Pgc Roundup
4 key takeaways from PGC Barcelona: D2C’s reality, star names flock to Spain, and going AI-first
We round up the key trends and talking points from this week's big show in Spain
Pgc Barcelona
Unpacking the Tetris licensing playbook with Maya Rogers
At PGC Barcelona, Tetris CEO Maya Rogers explained how she picks partners, protects the IP and keeps every collaboration feeling true to the game
Pgc Barcelona
Direct-to-consumer in games: Promise versus reality
At PGC Barcelona, experts from Xsolla, Breeze and Worldline assessed how far the app stores have really opened up and whether D2C is paying off
Latest
Week In Views
UK under-16 social media ban, GTA VI’s industry impact and Pokémon Champions’ mobile launch | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Lagos Games Week
African games industry has moved from potential to production says Maliyo CEO Hugo Obi
Maliyo Games CEO Hugo Obi used his Lagos Games Week keynote to argue the African games industry has entered a production era
New Games
New release roundup: Pokémon Champions, and Roger, Barbie Horse Ride and Rescue, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
D2c At Pgc Barcelona
The D2C window is open. Here's how mobile studios can walk through it
Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer, Xsolla takes a deep dive into the growing opportunities for European game developers to go direct to consumers.
Lagos Games Week
Most people take an unexpected route into games says Global Game Jam director
Global Game Jam executive director Maria Burns Ortiz shares why there is no single path into a career in games
Games Preservation
The European Commission rejects calls to stop publishers from taking games offline
The Commission plans to consult with publishers and consumer on end-of-life standard for video games
Editor's Picks
Best Of Iberia In 2026
The Top 30 Iberia Game Makers of 2026
The Spanish and Portuguese movers and shakers of the last 12 months revealed!
Pgc Barcelona
How Wooga turned Wicked and Agatha Christie into growth for June's Journey
At PGC Barcelona, Wooga's Martin Rusev explained why a licensing deal only pays off when it reaches every corner of the game, not just the art
Pgc Barcelona
Inside FunPlus' "AI-native" plan with Chris Petrovic
At PGC Barcelona, FunPlus CBO Chris Petrovic laid out the studio's plan to put AI at its core - and what a tighter funding market now demands of founders
Opinion
You don’t need a finished game, but you do need to show that you can execute.
Burny Games' Elena Lobova explores the value of research and clarity when teaming with a publisher
The Portuguese video game industry is increasingly fuelled by a dynamic and evolving talent pool.
APVP president Jeferson Valadares discusses the state of the industry in Portugal
#Pocket Gamer Connects
Pgc Summit Shanghai
How Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai is your gateway to the world’s largest games market
Games industry summit returns on July 29th to connect East and West
Pgc Barcelona
PGC Barcelona a sun-soaked success
More than 1,100 registrations across all activities from 49 countries and five continents
Pgc Barcelona
The recipe behind Monopoly Go's art style
At PGC Barcelona, Scopely VP of art Howard Shin unpacked the creative formula behind one of the world's biggest mobile games
Pgc Barcelona
Five extraordinary women in games celebrated at The Aurora - Barcelona Edition
Dimoso CEO Jacki Vause hosted the awards at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona
Industry Voices
Future Games Leaders
The next generation shaping UK games
Chief executive of Ukie, Nick Poole, reflects on the next generation of talent emerging across the UK games industry
Industry Insights
Deconstructing a $100m idle game: What 5 years of Gold & Goblins reveals about live ops and retention
Igor Voronetskiy, producer at AppQuantum, shares insights into the live ops and long-term systems behind Gold & Goblins
Portfolio Growth
Ninja Kiwi on growing a portfolio beyond its flagship franchise
Ninja Kiwi EVP Barry Petrie discusses Zombie Assault Resurgence and balancing established IPs with new opportunities
Roblox In Mena
Roblox says “chat will remain off in the majority of the Middle East" until Arabic moderation matures
Following PGbiz's analysis of the Savvy-Roblox MoU last month, Roblox MENAT GM Mohamed El Sheakh responded to a series of questions on its MENA strategy
Week In Views
Xbox’s search for direction and a closer look at Candy Crush All Stars | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
#MENA
Events
Lagos Games Week 2026 kicks off two days of talks, exhibitions and showcases
The event centres on connecting African game development talent with global markets, under the theme "Play Without Borders”
Esports World Cup
Esports Foundation expands co-streaming program for EWC and ENC 2026
The Foundation is committing $2m in creator rewards
New Partnerships
Qiddiya City signs five-year partnership with MPL MENA
The partnership will focus on fan engagement, community initiatives, and youth-focused activations
Market Report
Asia and MENA video game revenue set to surpass $100bn by 2030
Niko Partners' report shows China's mini games now account for nearly 20% of mobile game spending
Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions
Acqusitions
Affle acquires AdColony assets to expand mobile advertising reach
Affle expects the acquisition to broaden its global mobile publisher reach and strengthen audience intelligence capabilities
Indie Support
Codfish Academy to host Playstack-led Game Clinic for indie studios in Portugal
Selected indie studios will receive direct feedback from Playstack's Aaron Ludlow
Funding News
Two Desperados secures $20m in user acquisition financing from PvX Partners
The funding will be used to scale growth and expand the studio’s global player base
Ai Acquisition
Roblox strengthens AI ambitions with Morpheus AI acquisition and founder hires
The company plans to integrate Morpheus AI technology into its Roblox Video Model
In-game Event
Angry Birds 2 kicks off football-themed season with new events and rewards
The limited-time update introduces football-themed challenges, rewards and events
In-game Event
FIFA and Gamefam launch FIFA World Cup 2026 event across Roblox
The event includes live score updates and tournament standings tied to real-world matches
Online Safety
SuperAwesome partners with Roblox as under-13 advertising partner
The partnership focuses on delivering brand-safe and COPPA-compliant advertising experiences
Jobs News
Luna Layoffs
Luna Abyss’ entire Kwalee Labs dev team has been laid off
The team was laid off just 26 days after launching the new game
Job News
Metacore appoints Jose Saarniniemi as general manager of Merge Mansion
He previously served as CEO of Small Giant Games
Broadening The Board
TIGA appoints nine new members to board of directors
The move follows shortly after Elaine Green taking up the position of TIGA’s new chair
Finding Employment
Amir Satvat's ASGC community helps secure 5,000 games industry jobs
Amir Satvat described the figure as a conservative estimate based on nearly four years of data
Rebrand
Mega Rewards rebrands as Trofeo and appoints Kim Carlson as CRO
Ads company wants to engage with brands to offer rewards after players make in-game achievements
#Regulation
Online Safety
UK social media ban plans could affect gaming platform features
The government hopes to implement the measures by spring 2027
Epic Conclusion?
Epic's final battle approaches
After years of legal battles, the Fortnite developer is nearing the end of a journey that has come with a high cost
Into The Sandbox
Melon Sandbox: 150m installs and UGC evolution
Publisher PlayDucky shares insights into the ragdoll physics title, which has transformed into part sandbox game, part creator ecosystem
Dma Review
EU's Digital Markets Act has "not yet reached its full potential"
Cloud and AI markets are next in the Commission's enforcement crosshairs
More News
Market Revenue
Global Games revenue surpasses $200bn for the first time, mobile generates $113bn
The report shows that mobile generated more than half of all games revenue in 2025
Charity Event
Jingle Jam names eight charity partners ahead of 2026 games fundraiser
The announcement was made during Jingle Jam’s annual awards event
Roblox Fee
Roblox reveals creator fee structure for brand integrations from 2027
The new framework will calculate charges based on audience reach and player location
Trending Trainers
Pokémon Champions tops iPhone App Store installs in 13 countries on launch day
The new Pokémon battler released on mobile on June 17th, two months after Switch launch
Making Money
Unreal Engine for Fortnite creator payouts surpass $1bn
Creators can monetise through engagement payouts and in-island transactions
Esports
Esports Nations Cup 2026 opens ticket sales ahead of debut event
The nation-based esports competition is set to take place in Riyadh across four weeks in November
Unreal Updates
Epic Games outlines its vision for Unreal Engine 6
The next generation of Unreal Engine is currently targeting early access in late 2027
Latest Videos
Podcasts
Podcast | Episode 93
Record D2C revenue and international studios flock to Spain | 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 93...
Podcast | Episode 92
The Sensor Tower / AppMagic deal unwrapped and Xbox's random rebrand | 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 92...
Podcast | Episode 91
Sensor Tower's AppMagic acquisition and Sega's brutal Rovio comments | 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 91...
Podcast | Episode 90
Week in Mobile Games podcast: Episode 90
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 90...