Enter the Barcelona offices of video game developer King (company behind mobile games such as candy crush, Bubble witch OR Farm heroes) is like entering a dream full of clouds of sugar and giant candies. “We opened the Barcelona office in 2012 and I joined the company a year later,” recalls Todd Green, president of the video game developer since May. “I’ve spent a lot of time here, it’s a fantastic place, with lots of very cross-functional teams,” says Green (Saint Albans, UK, 42). The Catalan headquarters, King’s second largest after Stockholm, has been a creative pillar of the company for years: levels and interfaces were designed from there and today work is underway on new titles yet to be announced. King, founded more than twenty years ago, was one of the big names in the rise of mobile gaming and its jewel, candy Crush Sagait exceeded 5 billion downloads and generated more than 20 billion euros in revenues.
Green, who stepped down as director in May candy crush As president of the entire company, he seems comfortable talking about what he knows: games. “Our games are unique in their design and the expression of their ideas. We can be proud of what we have achieved and at the same time be eager to create new things. My job now is to refine and adapt all the pieces to get the best product possible.” Theirs is indeed a very refined product, but in a complicated context. While the video game industry is experiencing a global wave of layoffs (more than 15,000 in 2025), King’s case is paradoxical: its flagship title remains one of the most profitable franchises on the planet, but the company is readjusting structures. Since its acquisition by Microsoft in 2023, the company has been immersed in a global integration process that has affected several of its divisions, including the Spanish one.
Two labor regulatory dossiers in less than a year have left the Barcelona office feeling dizzy. Green comes to the presidency with a double challenge: rebuilding internal trust and keeping the creative spirit alive. “It is difficult, especially for those affected, but they are steps that we consider necessary,” he explains. Workers affected by the layoffs highlighted one cause in August: the replacement of humans with artificial intelligence. Green, however, rejects this reading: “None of the layoffs are due to AI. I like to talk about how we use it, but I want to be clear: the changes we’ve made are not due to that.”
The two EREs applied in Barcelona – one in November 2024 and another in the summer of 2025 – reduced the workforce by around 120 employees. “After witnessing two collective dismissals in one year, people have the feeling that anything can happen,” summarizes a union representative consulted by EL PAÍS. The union assures that the official causes – internal reorganization and adoption of a more horizontal model – cover a deeper change: the automation and outsourcing of part of the work within the strategy of Microsoft, the group that owns King. “It’s not the official cause, but it’s clear that automation weighs on these decisions,” they point out.
The president insists that AI tools are used to support human work, not as a replacement. “We use it as a co-pilot,” he explains. “In candy crushFor example, we have more than 20,000 levels. Previously, adjusting the difficulty of each one was a completely manual process; now we use machine learning to detect levels that are outside the desired difficulty range. “AI helps us be more efficient, but design is still deeply human.”
King has belonged to the technology giant Microsoft since 2023 (when it acquired Activision Blizzard), and the staff’s doubts are also fueled by the positioning of Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella. After the company laid off 9,000 workers in July, Nadella said the emergence of artificial intelligence reminded him “of when personal computers and productivity software became standard in every home.” “What does it mean to empower in the age of artificial intelligence? It’s not just about building tools for specific tasks, but building tools that allow anyone to build their own,” he said.
Microsoft and creative autonomy
Since Microsoft completed the purchase of Activision Blizzard King – after a long process – the question hovering over the industry is whether the integrated studios will maintain their autonomy. Green says yes: “I would say that King can contribute a lot to the role game Microsoft is our mobile domain. We have a large audience, established intellectual properties, cutting-edge technology and a direct connection with gamers. We remain responsible for our creative destiny.” And he adds: “The core of our business remains the same: trying to make the best games possible. Success for us is that players want to play for years, not that they try a title and then forget about it.”
When asked about the secret to such lasting success as candy crushGreen responds almost like a philosopher of digital entertainment: “It’s the perfect marriage of substance and form. You have a small screen and games with simple interactions, but combined they generate deep complexity. Although the rules are simple, their potential is infinite.” That alchemy – apparent simplicity, hidden depth – is, in his opinion, what keeps the saga alive after 13 years. This is not a trivial statement. In a market where mobile games compete with million-dollar productions and virtual realities, the company claims the essence of the puzzle as its own, almost universal language. “There are a lot of people who don’t describe themselves as playerbut he plays mobile games every day,” says Green. “Mobile is the most popular way to play video games in the world, and puzzles continue to be the most played way on mobile.”
Despite his calm speech, Green does not ignore the internal wounds. “It’s always difficult to restructure a company,” he admits. “But sometimes you have to do it to prepare for the future.” A few weeks ago, the company held its internal event in Barcelona Infomarketan attempt to turn the page and look towards the new fiscal course. “The goal is to build a healthy, productive, creative company. If we put those three things together, we’ll be in great shape.” The workers, however, are watching with caution. “Green knows how King works and has good ideas, but he’s had a very difficult time. We’re looking forward to it,” says one worker. Trust, as in company games, seems like a game that must be rebuilt move by move.
