Why Mobile AI Isn’t Sparking Outrage

The mobile gaming sector has quietly integrated artificial intelligence for years, largely avoiding the fierce debates surrounding AI’s role in PC and console development. While generative AI sparks intense division elsewhere, with concerns over ethics, job security, and creative integrity, mobile developers have steadily adopted these tools to enhance production and player experience. This acceptance stems partly from the casual nature of the mobile audience, which typically prioritizes engaging gameplay over the technical details of content creation.

Hendrik Klindworth, chairman of Hamburg-based developer InnoGames, observes that players “care about a great gaming experience – maybe not about how it was created so much.” InnoGames, known for enduring free-to-play titles like Tribal Wars and Forge of Empires, views AI as a powerful ally. “We are positive about the opportunities of AI,” Klindworth states. “We use it to make games that we could not have created before.” He is quick to clarify, however, that human oversight remains essential. Final decisions on taste and quality, he insists, are made by people.

Rather than replacing staff, InnoGames employs AI to expand content output without increasing team size. Klindworth explains that as a smaller studio, they often lack the internal resources to realize all their ambitions. AI tools help bridge that gap, enabling them to deliver more compelling material to their audience. He highlights live operations, the ongoing support and updating of live games, as a key area where AI proves invaluable. By generating a steady flow of new content, such as additional eras for Forge of Empires or Elvenar, they can better retain their free-to-play user base.

Contrast this with the PC and console space, where AI implementation has frequently triggered backlash. Notable examples include the controversy over AI-generated localization in The Alters and the removal of AI-created portraits from Jurassic World Evolution 3. Such outcries are rare in mobile gaming. Klindworth believes that in the free-to-play world, AI is “not so much of a topic.” The crucial factor, he notes, is that the final product must not feel artificially generated. “If players immediately see that your content is created by an AI, then you most likely have done something wrong,” he says. At InnoGames, an artist always takes ownership of the final asset, using AI as a supportive tool in a refined creative process.

When asked how the company’s artists respond to working with AI, Klindworth reports a generally positive reception. Many feel empowered, able to produce work that was previously unattainable. He emphasizes that AI does not eliminate the artist’s role; instead, it demands significant additional effort to polish and perfect the output. The approach is framed as augmenting creativity, not replacing it. The studio actively seeks artists who are open to experimenting with new technologies to produce innovative content.

Engineering is another department where AI has made significant inroads. Klindworth notes that agentic coding systems have recently matured to a point where they substantially boost productivity and code quality. While earlier versions felt incremental and over-hyped, current tools are beginning to deliver tangible, game-changing benefits.

InnoGames’ journey began two decades ago with Tribal Wars, a browser-based MMO that started as a hobby project for Klindworth, his brother, and a friend. Its unexpected success led them to found the company full-time. The subsequent rise of smartphones opened a “blue ocean” of opportunity, allowing them to expand beyond their initial hit. The studio has since achieved remarkable financial milestones, surpassing €2 billion in lifetime revenue, with Forge of Empires alone contributing half that amount. Even the twenty-year-old Tribal Wars recently recorded its most profitable year.

This very success introduces new complexities. Launching a new title now risks cannibalizing the audience of existing games. The mobile market has evolved from a wide-open “blue ocean” to a fiercely competitive “red ocean,” where studios battle for player attention with escalating marketing budgets. Klindworth acknowledges that breaking into mobile gaming today is far more challenging, requiring greater sophistication and facing higher financial hurdles.

Despite these obstacles, InnoGames continues to pursue new projects. Klindworth believes it is essential for the company’s longevity to keep innovating. They rely on early player feedback for prototypes, and more than half of the games they start are canceled before completion. This high attrition rate is standard in the industry, where a handful of hits support numerous failures. Klindworth maintains a philosophical perspective, noting that a game’s lack of success does not reflect on the team’s talent, it’s simply the reality of the business.

Unlike publishers who dissolve teams after a failed project, InnoGames prefers to keep teams intact, allowing them to learn and pivot to new ideas. This strategy has paid off, with several teams achieving success on subsequent attempts. Klindworth points out that mobile development teams are generally leaner than their PC or console counterparts, with marketing constituting the largest expense.

He welcomes a recent industry shift toward more honest advertising, where trailers accurately represent gameplay. InnoGames has found that truthful ads lead to better player retention. Their strategic titles, such as Forge of Empires and the more recent Heroes of History, have performed exceptionally well. The latter, launched about a year ago, quickly became their second-largest title, demonstrating that new hits are still possible in a crowded market.

The company’s newest release, Cozy Coast, marks a strategic departure. It targets the casual audience with a popular ‘merge-2’ puzzle mechanic, a significant shift from their core strategy games. Klindworth advocates for a balanced portfolio, combining proven strengths with fresh experimentation. Heroes of History, for instance, blended their deep expertise in city-building with new hero mechanics, a combination that required learning from sister company Plarium, creators of Raid: Shadow Legends.

Being part of Modern Times Group (MTG) since 2017 has facilitated valuable knowledge sharing among its studios. Klindworth, who now serves as chairman of InnoGames and executive chairman of MTG Midcore District, stresses the importance of granting development teams autonomy. What works for one game, like Forge of Empires, may not suit another, such as Cozy Coast. Each team needs the freedom to determine the best approach for their specific game and audience.

Looking ahead, Klindworth sees the era of explosive industry growth giving way to a focus on sustainability. He anticipates that companies will concentrate on maximizing output with existing teams rather than expanding headcount. AI could be the key to unlocking greater productivity, though its long-term impact remains to be seen. In today’s competitive “red ocean” market, Klindworth concludes, there is no tolerance for inefficiency. The only path forward is continuous self-assessment and improvement.

(Source: Games Industry)