Who makes it · Developer and publisher
King
Based in Stockholm, Sweden Founded 2003 Part of Microsoft Gaming (Xbox)
King is a mobile game developer best known for Candy Crush Saga and its spin-offs. Its games are free to download and make money mainly from in-game purchases such as extra moves, lives and boosters, plus advertising.
Track-record badges
What stands out, worst first
- Large layoffs
Large layoffs
About 200 King staff (around 10% of the company) were laid off in July 2025 as part of Microsoft's job cuts.
Track record
What's on the record, newest first
- Investigation
EU consumer regulators opened investigation over Candy Crush Saga virtual currency
The EU Consumer Protection Cooperation network announced investigations into nine games companies, including King.com Operations (Malta) Limited over Candy Crush Saga, to check compliance with EU principles on in-game virtual currencies, including showing real prices, avoiding forced currency bundles and protecting children. No finding had been published in the sources reviewed.
European Commission - Labour
Signed a collective agreement after Swedish unions issued strike notice
After King rejected a collective bargaining agreement in June 2026, the Swedish unions Unionen and Sveriges Ingenjörer gave notice of a strike set for 25 September. King signed a collective agreement with both unions on 24 September and the strike notice was withdrawn.
Kotaku - Labour
Included in Xbox reset job cuts
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said the 2026 restructuring, which aims to cut about 3,200 Xbox roles, included reductions at King, and that King would now report directly to her.
Xbox Wire (Microsoft) - Labour
About 200 staff laid off in Microsoft job cuts
King laid off about 200 people, around 10% of its workforce, as part of Microsoft's cut of about 9,000 jobs, according to Bloomberg. Anonymous King staff later told Mobilegamer.biz that some laid-off level and narrative designers would be replaced by AI tools they had helped build.
GamesIndustry.biz - Other
Royal Games cash-prize site froze withdrawals during PayPal investigation
King's Royal Games web portal, which let players compete for cash prizes, left users unable to withdraw winnings for months while PayPal investigated the site. King announced in October 2021 that the portal would close, with games removed on 7 December 2021 and withdrawals possible until December 2022.
Eurogamer - Good practice
Made its Defold game engine open source
King moved its Defold game engine to an open-source model and set up the Defold Foundation to manage its development, after earlier making it free to use.
GamesIndustry.biz
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Games in the guide
What King made or published
Each game's money rating is its own: it comes from how that game makes money, not from the company's record.
Last checked 1 November 2026. Sources: www.gamesindustry.biz, www.eurogamer.net, www.gamesindustry.biz, news.xbox.com, kotaku.com, ec.europa.eu, www.gamesindustry.biz, www.gamesindustry.biz, kotaku.com, www.bloomberg.com, www.gamesindustry.biz, www.gamesindustry.biz, www.gamesindustry.biz, kotaku.com, www.gamesindustry.biz, en.agcm.it, en.wikipedia.org. Spotted something wrong or missing? Send a correction.