Supercell CEO Reveals Split Focus Strategy for Live Games and New Titles
Discover Supercell's bold new strategy revealed by CEO Ilkka Paananen at Slush 2024.
Image Via Slush
At the Slush 2024 event in Helsinki, Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen revealed the company’s revamped strategy to tackle stagnation and reignite growth. In a fireside chat with Harvard Business School professor Jeffrey Rayport, Paananen highlighted the Finnish game studio’s decision to split efforts between developing new games and scaling live games. This marks a significant shift in Supercell's approach to sustaining its position in the competitive gaming market.
Supercell’s Split Strategy
Acknowledging that Supercell’s growth had plateaued, Paananen emphasized the need for transformation. The company’s new approach divides its focus into two distinct operations:
- New Game Development: Teams are treated like startups, with autonomy to innovate. Supercell’s Spark initiative plays a crucial role here, systematically creating strong, independent “cells” to build new games.
- Live Game Scaling: For games already in the market, Supercell introduced structured processes and middle management—an unconventional move for the company, previously known for its flat hierarchy.
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The Spark Initiative
Paananen continued his lecture on Spark, a special program that assembles and develops new game teams. The initiative includes allowing professional psychologists to assess and develop team dynamics. "We don't greenlight game ideas; we do green-light teams," Paananen said. With this philosophy, Supercell strongly believes that it empowers its teams to innovate without boundaries.
Getting Uncomfortable to Evolve
The transition wasn’t easy for Supercell, as embracing structure and hierarchy in the live games department went against its core values. However, Paananen acknowledged that stepping into the “uncomfortable zone” was necessary for the company’s evolution. He noted that the live games division now operates with more discipline to sustain and enhance existing titles.
