Regulation
Daily log-in bonuses and activity streaks under threat in EU Kids Act
Wiggin’s Isabel Davies and Peter Lewin share on the EU Kids Act and games
From Concept To Candy
The secret ingredients behind the art of Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga artists Silvia Toma and Emil Sellström discuss creative rules, experimentation and "craving something to torpedo our calorie goals"
Anniversary
"We were born out of the restructuring of an animation company and we always believed in the power of storytelling"
We catch up with Sea Monster CEO and co-founder Glenn Gillis as the company celebrates its 15th anniversary amidst the changing African games market
Latest
Funding News
Circle Games raises $25m in Series A led by Tencent
The Istanbul-based studio has now raised $32.25m in total
Patents
Xbox patents ad-credit system for ads during gameplay
Players could receive ad-free play credits after viewing advertisements
Top Performers
Mobile games generate $6.6bn in August as Honor of Kings leads player spending
Roblox topped worldwide mobile game downloads, with global downloads reaching 3.76bn
New Offerings
Golf Clash launches $100,000 Bryson DeChambeau backyard challenge
Ten golf creators will compete for a chance to face DeChambeau
New Offerings
MBRIF and Dubai Future District Fund partner to expand UAE startup opportunities
MBRIF members can be introduced to DFDF’s network of fund managers
Pgc Nordics
Rovio's Wille Miljas to speak at PGC Nordics
The director of product marketing at Rovio will help examine the state of the Nordic games industry in Helsinki this October
Editor's Picks
Collabs Corner
September’s Collabs Corner: Naruto in Free Fire, KPop Demon Hunters in Monopoly Go, Duo goes to battle in Brawl Stars, and more
The latest crossovers in mobile games, all in one place
Restructure
Xbox to cut 268 jobs as it shakes up studio structure
Microsoft Casual Games now reports into King as UK studio Ninja Theory could be shut down
Flying Light
Starform's Lou Fasulo on staying at 26 people, AI-native development and who really funds a live game
The Metalstorm studio head opens up about what AI changed, what it can't and why growth is a cost decision
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
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 Nordics
The top 5 sessions you can’t miss at PG Connects Nordics
Featuring Netflix’s Next Games, Colossal Order, LuDic AI, Remedy Entertainment and Embark Studios
Pgc London
Three essential partner events joining PG Connects London 2027
Get ahead of the hottest topics with the AI Gamechangers Summit, Beyond Games: Transmedia Summit and PC Connects
Pgc Jordan
Save up to $254: PG Connects Jordan Super Early Bird ends this week
Join us in Amman this November 7th and 8th to engage directly with Jordan's vibrant games ecosystem
Pgc Nordics
5 more reasons PG Connects Nordics is an essential event
From Finnish Games Week to multiplatform development and organic networking, here’s why you should be in the room this October 20th and 21st
Industry Voices
Alternative Distribution
"The friction around alternative distribution is starting to come down"
Flexion general manager Victor Horbach discusses the changing mobile distribution landscape and why developers should diversify how they reach players
Interview
Windup Minds' Bernie Yee on Plants vs. Zombies, UA costs and the wrong lessons from free-to-play
The PvZ 2 producer opens up about gentle monetisation, why mobile was off the table for his new studio and what F2P actually requires
Week In Views
Diablo heads to Netflix and Monster Hunter Now's $336.9m mobile milestone | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Mobile Mavens
“Apple's new foldable changes the canvas iOS developers are designing for”: The Mobile Mavens on the iPhone Duo
The Mobile Mavens weigh in on Apple's entry into foldable phones and what the Duo could mean for mobile developers
Marvelous Mena
Naphora managing director on rebuilding the studio, going mobile-first and building globally competitive games
“Mobile gives us access to the world's largest gaming audience, global distribution from day one, much shorter development and validation cycles, and an enormous amount of measurable player and market data"
#The Nordics
Fresh Foundations
In The Hot Seat: Colossal Order's Mariina Hallikainen on leaving Paradox and life after Cities: Skylines
Seventeen years, one franchise, and now a blank page - Colossal Order's CEO on what comes after Cities: Skylines
Pgc Nordics
Wooga's Holger Wurst confirmed for PGC Nordics
The UX veteran behind June's Journey will join the star speaker lineup for PGC Nordics
All-in On Ai
How Nordic studios are using AI part two: From solo game-builders to support that never sleeps
Five more industry voices from the Nordics explain how AI is reshaping legal risk, team structure, player support and where the human line gets drawn
Superstar Speaker
Embark Studios' Neil Houari to speak at PGC Nordics
The 3D art lead brings his character and world-building expertise to Helsinki this October
Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions
New Partnerships
Pokémon Go partners with European Space Agency for space-themed event
The event runs from October 4th 2026, to April 30th 2027
Funding News
Nex raises over $150m to take Nex Playground global
Nex Playground has surpassed 1m units sold and is distributed across more than 7,000 US retail locations
Funding News
Kalank secures €1.5m funding round to accelerate international expansion
The funding will support hiring, talent retention and publishing activities
Acquisition
Kakao Games to acquire 39.56% of Me2on for $71.5m
The deal values Me2on at approximately $181m based on the transaction
Funding News
Arcustin Games raises $500,000 in pre-seed funding
The investment values the Istanbul-based studio at $10m
Acquisition
Andrew Stalbow-led investor group completes Bath City FC acquisition
The investment aims to support Bath City’s men’s and women’s teams and make the club Football League-ready
Acquisition
Pocket Worlds acquires Hotel Hideaway and expands social-world portfolio to 80m users
Hotel Hideaway has more than 32m registered users and roughly 300,000 monthly active players
Jobs News
Job News
GDC welcomes four new members to its Advisory Board
The new members are Amir Satvat, Alexa Ray Corriea, Lucien Parsons and Perrin Kaplan
Job News
Jonathan Knight takes expanded chief games officer role at The New York Times
Knight has held senior games roles at EA, Zynga, Warner Bros. Games and Activision
Jobs Roundup
September 2026's Movers and Shakers: Rovio, King, Trailmix, Tripledot, Apple and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
Industry Report
Report: 35% of game founders have decided against hiring because AI can do the work
The ‘Talent Signals Reshaping the Games Industry’ report found that 48% of founders are currently operating at a loss
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...
#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
Milestone
Jest hits $1m run-rate after enabling in-app purchases
Fund II will provide up to $1m for mobile games and entertainment apps
New Offerings
Discord revamps age verification checks
More than 90% of users will not be asked to confirm their age
Industry Outlook
No "single model" for growth, says Newzoo
Mobile remains the largest gaming platform as it looks set to generate $121.1bn in 2026
Shutdown Imminent
Mario Kart Tour enters final lap with Anniversary Tour ahead of shutdown
Bowser was the most-used driver, followed by Peach and Toad
Afk Arena Arrivals
AFK Arena brings Kaiju No. 8 characters in-game with crossover starting today
Kafka Hibino and Kikoru Shinomiya arrive in Esperia after a spatial disturbance
Market Report
Japan generates $10bn in mobile game revenue despite declining downloads
Japan recorded 585m mobile game downloads, down 5.4% year over year
Layoffs Imminent
Xbox plans hundreds more layoffs and studio consolidation
The cuts follow 1,600 Xbox layoffs announced in July
Latest Videos
Podcasts
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...
Podcast
Podcast: Xsolla on D2C's growing momentum and its biggest product wave yet
Xsolla president Chris Hewish discusses all things direct-to-consumer ahead of a big week at Gamescom
Podcast
Coming soon to the PocketGamer.biz Podcast: Xsolla on D2C and key pre-Gamescom reveals
Xsolla president Chris Hewish discusses the state of direct-to-consumer and the company's six new solutions for its expanding product suite