Pgc Nordics
Four key takeaways from Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics 2026
From AI and D2C to player engagement and industry resilience, we explore four key takeaways from Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics 2026
New Games
New release roundup: House of Tesla, Crushed in Time, One Piece: Grand Gourmet, and more
We highlight the new games that have broken cover over the past week
Week In Views
Lessons from PGC Nordics and game IPs take the stage in LA | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Latest
Pgc Nordics
PG Connects Nordics showed the region's strong sense of community
We welcomed more than 1,100 attendees from over 450 companies and 44 countries
Mind The Map
“Another pair of culturally informed eyes”: Kate Edwards on culturalisation without a triple-A budget
The Indiana Jones and the Great Circle consultant explains how small mobile teams can get it right without a triple-A budget
Leadership Change
Stillfront names former King executive Marcus Jacobs as CEO
Alexis Bonte will continue as CEO until Jacobs takes over
Mobile Expansion
Dispatch coming to mobile on December 9th with first four episodes free
AdHoc Studio is bringing the narrative game to iOS and Android following its success on other platforms
New Offerings
GameMaker makes GMRT free for commercial use from 2027
Developers will no longer need a Professional licence to sell games made with GMRT
Marvellous Mena
Istikan Studio's Danar Kayfi: "Most investors and publishers still don't see Iraq as a place where games get made"
We spoke with the Istikan Studio manager about selling 75% of its Steam copies in China, building games from Iraq and the business skills local developers need to reach global audiences
Editor's Picks
Less Is More
Agree IP terms early, cut through AI hype, stop overloading players: Four lessons from PGC Nordics
Live ops, D2C, AI and IP deals. Four sessions at PGC Nordics covered four different topics. All four landed in the same place: doing more is not always a useful strategy
The Best Of 2026
The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers of 2026
The mobile movers and shakers of the last 12 months revealed!
Podcast | Episode 106
Why Supercell couldn’t save Squad Busters, Nintendo learns IP isn’t enough and Google's new AI game maker | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 106...
Opinion
For me, the most interesting part isn't AI replacing creative talent, but how it can allow smaller teams to work faster.
Hind Toufga discusses how Nordic studios are utilising AI for working efficiently
By making the cost of acquisition so high, I sometimes wonder where are you going to get all those innovations?
DoubleDown's Faith Price talks D2C, UA challenges and AI
#Pocket Gamer Connects
Pgc Summit Montreal
Entries for The Big Indie Pitch at Montréal close this week
Apply before October 27th to compete at PG Connects Summit Montréal on November 10th
Pgc London
The Beyond Games Transmedia Summit returns to PG Connect London 2027
One of January's three partner events, including the AI Gamechangers Summit and PC Connects
Pgc Jordan
The first speakers announced for PGC Jordan
And the first five seminars we can’t wait to catch this November 7th and 8th
Pgc London
The AI Gamechangers Summit returns to PG Connect London 2027
One of January's three partner events, including Beyond Games: Transmedia Summit and PC Connects
#MENA
Marvelous Mena
Mad Hook's Hazim Al-Hanbali: “If I want to change one thing in the sector, I will convert competition to collaboration"
We speak with Mad Hook CEO about MENA’s changing games scene, fundraising challenges in Jordan and why indie studios and regional collaboration could shape the industry’s future
New Partnerships
Savvy Games Group signs MoU with Bahrain university to support games education
The partnership will focus on games education, curriculum development and talent growth
Esports World Cup
Esports World Cup opens new global pathways to 2027 event
The new programme offers direct qualifiers and grassroots Satellite Last Chance Qualifiers
Tournament Delayed
FIFAe Finals 2026 postponed amid regional security concerns
Japan and Brazil withdrew their esports teams before the postponement
New Partnerships
Algeria lifts ban on Roblox as it pens new partnership to train local game developers
Chat will remain disabled in Algeria until further safety systems are ready
#The Nordics
Keep Running
SYBO's Mathias Gredal Nørvig on Subway Surfers at 15: Zero UA, City’s pivot and what comes next
Fifteen years in, the SYBO CEO insists there'll never be another Subway Surfers - and reveals what Sybo is building next
Kill Switch
Ending well: The art of killing your game
Ahead of PGC Nordics next week, all four panellists from “Ending Well: The Art Of Killing Your Game” share how they decide when a game has run its course
Hidden Lessons
Wooga’s Holger Wurst on designing June’s Journey: Player research, AI and the UX rule you can’t break
Wooga’s UX lead on June’s Journey talks Wicked and Agatha Christie collabs, why older players outsmart developers and his hard line on AI
Two Decades On
Making games now vs then: Nordic veterans on 25 years of changing practices
Ahead of PG Connects Nordics, four of our panellists look back on how game development has changed since the 2000s and what hasn’t changed at all
Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions
Art Acquisition
Side acquires art studio Roboto Entertainment to expand presence in China
Andrea Cordella has been appointed global head of art and Chengdu studio head
Funding For Games
Mika Games raises $10m to fund mobile game studios
The funding will support game development and paid user acquisition campaigns
Metacore Moves In
Supercell completes full acquisition of Metacore
Merge Mansion transitions to Supercell’s games portfolio
Investment
Flow Games confirms $49m in total funding from Tencent and VC investors
The Smash Fest developer plans to expand its team following the mobile game’s success
Funding Secured
India’s Spill Games raises $10.5m in Series A funding
The round was led by Elevation Capital
Investment
Exclusive: Turkish developer Flow Games secures $46m in funding package led by Tencent
The Smash Fest developer has secured funding as Tencent continues to invest in Türkiye’s mobile games market
Deal Delivered
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery’s $111bn merger officially closes today
David Ellison will lead as chairman and CEO
Jobs News
Jobs Roundup
October 2026's Movers and Shakers: Mojang, Xbox, Scopely, Ukie, Skydance, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
Job News
Xbox appoints new leaders for Mojang and franchise experiences
Maria Angelidou-Smith will become CEO of Mojang and Minecraft on October 19th
Job News
Harvey Elliott named chair of Ukie as trade body targets next phase of UK growth
He succeeds Maria Sayans as Ukie Chair
Growth Plans
MTG wants to double its size while leveraging AI
We speak to president and CEO Maria Redin about the company's ambitious plans for its gaming empire
Jobs Roundup
September 2026's Movers and Shakers: Scopely, Niantic Spatial, Trailmix, Roblox, Zynga and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
#China
Coins And Critters
Lilith Games finds a new hit as Clash of Critters makes $45.6m in four months
The game’s fourth month, between August and September, has been its most lucrative yet in player spending
Rankings Rise
Delta Force surpasses $10m in daily player spending for the first time
The tactical shooter hit a new record on September 5th, ranking as the most lucrative mobile game globally for one day
Market Report
China games market surpasses $50bn for the first time as player base is forecast to hit 769m by 2030
New data from Niko Partners forecasts the market will reach $59.8bn by 2030
Party Partnership
Duolingo partners with Eggy Party in China
The partnership offers learners in China access to the Eggy Party Quest in Duolingo
More News
New Offerings
Clash Royale tabletop game surpasses $100,000 on Kickstarter after reaching target in one hour
The tabletop game supports two to four players competing to destroy Towers and collect Crowns
Australian App Store
Fortnite returns to the App Store in Australia today
The country was previously the only exclusion from Fortnite’s global iOS comeback
Puzzle Power
Nebula Studio’s Rotate Rings surpasses 10m mobile installs
The puzzler ranks among the 10 most-downloaded mobile games of October 2026 so far
Concert Cancelled
Umamusume's LA concerts cancelled over US visa issues
Fans will receive refunds for on-site and streaming tickets
Online Safety
Norway social media ban to target Roblox, Snapchat and TikTok
Children will retain access to messaging services and games considered harmless
Rating Review
Games with loot boxes receive updated PEGI 16 rating for paid random items
The update appears to affect character-based gacha games in addition to random items
New Offerings
Griffin Gaming Partners and Entertainment 360 launch game adaptation venture HITpoint Entertainment
HITpoint Entertainment will adapt video games for film and television across multiple genres
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Podcasts
Podcast | Episode 105
AI's insane PR machine, Zynga's failed $400m Supercell deal and EU regulation | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 105...
Podcast | Episode 104
Apple's $2,000+ iPhone Duo and the backlash against new EU App Store rules | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 104...
Podcast | Episode 103
Gamescom 2026 insights and Sony Music's shock Puzzle & Dragons investment | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 103...
Podcast | Episode 102
Did Apple really resolve its EU dispute? | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 102...