HandyGames, the studio behind Townsmen, to focus on mobile ports as THQ Nordic Mobile
- HandyGames is set to change gears and become THQ Nordic Mobile
- The new studio will focus on releasing ports of major new releases for mobile
- The HandyGames name will live on with HandyGames Studio, focusing on original developments
It's a bit of a red-letter day for the storied mobile developer HandyGames today, as they change gears significantly, becoming THQ Nordic Mobile. It marks the end of a name that's been in use for a quarter-century now, and a new chapter for the company; not to mention mobile players like us.
Alright, enough business talk. What does this actually mean for you and me? Well, the newly christened THQ Nordic Mobile are set to switch gears significantly and focus mainly on PC and console ports for mobile. It's not unexpected, considering they've worked on previous mobile versions for Wreckfest and Titan Quest, not to mention the recently announced Epic Mickey port.
Make mine mobile
Fortunately, the HandyGames name will indeed live on via HandyGames Studio, which will continue work on original projects. Meaning their own mobile-first games won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Still, it's a major shift for a company that's been around nearly as long as I have (for context, I was the grand old age of about three when they were founded).And it also represents a very interesting shift towards, as they describe it, 'premium mobile adaptations'. We've all scoffed at the low sales numbers for something like Resident Evil on iOS (well, I didn't), but it's clear that mobile is increasingly being seen as a third screen that can support more hardware-intensive games.
So, what does that mean for us in future? Will mobile adaptations stay relatively cheap compared to their mainstream companions? I suppose we'll just have to wait and see, but for now it's refreshing to see a restructuring that doesn't result in any major layoffs.
We might even see a big shift in some of the top releases each year now. So stay tuned to our ongoing list of the best mobile games of 2026 (so far) or check back on previous years to see how the industry has shifted!
