Trophy Games Acquires Airport Simulator Developer Playrion

Danish developer Trophy Games has acquired Playrion, the studio behind Airport Simulator: First Class, from Paradox Interactive. The deal includes a €2.25 million upfront payment plus a three-year earn-out based on net revenue performance. Thirty Playrion employees will join Trophy Games.

Trophy Games founder and CEO Søren Gleie called the acquisition "a milestone" for the studio. "We have had Playrion on our radar for four years," Gleie said. "They have been one of our biggest competitors, and we know the company, the games, and the market really well. Therefore, we see a very strong strategic match."

Trophy Games plans to use Airport Simulator as the foundation for a new series of simulation games, repeating a strategy that worked with Airline Manager 4. "By now, we have a recipe for how we can take a game that has already proven there is a market and build an entire series around it," Gleie explained. "We did that with Airline Manager, and that is the opportunity we now see in Airport Simulator. If we succeed in repeating the model, Playrion can become an entirely new growth pillar for Trophy Games."

Trophy Games raised its 2026 revenue forecast to between €22.8 million and €24.1 million, up from €20.1 million to €22.4 million. The company now has six games in development and has more than quadrupled revenue over five years. Paradox Interactive acquired Playrion in 2020. The Paris-based studio was founded in 2010.