Glu Mobile

Lore & Background

Glu Mobile began as Sorrent in 2001, founded by Scott Orr. In December 2004, Sorrent acquired London-based Macrospace, and in June 2005 the merged company rebranded as Glu Mobile. That same year, Greg Ballard replaced Scott Orr as CEO. The company continued expanding through acquisitions, including iFone in 2006, Beijing Zhangzhong MIG Information Technology Co. Ltd. in 2007, and Superscape in 2008. In January 2010, Niccolo de Masi became president and CEO, transitioning the company to a freemium business model focused on original intellectual property.

Further acquisitions followed: Griptonite Games and Blammo Games in August 2011, the Deer Hunter franchise in April 2012, and GameSpy Technologies from IGN Entertainment in August 2012. In September 2014, Glu acquired PlayFirst, and in April 2015, Chinese company Tencent paid $126 million for a 15% stake. Later acquisitions included Crowdstar in November 2016 and QuizUp in December 2016. Nick Earl became CEO in November 2016. Electronic Arts announced its acquisition of Glu in February 2021, completing the deal in April 2021, after which Glu was consolidated under EA Mobile.

Reader's Guide

Glu Mobile's significance lies in its role as a consolidator in the mobile gaming industry during the 2000s and 2010s. Through a series of strategic acquisitions—from Macrospace and iFone to Griptonite Games and the Deer Hunter franchise—Glu built a diverse portfolio of mobile games. Its transition to a freemium business model under CEO Niccolo de Masi reflected broader industry shifts toward free-to-play monetization. The company's acquisition of GameSpy Technologies and subsequent shutdown of multiplayer servers for numerous older games highlighted the fragility of online game services tied to third-party middleware. Glu's eventual acquisition by Electronic Arts for approximately US$2.4 billion in 2021 marked the end of its independent existence and underscored the consolidation trend in mobile gaming. Its legacy includes both the games it developed and published, as well as the controversies around server shutdowns that affected players of classic titles.

Did You Know?

• Glu Mobile was originally founded as Sorrent in 2001 and rebranded after acquiring Macrospace in 2004.
• Chinese company Tencent paid $126 million for a 15% stake in Glu Mobile in April 2015.
• Electronic Arts completed its acquisition of Glu Mobile in April 2021 for an estimated US$2.4 billion.