HandyGames becomes THQ Nordic Mobile in strategic shift

HandyGames has rebranded its publishing business as THQ Nordic Mobile, sharpening its focus on adapting premium PC and console games for smartphones and tablets while keeping its long-established development operation under the HandyGames Studios name.

The change, effective from August 2026, brings the German publisher more visibly under the THQ Nordic brand eight years after the companies joined forces. THQ Nordic Mobile will operate as a dedicated publishing route for established games and franchises, targeting iOS, Android and future mobile platforms as demand grows for console-quality experiences on portable devices.

The restructuring separates publishing identity from game development rather than eliminating the HandyGames name altogether. The internal development operation in Giebelstadt, near Würzburg, will continue as HandyGames Studios. It will work on original games while providing technical expertise for ports and adaptations handled through the mobile publishing business.

Co-founders Christopher Kassulke and Markus Kassulke remain in charge of the publishing and development operations. The arrangement preserves management continuity while giving THQ Nordic a clearly identified mobile division capable of working more closely with the wider group’s portfolio of intellectual property.

The shift marks a significant change for a company whose roots stretch back more than a quarter of a century. HandyGames built its reputation around mobile development and publishing long before smartphones became the industry’s dominant portable gaming devices. Its catalogue subsequently expanded across smartphones, PCs, consoles and virtual reality platforms.

THQ Nordic acquired HandyGames in July 2018, establishing a foothold in mobile development alongside its much larger PC and console operations. The companies have operated within the same corporate structure since then, while HandyGames retained its established branding and base in Germany. The new identity makes that relationship more explicit and places mobile publishing directly beneath the THQ Nordic banner.

THQ Nordic Mobile now describes premium mobile games as its central publishing focus. Its remit includes smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, although the business will continue to publish selected projects for PC, consoles and virtual reality systems. Its existing reach includes Apple’s App Store and Google Play as well as Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo platforms.

A key part of the strategy will be professional porting of established games. The company intends to use HandyGames Studios and external development partners to adapt titles originally designed around larger screens, controllers and more powerful hardware. Such conversions involve more than reducing graphical demands. Interfaces, controls, text, performance and save systems often have to be redesigned for touchscreens and a broad range of mobile hardware.

The strategy places THQ Nordic Mobile in a segment that differs sharply from the free-to-play model that dominates much of mobile gaming. Premium ports generally depend on an upfront purchase or other conventional game-pricing structures, seeking players who want complete PC or console-style experiences rather than titles built primarily around advertising or repeated microtransactions.

Hardware advances have also narrowed the technical gap between phones and dedicated gaming devices. Modern smartphones and tablets can run increasingly sophisticated 3D titles, encouraging major publishers to treat mobile devices as another platform for established games rather than a separate market requiring entirely different products.

THQ Nordic Mobile’s positioning gives it access to a wider catalogue through its parent organisation. THQ Nordic has built an extensive collection of franchises through acquisitions and publishing agreements, creating potential candidates for adaptation where controls, performance requirements and commercial demand make mobile releases practical.

No broad slate of newly commissioned mobile conversions accompanied the name change, leaving individual game announcements to follow separately. The immediate emphasis is instead on building a recognisable publishing structure through which selected PC and console properties can reach portable devices.