Playtika to cut 500 staff, plans to “leverage AI and automation to do more with less”

Playtika is to cut 500 staff as it abandons its growth strategy and looks to AI for efficiencies.

CTech reports that Playtika boss Robert Antokol sent a letter to staff outlining the cuts on Jan 6. Playtika employs around 3,500 people globally, including about 1,000 in Israel, says CTech, so the layoffs represent around 15% of the total workforce.

The Israeli tech publication quotes Antokol as saying that the company’s “broad growth mindset is no longer sustainable” and that it is changing course. “We need fewer layers, smaller teams, and sharper focus,” he continues. The company “must leverage AI and automation to do more with less,” he adds.

Antokol also said that it’ll now be focusing on fewer projects, and that some live games will not receive as much support as they did previously. It’s not clear which game teams will be affected.

Playtika owns Best Fiends maker Seriously, Pearl’s Peril developer Wooga, Disney Solitaire and Dice Dreams creator SuperPlay and Solitaire Grand Harvest studio SuperTreat. It also owns and operates its own casino-style games including Bingo Blitz, Slotomania, WSOP Poker and Caesars Slots.

Playtika has made multiple large staff cuts in the last few years, while also moving to acquire Dice Dreams maker Super Play for an initial $700m in 2024. It also bought Governor of Poker developer Youda Games for up to $165m and Animals & Coins maker Innplay Labs for an initial $80m in 2023.

Playtika laid off about 50 staff and cancelled Claire’s Chronicles: Solitaire in May 2025, and a month later cut up to 160 staff on its Best Fiends and Redecor game teams.