Three entrepreneurs – all under one hat Zordix has come out of Sweden in 2021 to acquire both the UK’s Merge Games and France’s Just For Games. Putting all three under its wizard’s hat. So what’s the strategy behind this latest Swedish force and where does it go next?
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ordix is the latest name to come to prominence from the increasingly ambitious Swedish games industry. Building out from a racing developer and publisher, the now listed Zordix Group has serious investment behind it and has now acquired four further games businesses. Most notable of those were UK indie publisher Merge Games and French publisher and distributor Just for Games. Alongside Hungary’s Invictus, also known largely for racing titles and indie developer Dimfrost Studio, the group now covers all the key industry sectors. So what are its plans for the future and how is it looking to synergise its various aspects into something greater than its already successful parts? We sit down with Zordix CEO Matti Larsson, Merge MD Luke Keighran and Just For Games CEO Philippe Cohen to find out. MADE IN SWEDEN While many complain that the UK markets have been shy of backing games companies, the same
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can certainly not be said of Sweden’s markets of late. With the money made from the likes of Spotify looking for new opportunities. Zordix’s Larsson expands: “Sweden is financially strong, with gaming superpowers including developers and publishers. So it’s a perfect foundation to build a larger group. Especially with our listing in the financial markets, as the financial families in Sweden have started to invest a lot in gaming.” Of course not just anyone can rock up and get a listing, Larsson fills us in on Zordix’s backstory: “I started Zordix ten years ago to make console games. Our vision was to take our simulation technology, based on university research and our local all-terrain vehicle community here in the north of Sweden, to a global market. So we started self publishing and building our own brands. And following our initial success, I was able to list the company on the stock exchange.” That opened up Zordix’s ambitions, which resulted in Just For Games and Merge coming
