Playrix

Before the company Playrix was founded, the brothers Igor and Dmitry Bukhman developed several simple computer games together while they were still students. Their first game was called Xonix, which the brothers developed on a computer with a Pentium 100 processor. The game was released in 2001, after a one-month development period.{{Cite web |author=Анастасия Карпова |date=2020-03-19 |title=Как братья Бухманы построили одну из крупнейших игровых компаний в мире — Playrix — и стали миллиардерами |trans-title=How the Bukhman brothers built one of the largest gaming companies in the world — Playrix — and became billionaires |url=https://www.forbes.ru/milliardery/395447-kak-bratya-buhmany-postroili-odnu-iz-krupneyshih-igrovyh-kompaniy-v-mire-playrix |accessdate=2021-04-11 |work=Forbes Russia}} They released Discovera later that year, which was similar to the game Xonix. The brothers set its price at $15 and uploaded it to two hundred app catalogs. The game brought in $60 in its first month. Six months later, the Bukhman brothers released their second game, which brought their monthly revenue up to $200 and allowed them to buy a second computer. They released another game six months after that and started selling screensavers that they bought from programmers.{{Cite web |title="В России наши игры в топе. Но бренд не знает почти никто" Два брата из Вологды сделали компанию Playrix и попали в список миллиардеров Bloomberg. |url=https://meduza.io/feature/2019/04/19/v-rossii-nashi-igry-v-tope-no-brend-ne-znaet-pochti-nikto |accessdate=2021-04-11 |publisher=meduza.io}}

By 2004, Igor and Dmitry Bukhman had released three games and 30 screensavers, bringing their earnings to $10,000 a month for the first time.{{Cite web |last=Eisenbrand |first=Roland |date=2020-10-30 |title=Playrix: Kaum einer kennt diese milliardenschwere Gaming-Firma, aber alle kennen ihre Ads |url=https://omr.com/de/daily/playrix-marketing-fake-ads |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=OMR |language=de}}{{Cite news |date=2023-04-28 |title=Brothers Worth $11 Billion Are Building Out Family Office to Invest Their Gaming Riches |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-28/playrix-founders-build-out-london-family-office-to-invest-their-gaming-billions?embedded-checkout=true |access-date=2024-12-05 |work=Bloomberg |language=en}} They officially founded Playrix, rented an office in Vologda, and hired ten employees. Initially, the company mainly designed simple puzzle games for home computers. By the end of 2007, the company had released around 15 casual games and its first PC game, reaching a monthly revenue of $300,000.

In 2009, Playrix became interested in developing free-to-play games for mobile phones, while continuing to create PC games. The mobile games developer, Perfect Play Studio, with studios in Moscow mainly and Bryansk, was founded in 2009 as WebGames, entered the market in 2010,{{cite web |title=Perfect Play's Behance bio |url=https://www.behance.net/gallery/112599015/Perfect-Play |access-date=6 April 2022 |website=Behance |publisher=Adobe Systems}}{{cite web |title=perfect play's lovemedo agency bio |url=https://lvmd.ru/works/perfect_play.html |access-date=6 April 2022 |website=lovemedo agency |language=Russian}}{{cite web |date=4 February 2021 |title=Corporate Identity of the Perfect Play Mobile Game Developer Created by Lovemedo Branding Agency |url=https://worldbranddesign.com/corporate-identity-of-the-perfect-play-mobile-game-developer-created-by-lovemedo-branding-agency/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204100258/https://worldbranddesign.com/corporate-identity-of-the-perfect-play-mobile-game-developer-created-by-lovemedo-branding-agency/ |archive-date=4 February 2021 |access-date=21 April 2022 |website=World Brand Design Society}} and later changed its name to Perfect Play in 2020. It is a part of Playrix.{{cite web |title=Perfect Play's Habr Career bio |url=https://career.habr.com/companies/perfectplaystudio |website=Habr Career}}{{cite web |title=Perfect Play's official website |url=https://perfectplay.io/ |access-date=6 April 2022 |website=perfectplay.io}}

In 2012, the Playrix launched its first game on Facebook—Township. The game became one of the top 50 grossing games on Facebook with 350,000 daily active users. A year later, Township became the company’s first-ever game to be released on iOS and later on Android. Over the next seven years, the game would be downloaded about 250 million times.{{Cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/11/23/playrix-has-become-europes-quiet-giant-in-mobile-gaming/|title=Playrix has become Europe's quiet giant in mobile gaming|date=2016-11-23|publisher=VentureBeat|accessdate=2021-04-11}}

In April 2013, Playrix moved its headquarters to Dublin.{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Iain |date=2024-08-22 |title=Billionaire Bukhman Brothers Open Foundation To Fund Diabetes Cure |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/iainmartin/2024/08/22/billionaire-bukhman-brothers-open-foundation-to--fund-diabetes-cure/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=Forbes |language=en}} The company started working remotely in 2015, and by 2016 it had more employees working remotely than at its central office.{{Cite web|url=https://vc.ru/story/16659-playrix-remote|title="Удалённая работа — основа развития компании": Основатели Playrix об управлении распределенной командой|date=2016-07-04|publisher=VC.ru|language=ru|accessdate=2021-04-11|archive-date=2021-04-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411204833/https://vc.ru/story/16659-playrix-remote|url-status=dead}}

At the end of April 2015, the company announced the release of its second free-to-play mobile game—Fishdom: Deep Dive. Playrix then released Gardenscapes (2016) and Homescapes (2017). The former brought the company $1.5 billion in revenue by the end of 2019. The company later released two more games—Wildscapes (2019){{Cite news|title=Playrix soft-launches new match-three puzzler Wildscapes|url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/70523/playrix-soft-launches-new-match-three-puzzler-wildscapes/|work=PocketGamer|date=2019-04-23|accessdate=2019-09-12|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://gameworldobserver.com/2019/08/19/new-playrix-game|title=Why does new Playrix game veer away from the roots? |author=Oleg Nesterenko |date=2019-08-19|publisher=GameWorldObserver.com|accessdate=2021-04-11}} and Manor Matters (2019).{{Cite web|url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/73245/playrix-manor-matters-launch/|title=layrix releases Manor Matters globally after six months in soft launch |date=2020-04-30|publisher=pocketgamer.biz|accessdate=2021-04-11}}{{Cite web|title=Manor Matters: Playrix releases new game: it's not match-3, it's hidden object|url=https://gameworldobserver.com/2020/04/30/manor-matters/|date=2020-04-30|website=Game World Observer|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-09}}

According to App Annie, in September 2016, the company became the highest-grossing mobile game developer in the CIS and Baltic states region, the second in Europe in terms of revenue, and ranked in the Top 20 biggest mobile game developers in the world.[https://www.appannie.com/ru/insights/mobile-gaming/russia-cis-baltic-region-spotlight-outpacing-global-gaming-market/ Локальные игровые издатели растут быстрее мирового рынка] In August 2017, the company became the leading mobile game publisher in Europe based on revenue from Google Play and the App Store.{{Cite web|title=Российская Playrix возглавила рейтинг европейских издателей игр по объему доходов в августе 2017 года|first=Lera|last=Mikhailova|url=https://vc.ru/27526-rossiyskaya-playrix-vozglavila-reyting-evropeyskih-izdateley-igr-po-obemu-dohodov-v-avguste-2017-goda|work=vc.ru|date=2017-10-13 |language=ru |accessdate=2021-04-11}}

At the beginning of 2018, the Bukhman brothers considered selling the company but ultimately decided to invest in other video game companies instead.{{Cite web|url= https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-05/playrix-billionaires-battle-activision-by-snapping-up-studios |title=Mobile-Gaming Billionaires Are Buying Rivals Instead of Selling Out |author=Ilya Khrennikov, Alexander Sazonov |date=2019-12-05|publisher=Bloomberg|language=en|accessdate=2021-04-11}} In 2018, Playrix acquired a 43% stake in Nexters, one of Europe's largest video game developers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.ru/tehnologii/393591-rebyata-sovershili-nevozmozhnoe-kak-rossiyskiy-razrabotchik-igr-nexters-za-god |title="Ребята совершили невозможное": как российский разработчик игр Nexters за год вырос в 15 раз и почти стал "единорогом" |author=Anastasia Karpova |date=2020-09-29|work=Forbes Russia|language=ru|accessdate=2021-04-11}}{{cite news |title=Game developer Nexters sees Q1 revenue jump ahead of SPAC-enabled Nasdaq listing |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/game-developer-nexters-sees-q1-revenue-jump-ahead-spac-enabled-nasdaq-listing-2021-07-01/ |access-date=21 May 2022 |agency=Reuters |date=1 July 2021}} In 2018, Playrix became the 9th highest-grossing game publisher globally on iOS and Android.{{Cite web |title=App Annie's Top 52 Publishers of 2018 |url=https://www.appannie.com/en/insights/app-annie-news/top-52-app-publishers-2018/ |access-date=2019-07-12 |website=App Annie Content |language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://app2top.ru/industry/po-itogam-2018-goda-playrix-voshla-v-desyatku-samy-h-zarabaty-vayushhih-mobil-ny-h-kompanij-mira-137476.html|title=По итогам 2018 года Playrix вошла в десятку самых зарабатывающих мобильных компаний мира|website=app2top.ru|date=13 March 2019|language=ru|access-date=2019-07-12}}

In 2019, Playrix made approximately $1.7 billion. About $100 million was spent buying shares in European game studios. In August 2019, Playrix invested in the Belarusian company Vizor Games.{{Cite web |url=https://app2top.ru/biznes/playrix-investiroval-v-belorusskuyu-vizor-games-148086.html |title=Playrix инвестировал в белорусскую Vizor Games |publisher=app2top.ru |date=2019-08-23 |language=ru|accessdate=2021-04-11}} In October of the same year, Playrix bought the Ukrainian company Zagrava Games{{Cite web |url=https://app2top.ru/biznes/playrix-ob-yavil-o-priobretenii-ukrainskoj-studii-zagrava-games-153031.html |title=Playrix объявил о приобретении украинской студии Zagrava Games |publisher=app2top.ru |date=2019-10-29|language=ru|accessdate=2021-04-11}} and integrated the Russian game developer Stargaze into the company as well,{{Cite web |date=2019-10-30 |title=Unofficially: the authors of the Beholder game left Alawar for Playrix |url=https://app2top.com/industry/unofficially-the-authors-of-the-beholder-game-left-alawar-for-playrix-153050.html |accessdate=2025-04-01 |publisher=app2top.com |language=ru}} renaming it Zefir Games. That December, they acquired the Serbian company Eipix Entertainment.{{Cite web |url=https://app2top.ru/biznes/playrix-priobrel-serbskuyu-studiyu-razrabotki-eipix-entertainment-155734.html |title=Playrix приобрел сербскую студию разработки Eipix Entertainment |publisher=app2top.ru |date=2019-12-10 |language=ru|accessdate=2021-04-11}}

In May 2020, Playrix acquired the Armenian studio Plexonic{{Cite web|last=Kerr|first=Chris|title=Playrix acquires Armenian casual mobile game developer Plexonic|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/playrix-acquires-armenian-casual-mobile-game-developer-plexonic|access-date=2024-06-17|website=gamedeveloper.com|date=5 March 2020 }} and the Croatian studio Cateia Games that June.{{Cite web |url=https://app2top.ru/investitsii/playrix-ob-yavila-o-priobretenii-horvatskoj-studii-cateia-games-166785.html |title=Playrix объявила о приобретении хорватской студии Cateia Games |publisher=app2top.ru |date=2020-06-04 |language=ru|accessdate=2021-04-11}}{{Cite web|date=2020-06-10|title=GameStop Posts USD$165m Loss; Playrix Acquires Cateia Games|url=http://www.thegamingeconomy.com/2020/06/10/gamestop-posts-usd165m-loss-playrix-acquires-cateia-games/|access-date=2021-04-11|website=TheGamingEconomy.com}} As a result of this focus on acquisitions, the company grew at a rapid pace. As of 2020, more than 2,500 people were employed by Playrix in 25 offices around the world. In March 2021, the company bought the Ukrainian studio Boolat Games.{{Cite web |url=https://vc.ru/services/223563-playrix-bratev-buhmanov-kupila-ukrainskuyu-igrovuyu-studiyu-boolat-games |title=Playrix братьев Бухманов купила украинскую игровую студию Boolat Games |date=2021-03-22|publisher=VC.ru |language=ru|accessdate=2021-04-11}}

In 2022, the company announced its intention to withdraw from the Russian and Belarusian markets and subsequently closed its Russian offices, due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{cite news |last1=Kerr |first1=Chris |date=11 October 2022 |title=Mobile studio Playrix shutting down operations in Russia and Belarus |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/culture/mobile-studio-playrix-shutting-down-operations-in-russia-and-belarus |access-date=20 October 2022 |publisher=Game Developer}}{{cite news |last1=Dealessandri |first1=Marie |date=10 October 2022 |title=Playrix to close Russia and Belarus offices and relocate staff |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/playrix-to-close-russia-and-belarus-offices-and-relocate-staff-report |access-date=20 October 2022 |publisher=Games Industry.biz}} Employees from affected countries were relocated to other regions.

Playrix is based in Dublin, Ireland and is owned and managed by Igor and Dmitry Bukhman. In the 2023 financial year, Playrix generated revenue of around $1.83 billion.{{Cite web |last=Long |first=Neil |date=2024-01-05 |title=The top grossing mobile game publishers of 2023 |url=https://mobilegamer.biz/the-top-grossing-mobile-game-publishers-of-2023/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Mobilegamer |language=en-GB}} The largest sales markets are the USA, China, and Japan.

Playrix employs over 3,000 people internationally and has office branches in Ireland, Serbia, Cyprus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine.{{Cite web |last=Long |first=Neil |date=2022-10-11 |title=Playrix is relocating 1500 Russian staff, closing operations there as soon as possible |url=https://mobilegamer.biz/playrix-is-relocating-1500-russian-staff-closing-operations-in-as-soon-as-possible/ |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=Mobilegamer.biz |language=en-GB}}

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Playrix reported an increase in downloads and profits.{{Cite news|date=2020-06-05|title=Russian mobile game developer makes record profits during lockdowns|agency=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-russia-playrix-idUSL8N2DI43S|access-date=2021-04-11}} In response to the pandemic, in April 2020, Playrix paid each of their 2,100 employees an additional one-off payment of $650 to aid in financial support.{{Cite web|last1=Partleton|first1=Kayleigh |title=Playrix is giving its staff a $650 one-off payment to help alleviate coronavirus stress|url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/73198/playrix-giving-staff-one-off-payment/|access-date=2020-07-04|website=pocketgamer.biz}}

In 2020, according to App Annie, Gardenscapes and Fishdom were downloaded 190 million and 120 million times respectively. As a result, Playrix’s earnings from downloads and in-game purchases increased to $1.75 billion in just eight months. Profits from ads accounted for only 3% of the company’s total earnings. The number of monthly active players also increased to 180 million.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/03/02/2021/601954b89a79472b2df623c1|title=Компания братьев из Вологды вошла в тройку самых успешных издателей игр|date=2021-02-02|publisher=RBC|language=ru|accessdate=2021-04-11|archive-date=2021-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203135144/https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/03/02/2021/601954b89a79472b2df623c1|url-status=dead}} As of 2021 the company's valuation was €8 billion or about $8.5 billion in 2024 dollars. Playrix was the fourth-largest mobile game developer in the world based on revenue, earning $2.7 billion in 2021.

In April 2019, Igor and Dmitry Bukhman first appeared in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Their net worth was $1.4 billion each.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-17/billionaire-brothers-crushing-it-with-gaming-powerhouse-playrix|title=Russian Gamer Brothers Are the Newest Hidden Billionaires |author=Ilya Khrennikov, Alexander Sazonov |date=2019-04-17|publisher=Bloomberg|accessdate=2021-04-11}} According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, as of September 2020, each brother's share was worth $3.9 billion.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-29/billionaire-gaming-brothers-emerge-as-tencent-s-biggest-rival |title=Billionaire Gaming Brothers Are Now Tencent's Biggest Rival |author=Ilya Khrennikov, Alexander Sazonov |date=2020-09-29|publisher=Bloomberg |accessdate=2021-04-11}} In the Sunday Times Rich List 2025 ranking of the wealthiest people in the UK, the Bukhman brothers were placed 10th with an estimated joint fortune of £12.54 billion.{{cite web |title=The Sunday Times Rich List 2025 revealed |url=https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-rich-list/feature/article/richest-people-uk-2025-revealed-vnkmnlxgz |website=The Times |access-date=16 May 2025 |language=en |date=16 May 2025 |url-access=subscription}}

• 4 Elements
• 4 Elements II
• Around the World in 80 Days
• Atlantis Quest
• Rise of Atlantis{{Cite web |url=http://gameland-award.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=51 |title=Gameland Award |access-date=2010-04-17 |archive-date=2009-03-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323095428/http://www.gameland-award.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=51 |url-status=live |language=ru }}
• Call of Atlantis
• The Path of Hercules
• Call of the Ages
• Royal Envoy
• Royal Envoy 2{{cite web |url=http://www.playrix.ru/games/pc/royal-envoy-2-standard.html |title=Архивированная копия |accessdate=2012-11-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028235131/http://www.playrix.ru/games/pc/royal-envoy-2-standard.html |archivedate=2012-10-28 |language=ru }}
• Royal Envoy 3
• Royal Envoy: Campaign for the Crown
• Brickshooter Egypt
• Around the World in 80 Days
• Fishdom
• Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey
• Fishdom 2
• Fishdom: Spooky Splash
• Fishdom: Harvest Splash
• Fishdom: Frosty Splash
• Fishdom 3
• Aquascapes
• Fishdom: The Depths of Time
• Pocket Fishdom
• Gardenscapes
• Gardenscapes: Mansion Makeover
• Gardenscapes 2
• Farmscapes
• Barn Yarn

Playrix has been criticised for its use of deceptive or false advertisements on mobile advertisement platforms such as AdMob.{{cite web |title=Playrix false advertising breaks Google Developer Policies. What can be done about it? - Google Play Community |url=https://support.google.com/googleplay/thread/21648357?hl=en |website=support.google.com |access-date=18 April 2020}} Advertisements for many of their games like Township, Fishdom, Gardenscapes, and Homescapes display gameplay that does not represent the actual gameplay of the product in question.{{cite web |last1=Nelson |first1=Noah |title=Why We're Stuck With Fake Game Ads: They Make Big Bucks Tfg- Apptica |date=9 August 2019}} In September 2020, the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority ruled that two advertisements for Homescapes and Gardenscapes were misleading and "must not appear again in the form complained of".{{cite web|url=https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/plr-worldwide-sales-ltd-g20-1061644-plr-worldwide-sales-ltd.html|title=ASA Ruling on PLR Worldwide Sales Ltd t/a Playrix|publisher=Advertising Standards Authority|date=30 September 2020|access-date=12 October 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54509970|author=|title=Homescapes and Gardenscapes ads banned as misleading|agency=BBC News|date=12 October 2020|access-date=12 October 2020}}

Playrix was criticised by some employees after it removed discussion of the February 24, 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine from Slack. During the days following the invasion, the company deleted Slack posts by Ukrainian employees about the war. The company shut down Slack channels on March 3, 2022 after "outbursts of uncontrolled hatred between employees."{{cite news |last1=McEvoy |first1=Jemima |title=Why Russian-Born Gaming Giant Playrix Shut Down Ukrainian Employees' Discussion About War |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2022/03/05/russian-gaming-giant-playrix-shut-down-ukrainian-employees-discussion-about-war/?sh=21fe7fb655b8 |access-date=18 May 2022 |work=Forbes |date=5 March 2022}} Co-founder Igor Bukhman defended the decision, and told Forbes, "The only thing we're asking of our employees during this crisis is that they keep our few official work channels solely for business communication."

Hours after the invasion, Playrix put its approximately 1,500 Ukrainian-based staff on paid leave, and in the following days the company provided hotlines to help Ukrainian employees evacuate the country. By February 28, Playrix gave its 4,000 employees, including the 1,500 in Russia, a bonus equivalent to a month's salary.

On March 11, 2022, Playrix's Ukraine-based subsidiary Hit Games donated $500,000 to the Ukrainian Red Cross.{{cite news |last1=GamesIndustry Staff |title=Games industry rallies behind Ukraine in face of Russian invasion |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-02-24-studios-call-for-support-in-face-of-russian-invasion-of-ukraine |access-date=23 May 2022 |agency=GamesIndustry.biz |date=14 March 2022}}

In October 2022, Playrix announced it was closing its offices and development operations in Russia and Belarus due to the war in Ukraine.

• 2016: Facebook Game of the Year for Gardenscapes.{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=2016-12-21 |title=Gardenscapes by Russia’s Playrix is Facebook’s game of the year |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/gardenscapes-by-russias-playrix-is-facebooks-game-of-the-year/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}}
• 2018: Mobile Game Award in the category Best Game Management & Live Ops for Gardenscapes.{{Cite web |last1=Chapple |first1=Craig |last2= |first2= |date=2018-01-23 |title=First ever Mobile Games Awards winners revealed |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/67387/mobile-games-awards-winners-revealed/ |access-date=2019-07-12 |website=Pocketgamer}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://playrix.com/}}
• [https://app2top.ru/industry/po-itogam-2018-goda-playrix-voshla-v-desyatku-samy-h-zarabaty-vayushhih-mobil-ny-h-kompanij-mira-137476.html By the end of 2018, Playrix entered the top ten most profitable mobile companies in the world] {{in lang|ru}}
• [https://venturebeat.com/2017/10/15/playrix-scores-another-big-match-3-mobile-game-hit-with-homescapes/ Playrix scores another big match-3 mobile game hit with Homescapes]

Category:Video game companies of Ireland

Category:Video game companies of Russia

Category:Mobile game companies

Category:Video game development companies

Category:Companies based in Dublin (city)

Category:Video game companies established in 2004

Category:Russian companies established in 2004

Category:False advertising

Category:Privately held companies of Ireland