King

King is a mobile game developer and publisher focused on casual and puzzle entertainment across iOS, Android and web platforms. Founded in 2003 as Midasplayer, the company first built a destination for skill-based web games before evolving toward free-to-play social and casual experiences. It rebranded as King.com in 2005 and adopted the simplified King name in 2013.

The company’s defining release, Candy Crush Saga, launched on Facebook in 2012 before expanding to mobile later that year. King has since developed and operated a portfolio of puzzle and casual titles including Candy Crush Soda Saga, Farm Heroes Saga, Pet Rescue Saga, Bubble Witch titles and Candy Crush Friends Saga.

Capabilities

King combines game creation with the ongoing operation of long-running live titles. Its work includes:

• Casual and puzzle game design, engineering and art production
• Match-3 mechanics, level progression and level generation
• Live operations, seasonal content, virtual-economy balancing and player events
• Cross-platform account synchronization
• Game-engine architecture, internal tools and platform integrations
• Digital advertising, brand partnerships and monetization solutions

The studio operates global publishing and distribution activities alongside its development teams. Its games use a free-to-play model and are supported by continuous content updates and live-service operations.

Company history and ownership

King was acquired by Activision Blizzard in 2016. Following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023, King became part of Microsoft Gaming. It continues to operate as an active mobile-gaming business under the King brand.

The company’s operating footprint includes game-development and business teams in Europe and the United States. King has also collaborated with sister studio Mojang Studios on Minecraft Blast, an upcoming mobile franchise project.

King’s portfolio reflects its long-standing focus on accessible, session-based puzzle games while its production teams support global game operations, advertising integrations and cross-platform player experiences.