Oy, why are so many mobile studios called 'Oy'?

• So what's with the Oy in so many developer's names?
• Well, it's a bit of an oddity of language, but not the only thing these devs have in common
• Read on and find out some interesting factoids you might have otherwise missed

Mobile is full of some very strange verbiage and what I'll politely call in-jokes. After all, you probably didn't know what pity pulls even were before you played your first gacha. But even then, some words and terms elude many of us until we go actively seeking them out. Like, why are so many mobile game studios inevitably followed by the word 'Oy'?

Well, that's not too much of a mystery. Oy is a Finnish word that just means Ltd, so it makes sense businesses are followed by that. And as for why it might seem so common, it's not. But it does crop up with some very famous mobile game studios, including the big two of Supercell and Rovio, the creators of Clash of Clans and Angry Birds, respectively!

Finnish him

And it's not the only odd thing about Finnish game studios. This is a topic we delve into a lot over on our sibling site PocketGamer.biz (the biz is for business, don't you know?) but not often here. Finnish studios, and many businesses overall, have very strange cultures that contribute to them having been (and still being) big centres for mobile gaming.

For one, Finland's game development scene has been focused on mobile for many years. And while companies like Supercell can be a bit ruthless with axing underperforming games in soft launch, they haven't suffered quite as much under the thumb of layoffs as those in America and elsewhere have.

Heck, if you work in Finland there's even plenty of other rare privileges. Supercell, for example, regularly goes on 'summer break' during the middle of the year. Which, while not always fun for players salivating for more updates, is something many other studios don't benefit from.

Certainly, there are plenty of oddities such as this that make Finland stand out beyond just the 'Oy'. And it's one reason why the country is always one to watch when it comes to mobile gaming. Even our first Pocket Gamer Connects event was held in Helsinki! And while other countries like China and Japan are making great headway, examples such as Rovio and Supercell really define mobile gaming.

Speaking of which, be sure to check out our latest entry in our regular feature covering the best mobile games of 2026 (so far) for even more great examples of what to play!