Kwalee

Lore & Background

Kwalee was founded by David Darling, a co-founder and former CEO of Codemasters, who is regarded as one of the 'founding fathers' of the UK games industry. The company name derives from an Australian Aboriginal word meaning 'wait for me', which was the name of a sailboat owned by Darling's grandfather, who taught him electronics. Darling sailed on it frequently during his youth, making the name a homage to his grandfather.

The company publishes games on mobile, PC, and console platforms. Its mobile publishing successes include 'Rocket Sky!' from DP Space AG, which became a number one app in 11 countries including the UK, France, and Australia, and 'OverTake', a 2020 driving title that was a top iOS game in the UK and Australia. In 2020, Kwalee began publishing PC and console games, with Max Everingham joining from Team17 to head the new division. Notable PC and console titles include 'Wildmender' and 'The Precinct'.

Kwalee employs over 180 staff across technical, marketing, publishing, and administrative roles. Notable employees include Andrew Graham (designer and programmer of Micro Machines) and COO Jason Falcus (programmer of NBA Jam). The company acquired French studio Tictales on 24 January 2022, and on 5 July 2024 acquired a 3.58% minority share in Devolver Digital.

Reader's Guide

Kwalee's significance lies in its rapid growth as a major player in the hypercasual mobile game market, achieving over 700 million downloads and being named the UK's biggest mobile game publisher by downloads in 2021. The company's 'Creative Wednesdays' initiative, where any employee can pitch game ideas, and its profit-sharing scheme that paid out over £1 million in one year, reflect a distinctive internal culture that encourages innovation and rewards staff. Kwalee's expansion into PC and console publishing in 2020, along with acquisitions of Tictales and a minority stake in Devolver Digital, demonstrate its ambition to diversify beyond mobile. However, the company also faced controversy: less than one month after the release of 'Luna Abyss', the entire development team of Kwalee Labs was laid off, with CEO Hollie Emery stating the decision was 'completely outside of their control'. This event highlights the volatility in the games industry. Kwalee's legacy includes multiple industry awards, such as Publisher of the Year at the TIGA Games Industry Awards and PocketGamer Mobile Game Awards in 2022, and consistent recognition in the Top 50 Mobile Game Makers from 2021 to 2024.

Did You Know?

• Kwalee is an Australian Aboriginal word meaning 'wait for me', and was the name of founder David Darling's grandfather's sailboat.
• Kwalee's profit-sharing scheme paid out over £1 million to employees in just over one year.
• In 2021, Kwalee was named the UK's biggest mobile game publisher by downloads in App Annie's Top Publisher Awards.
• On 5 July 2024, Kwalee acquired a 3.58% minority share in Devolver Digital.