Company Spotlight: Photon Engine | PocketGamer.biz
Stay Informed
Get Industry News In Your Inbox…
Sign Up Today
Photon is the global leader in multiplayer technology, empowering triple-A studios, professional teams, indies, and hobbyists alike.
Trusted by over 900,000 developers worldwide, Photon powers thousands of live games and connects over 1.4 billion monthly active players across all major gaming platforms.
Our cutting-edge state synchronisation and deterministic networking solutions simplify the creation and operation of triple-A quality multiplayer games, setting the industry benchmark for performance and scalability.
With robust support for leading engines like Unity and Unreal, and 80+ multiplayer samples spanning genres such as FPS, RTS, and more, Photon equips teams to kickstart and excel in their multiplayer projects.
Company name
Exit Games GmbH / Exit Games Inc
Externally, we operate under the name Photon Engine, which represents our product family and serves as our public-facing brand.
Date founded
2003
Business type
Multiplayer SaaS Provider
Location
Hamburg, Germany
Managing directors:
Christof Wegmann
Frank Matthäi
Key staff (outward facing)
- Christof Wegmann, CEO/CTO
- Robert Boehm, VP
- Dirk Figge, VP Industries
- Mark Val, Head of Growth
- Erick Passos, Lead Engineer
- Philip Rangel, Technical Director
Number of employees
60
Contact details
hello@photonengine.com
Social media links
Website: https://www.photonengine.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/photonengine
Twitter / X: https://x.com/ExitGames
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/photonengine.bsky.social
Unity Asset Store: https://assetstore.unity.com/publishers/298
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PhotonEngine
Product links
Photon Overview: https://www.photonengine.com/slides/photon#start
Photon Fusion: https://www.photonengine.com/fusion
Photon Quantum: https://www.photonengine.com/quantum
Photon Realtime: https://www.photonengine.com/realtime
Photon Voice: https://www.photonengine.com/voice
Photon Chat: https://www.photonengine.com/chat
Photon Gaming Circle: https://www.photonengine.com/gaming
Photon Industries Circle: https://www.photonengine.com/industries
Key games
Here is a selection of games using Photon multiplayer technology:
- Stumble Guys / Scopely
- Phasmophobia / Kinetic Games
- Among Us VR / Schell Games, Innersloth, Robot Teddy
- No Rest for the Wicked / Moon Studios
- Windblown / Motion Twin
- Atomic Picnic / BitCake Studio
- SurfPunk / Double Stallion
- Content Warning / Landfall
- Just Dance VR / Ubisoft
- Breachers / Triangle Factory
- Gorilla Tag / Another Axiom
Main areas of business:
Multiplayer as a Service; Netcode; Gaming; Industries; AR/VR/XR; SaaS; Cross-platform (Mobile, PC, Console, Web, XR).
Elevator pitch:
Photon is the world’s leading multiplayer service, powering over 1.4 billion monthly active players globally. We streamline the creation of triple-A-grade multiplayer games with our advanced state-synchronised and deterministic SDKs.
Photon Fusion is designed for state synchronisation, enabling developers to create real-time multiplayer experiences with high player counts and seamless performance.
Its networking model combines server authority with flexibility, making it ideal for games requiring precise state management and smooth gameplay across diverse platforms.
Photon Quantum utilises an input-synchronised, deterministic approach to multiplayer, perfect for competitive, esports-grade games. By simulating the entire game on all clients and leveraging predictive rollback, Quantum ensures zero lag, cheat-proof environments, and a fair experience for players.
With robust cross-platform support, Photon connects players across mobile, PC, consoles, and VR/AR. Trusted by Fortune 500 companies and over 900,000 developers, Photon scales effortlessly from indie projects to global hits, delivering real time multiplayer solutions that are reliable, fast, and easy to integrate. We Make Multiplayer Simple.
Projects and/or partners
Selected gaming customers
- Bandai Namco
- Mad Mushroom
- Sega
- Ubisoft
- Warner Bros. Games
- Kalypso
- Team 17
- 2K Sports
- Electronic Arts
- Square Enix
- Apple Arcade
Selected industries customers
Metaverse / Events / Devices
- Meta
- VR Chat
- Rec Room
- Engage
- Samsung
- Monday
Automotive / Transport
- Mercedes
- Volvo
- KLM
- Airbus
Architecture / Design
Healthcare / Medical
- Astra Zeneca
- Pfizer
- Augmedit
Infrastructure / Utilities
Highlights to date:
- 2003 – Launched the world’s first multiplayer SaaS for Nokia, Brew, and i-mode.
- 2009 – Introduced PhotonCloud and PUN, the world’s first commercial real-time multiplayer SaaS, powering the Unity browser hit Paradise Paintball by Cmune.
- 2019 – Revolutionised multiplayer gaming with the invention and launch of Quantum, the world’s first commercial deterministic game engine.
- 2019 – Won the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Award for “Best GAAS Tools & Tech.”
- 2020 – Named one of the Red Herring Top 100 Europe Winners.
- 2021 – Powering Stumble Guys, the world’s largest mobile 32-player multiplayer game, achieving 25M DAU.
- 2023/2024 – Partnered with Unity to achieve Unity Verified Solutions status for flagship products.
- 2023 – Awarded Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Award for “Best Tool Provider.”
- 2024 – Awarded Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Award for “Best Tool Provider.”
- 2025 – Bringing our flagship products to Quantum and Fusion to Unreal Engine
From groundbreaking innovations to global recognition, we’re proud to be at the forefront of multiplayer gaming technology.
Greatest achievement so far:
- Inventing Quantum: Pioneered a groundbreaking game engine that enables the creation of multiplayer experiences previously deemed impossible.
- Global Multiplayer Leader: Powering the largest independent real-time multiplayer service Photon Cloud, connecting over 1.4 billion players worldwide.
- World-Class Excellence: Building a product- and engineering-first team recognised for delivering the best netcode in the industry.
Tell us something about you that nobody really knows:
- We didn’t just invent Photon Quantum, a revolutionary engine for deterministic multiplayer gaming – we also put it to the test.
- Using Quantum, we built Stumble Guys, a 32-player mobile multiplayer game with networked physics, which became a global sensation, reaching 2 million downloads per day.
- After its phenomenal success, we sold Stumble Guys to Scopely, marking a significant milestone in our journey.
For clarity, we continue to own and develop Photon, allowing us to focus on what we do best: creating cutting-edge multiplayer technology.
Case studies and success stories:
