Mobile game publisher Rollic opened its Istanbul office to gaming YouTuber and indie developer Enis Kirazoğlu, showcasing its operations and underscoring both the company’s global reach and Turkiye’s growing importance as a global gaming hub.
The company, which operates under Take-Two Interactive, employs 113 people in Istanbul and collaborates with six internal studios as well as 50 independent Turkish developers. Rollic publishes around 100 prototypes each month, though only a fraction survive initial testing. According to co-founder Burak Vardal, 94% of prototypes are abandoned within the first month.
Scale and Market Reach
Despite the high attrition rate, the company has built a portfolio of internationally recognized hits. A live dashboard inside the office tracks global performance:
- Hair Challenge – 267,695,049 installs
- Tangle Master 3D – 187,928,686 installs
- High Heels – 164,228,062 installs
- Fill The Fridge – 145,438,576 installs
- Blob Runner – 83,912,199 installs
On a typical day, the company’s games see 117,042 concurrent online users and an impressive 3.2 million daily active users, underscoring both scale and staying power.
Vardal noted that around 10% of U.S. mobile game exports originate from Turkiye, with Rollic serving as a bridge between local talent and international publishing. He added that Türkiye’s largest conglomerates, still cautious toward the gaming sector, are likely to increase their involvement over the next decade.
I believe Türkiye needs to produce a structure similar to Tencent. In five to ten years, it will become easier to secure funding for gaming projects here.”
Burak Vardal, Co-Founder & CEO at Rollic
The PC and Console Outlook
During the visit, gaming YouTuber and Phew Phew Games founder Enis Kirazoğlu provided a perspective on Turkiye’s PC and console sector. His studio’s debut title, Anomaly Agent, sold more than 100,000 copies and is now being followed by Anomaly President and Papa Needs A Headshot.
Rollic co-founder Burak Vardal acknowledged that the PC scene remains underdeveloped, noting that, unlike mobile — where former studio employees have frequently gone on to establish their own studios — there is not yet a similar cycle of veteran-led companies in the PC and console space. He said that one major success in the segment could spark momentum and inspire more studios to follow.
Kirazoğlu expressed optimism about the long-term outlook, comparing the country’s trajectory to Poland’s rise as a respected global games industry.
“By 2030, Türkiye will be recognized as one of the leading countries in game development.
Enis Kirazoğlu – Founder of Phew Phew Games
Talent Development
Rollic has also become a training ground for new studios and developers. The company prioritizes candidates with gaming backgrounds and provides guidance to inexperienced teams.
One group with no prior development experience successfully released Timeline Up, one of Rollic’s most successful titles in recent history.
Studios and applicants face a demanding entry process: replicating the first 20 levels of an existing Rollic title within five working days. The exercise reflects the company’s emphasis on technical precision and rapid iteration.
Rollic is actively looking for new talent across multiple areas.
A Pivotal Period for Turkiye
With Rollic’s scale, export strength, and backing from Take-Two, Turkiye has established itself as a significant player in global mobile gaming. The PC and console ecosystem remains at an earlier stage, but industry figures believe that the momentum from mobile could ultimately accelerate growth across platforms.
