Queen Digital Entertainment, Founded by Ex-King Execs, Has Closed
Queen Digital Entertainment, the puzzle game studio established by former King executives Sebastian Knutsson and Stephane Kurgan, has reportedly shut down, as indicated by multiple LinkedIn posts from affected employees. The studio, which aimed to be a successor to Candy Crush's creator, was founded with significant backing, reportedly raising €16.5 million (approximately $18.9 million) in 2024, with additional funding of 340 million SEK (about $35.5 million) reported in September 2025 from American venture capital firm Accel and British firm Index Ventures.
During its operation, Queen Digital Entertainment was actively working on several mobile puzzle games that followed the King model, with Appmagic data indicating that four titles were in various stages of beta testing. These titles included Pet Panic, Tail Team, Block Hero, and Wild Joker Poker, with specific release dates ranging from September 2024 to May 2026. Of these, Tail Team and Pet Panic attracted notable player bases, achieving approximately 60,000 and 830,000 installs, respectively, primarily in soft launch markets such as India, Malaysia, and the UK. Currently, Tail Team is the only title still available on iOS.
Why it matters
Knutsson co-founded King and dedicated nearly 20 years to the company, departing in 2022 to explore investment ventures. Kurgan served as COO and director for eight years, playing key roles during critical company milestones, including the $7 billion IPO in 2014 and the $5.9 billion acquisition by Activision in 2016. The studio, which had expanded to approximately 25 employees over its three years of operation, now appears to be closed, as reinforced by the LinkedIn updates from its former staff. Attempts to reach Knutsson and Kurgan for comments regarding the closure have been made, and updates will follow if a response is received.
Original source
MobileGamer.biz
