Operating profits up at Paradox as monthly active players hits record high

Swedish developer-publisher Paradox Interactive has published its financials for the full-year ended December 31, 2019, and both revenues and operating profits are up.

Revenues rose by 14 percent year-on-year to SEK 1.28 billion ($131.1 million) while operating profits increased by 4 percent to SEK 474 million ($48.5 million) over the same period.

Driving that upswing were familiar names like Battletech, Cities: Skylines, Europa Universalis IV, Hearts of Iron IV, and Stellaris, which collectively had the biggest impact on revenue.

Those catalog titles continued to demonstrate their pulling power, with the number of monthly unique active players in Paradox's portfolio rising by 30 percent to 4 million by the end of 2019 -- the highest figure in the company's history. 

Commenting on Paradox's overall performance and wider business plan, CEO Ebba Ljungerud said 2019 was a year "charactered by preparation for the future," adding that the company has been working hard to create the best possible springboard to develop and launch its slate of upcoming titles. 

"Our investments in organization, marketing and game development are long-term and a foundation for the growth we want to achieve in the coming years. Investment also means higher costs and lower margins in the short term as revenues come in later periods," she wrote. 

"In 2019, we significantly increased both the quality and quantity of our marketing compared to previous years. This is, to a large extent, marketing for the upcoming games Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, Crusader Kings III, Empire of Sin, and Surviving the Aftermath, with the purpose to reach new player groups, generate sign-ups and pre-orders."