M&a
Scopely acquires majority stake in Istanbul’s Pixel Flow developer Loom Games at $1bn valuation
The performance-based deal structure values studio in excess of $1 billion
Major Deal
Why Scopely acquired a majority stake in the Pixel Flow team
"The combination of creativity and immediate traction is extremely rare with a new game, and we see high potential in this group of game makers"
Ai Insights
AI can build your game prototype but it can’t build your strategy
Tom Storr from The Experimentation Group explores how AI is speeding up game prototypes and why experience is still key
Latest
Pgc Summit Malmo
PGC Summit Malmö tickets on sale now
New Offerings
UK government reveals expanded finance package to help creative businesses scale
The move includes a $60 million commitment to Redrice Ventures to boost seed-stage investment in creative firms
Acqusitions
Clear Angle Studios acquires DI4D's technology and IP to strengthen performance capture offering
The deal brings together two long-standing specialists in high-fidelity digital performance
Manifesto
Scottish games industry releases manifesto calling for government support ahead of parliament election
The sector is urging the next government to strengthen policy, unlock investment and secure long-term growth
Celebrations
Finnish Game Jam 2026 produced 259 brand new games in just 48 hours
Hundreds of developers gathered under the theme “Mask” for Finland’s Global Game Jam contribution
Brazil Games set to bring over 30 game studios to GDC 2026
The delegation aims to position Brazil as a global development partner
Editor's Picks
Aurora Awards Uk
How inclusive leadership can shape the next generation of games
Estaris Works founder Jennifer Estaris on how inclusion benefits the whole games industry beyond fairness
Ready To Reflect
Matthew Ball’s State of Video Gaming in 2026
Highlights from the State of Video Gaming in 2026 report include content sales growth, fewer layoffs and victory for China and Roblox
Chart Rankings
January 2026 mobile game charts: Clash Royale falls, PUBG Mobile rises, and Microfun breaks into the top 10
A deep dive into the global mobile game rankings across the App Store and Google Play
Opinion
AI isn’t replacing creative teams, it’s removing friction from development pipelines.
SciPlay CEO Josh Wilson reflects on 2025 and what priorities are shaping the year ahead
Culture-led stories improve awareness and make paid campaigns perform better.
Ada Mockute Jaime shares insights on how culture-led campaigns drive engagement
#Pocket Gamer Connects
Pgc London
AppsFlyer talks buyer signals, player targeting and staying legally compliant
At PGC London, AppsFlyer SVP and GM, data collaboration platform Edik Mitelman spoke with global director of product Adam Smart about recent tech advancements and retargeting capabilities
Pgc San Francisco
Monetisation, player retention and communities on Discord: Top tips incoming at PGC San Francisco
Discord senior developer Anthony Tešija will talk on stage about best practices for acquiring, retaining and monetising mobile gamers through the platform
Lunar New Year
Pocket Gamer Connects wishes you a prosperous Lunar New Year
You can register your interest to join PG Connects Summit Shanghai 2026 and start optimising your new business year
Pgc Summit San Francisco
Meet decision-makers at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit San Francisco
Where mobile games business gets done during GDC week
Industry Voices
Staying Power
“Scale lets us focus on years, not quarters”: Unico Studio on building games that last
Unico CEO Erkay Uzun discusses why long-term live operations shape every core decision
Crushable Consortium
King and Yahoo Games: filling a bite-sized "appetite" with Candy Crush Crushable
Candy Crush Saga VP of marketing Luken Aragon and Yahoo head of games Andrew Pedersen discuss the new daily puzzle title
Mobile Games University
Ad monetisation basics in mobile gaming
Aurion11 CEO and Co-founder Igor Lautar gives a detailed rundown of mobile games advertising 101
Week In Views
End of an era at Unity, Resident Evil Survival Unit's future and Pokémon's Super Bowl appearance | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Mobile Mavens
Mobile Mavens: What Google’s AI world-building tech Project Genie means for games
Industry insiders give their opinions on the tech and its potential practical applications
#MENA
Investment Shift
Saudi Arabia's PIF transfers $3bn Take-Two Stake to Savvy Games Group
The move consolidates Saudi Arabia’s global gaming investments under Savvy
Ramadan Kareem
Ramadan festivities unfold across mobile with themed events and seasonal rewards
We’ve rounded up a selection of the most engaging and inventive in-game events and promotions currently live
Possible Acqusition
Report: ByteDance in advanced talks to sell Moonton to Savvy Games Group for up to $7bn
Sources say the transaction could close as soon as this quarter, with broad terms already agreed
Marvellous Mena
19 MENA startups graduate from the second Exel by Merak accelerator cohort
Each startup will receive $300,000 in funding plus mentorship and global network access
Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions
Crossovers
June’s Journey welcomes Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie anniversary crossover
Players will solve puzzles across iconic Christie-inspired locations in a cosy mystery format
New Offerings
Ares Interactive opens pre-registration for Baseball Hits 26 featuring Cal Raleigh
The mobile title is being developed by 7th Inning, staffed by veterans of the former MLB Tap Sports Baseball franchise
Funding News
Hogo Games lands fresh investment at a $10m valuation to scale its production pipeline
The Türkiye-based studio plans to expand its 13-person team and accelerate upcoming titles
M&a
Mattel acquires full ownership of Mattel163 from NetEase for $159m
Entertainment firm snaps up Chinese publisher's 50% share to value mobile games studio at $318m
New Partnerships
Arab Youth Centre and Games Ventures partner to train next generation of MENA game developers
The programme is designed to mirror real-world game studio environments rather than classroom-based learning
M&a
Private equity firm Haveli to acquire Budge Studios
Terms of the deal were not disclosed
Funding News
Levellr secures $2.5m funding to scale community intelligence platform for game studios and brands
The startup is focused on helping studios understand the reasons behind player behaviour
Jobs News
Strategic Move
Stillfront’s top shareholders call for extraordinary meeting to elect new board and chair
Laureus Capital and Knuth Capital have proposed a six-member board led by Lars-Johan Jarnheimer as chairman and Erik Forsberg as deputy chairman
Jobs Roundup
February 2026's Movers and Shakers: Shifts at Steel Media, Sega’s new CFO, Unity's board room shuffle, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
Jobs News
Former Unity CEO David Helgason exits company as Bernard Kim joins board
IronSource co-founder and former CEO Tomer Bar-Zee has also left the tech firm
Pocket Management
Leadership transition at Pocket Gamer HQ
Founder Chris James moves into chairman role as Dave Bradley takes on day-to-day leadership of the business
Podcast | Episode 81
Ubisoft turmoil and what happened to Big Fish Games? | 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 81...
#Regulation
Child Safety
Egypt blocks Roblox over concerns about child safety and harmful online content
The Supreme Council for Media Regulation is coordinating with telecom authorities to enforce the ban
Regulations
CMA secures fairness commitments from Apple and Google for UK app stores
The measures mark the first changes since both platforms were designated with strategic market status
Tiktok Troubles
European Commission finds TikTok in breach of Digital Services Act over addictive design
Infinite scroll, autoplay and personalised recommendations were cited as potential risks to users’ mental and physical well-being
New Partnerships
Court reveals secret $800m deal between Google and Epic Games amid antitrust case
The deal was revealed during a court hearing in San Francisco, with a judge questioning its impact on Epic’s legal demands
More News
Shares Slump
Unity shares approach all-time low after falling 91% since November 2021
Unity shares stood at $18.36 each on closing yesterday, nearing their record low from summer 2024
Industry Outlook
EGDF urges Europe's games industry to "fight forward" in 2026
The federation called on policymakers to recognise games as a strategic cultural and technological asset
Pokemon Pvp
Pokémon Go PvP revamped after competitive players "pushed the system to its limits"
Foundational changes have been made to reduce the impact of connectivity and hardware differences between players
New Offerings
FirstLook launches 1.0 as it expands into a full lifecycle player relationship platform
The platform now integrates playtesting, communications, analytics, rewards, creator campaigns and sentiment analysis in one suite
Market Report
Report: Global app installs climbed 10% in 2025 as sessions rose 7% year-over-year
Casual games led growth with 19% install gains and a 37% surge in sessions.
New Offerings
Mellow launches Indie Launchpad to support game studios
The program offers six months of full access to Mellow’s contractor management tools
Share Drop
AppLovin shares dive as much as 40% this year despite strong earnings growth
The stock recently traded around $390.66, valuing the company at approximately $132bn
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Podcasts
Podcast | Episode 83
Supercell faces Clash Royale controversy and banks on innovation | 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 83...
Podcast | Episode 82
What do game developers really think of Project Genie? | 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 82...
Podcast | Episode 80
Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026 unwrapped | 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 80...
The Slingshot Formula
Podcast: How Angry Birds reached the stars
The Slingshot Formula book author and ex-Rovio leaders discuss Angry Birds Rio, Space, Star Wars and more