King was founded in 2003 in Stockholm by Riccardo Zacconi, Sebastian Knutsson, Lars Markgren, Thomas Hartwig, and Patrik Stymne. The company initially made browser-based casual games for portals like Yahoo before pivoting to mobile, a move that would turn it into a mobile gaming juggernaut.
Candy Crush Saga, launched on Facebook in 2012 and mobile in 2012, became a global phenomenon that transcended typical gaming demographics. The match-three puzzle game attracted hundreds of millions of players, many of whom had never considered themselves gamers. At its peak, Candy Crush Saga was generating over $1 million per day in revenue.
King went public on the NYSE in March 2014 but the IPO was met with skepticism about whether a company reliant on a single hit could sustain its growth. The stock initially dropped below its offering price. However, the company proved its staying power, and Activision Blizzard acquired King for $5.9 billion in 2016.
The Candy Crush franchise has since expanded to include Candy Crush Soda Saga, Candy Crush Jelly Saga, and Candy Crush Friends Saga. Together, these titles have been downloaded over 3 billion times and have generated more than $20 billion in lifetime revenue, making the franchise one of the most profitable in gaming history.
Now operating as part of Microsoft following the Activision Blizzard acquisition, King remains headquartered in Stockholm with offices in London, Berlin, Barcelona, and other cities. The studio continues to focus exclusively on mobile free-to-play games, a segment where it has few peers in terms of sustained commercial success.
