction includes an upfront cash payment of €2.25 million, with additional deferred consideration equal to 9% of the net revenue generated by Playrion’s games during the three years following the deal’s completion. The transaction is expected to close on September 30, 2026. Playrion was founded in 2010 and acquired by Paradox in 2020. The Paris-based studio has approximately 30 employees and specializes in mobile simulation and management games. Its portfolio includes Airlines Manager and Airport Simulator: First Class, which launched as a free-to-play title for iOS and Android in 2022.
For Trophy Games, however, the deal is about more than adding another mobile developer to its portfolio. The company says it sees significant potential in using Airport Simulator and its underlying technology as the foundation for a new series of simulation games. Trophy is applying a strategy it has previously used with Airline Manager, taking an established game with a proven market and building additional products around that foundation. Playrion will continue operating independently from its Paris studio with its existing team, while gaining access to Trophy Games’ marketing, data and technology resources. Trophy says the acquisition is the largest in its history and will be funded entirely from existing cash reserves.
The sale also reflects a change in direction for Paradox. The publisher says the transaction will allow it to sharpen its focus on developing and publishing strategy and management games primarily for PC and console, while Playrion remains focused on mobile development. The acquisition is already affecting Trophy Games’ financial outlook. The company has raised its 2026 revenue guidance from DKK 150–167 million to DKK 170–180 million, while revised EBITDA guidance stands at DKK 29–35 million and EBIT guidance remains DKK 18–24 million.
For Trophy Games, the purchase represents a familiar approach: acquire a proven management property, retain the team that built it, and use the technology and intellectual property as a starting point for additional games. Whether Airport Simulator can become another long-running simulation franchise remains to be seen, but Trophy is clearly betting on an established foundation rather than starting from scratch.
