Epic Interview
Epic Games Store GM says Google deal marks a "meaningful reset" for mobile market
Steve Allison discusses why it made that Google deal, the challenges of overcoming incumbents, and its approach to discovery
Industry Insights
From CPI to LTV: How player motivations are powering hybridcasual’s big wins
Giacomo Maragliulo explains how player motivations are reshaping UA strategy and stronger hybridcasual performance
Alternative Marketplace
Epic Games Store opens up to mobile self-publishing in August
GM Steve Allison teases major publishers could release on the marketplace later this year
Latest
Jobs News
Ubisoft names Julien Bares as GM of mobile and casual-focused Creative House 5
Former Tencent Games and 2K veteran will head up division home to Ketchapp, Kolibri and others
M&a
Smartly signs letter of intent to acquire measurement platform Incrmntal
Terms of the deal were not disclosed
Marvellous Mena
"Cultural relevance matters, but so does international production quality"
Dawn of Game’s co-founder Gilbert Ewangue talks self-funded development, community growth and building Kwat Fou
Fortnite Comeback
Fortnite set to return to Google Play on March 19th
The return follows a long legal battle with Google that saw the title originally removed from the Google Play Store in 2020
Payout
Melon Sandbox surpasses $1m payouts in 2025
Melon Sandbox has accumulated 150m downloads across platforms
Milestone
Ludus hits $3m monthly revenue as installs surpass 8m
Vietnam launch marks a strategic push into Southeast
Editor's Picks
Pgc Barcelona 2026
Ten ways you’ll benefit from meeting the games industry in Barcelona this June
PG Connects Barcelona will bring together investors, publishers, platforms and developers for high-value networking on June 15th-16th
Us Best Of 2026
The Top 30 US Mobile Game Makers of 2026
The US movers and shakers of the last 12 months revealed!
State Of Gdc
GDC 2026 rips off the band-aid
A look at the challenges facing one of the industry's largest annual gatherings of developers
Opinion
The issue is not a lack of talent or ambition. It is a restriction of opportunity.
Dr Marie-Claire Isaaman on issues around talent retention.
Google’s new fee structure should give developers more flexibility in how they monetise and engage players
Joanne Lacey on Google's changes to the Play Store.
#Pocket Gamer Connects
Event Report
Pocket Gamer Connects Summit San Francisco smashed expectations
Mobile-focused business event sets the tone for GDC week, bringing together leading games companies from around the world
Pgc Summit MalmÖ
Small region, huge in games: why the industry is coming to Malmö this spring
Join two days of curated networking at the heart of the Nordic games sector, May 27th-28th
Pgc Barcelona 2026
Meet major studios and local developers in Spain’s games industry at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona
Connect with the likes of Activision, King, Riot Games, Bandai Namco, and more on June 15th-16th
Growth Markets
Why growth is moving to game markets like China, MENA and Spain
Three of the regional game sectors driving the next phase of growth in 2026
Industry Voices
Industry Insights
How the role of the marketing analyst is changing in the age of AI
Iaroslav Kobozev discusses how AI is reshaping the skills and workflows for marketing analysts
Building Accessible Social Worlds
From e-commerce to social ecosystems: Hardy World Studios on building for the mobile-first frontier
Khaleem Solomon, the founder of Hardy World Studios discusses how culturally grounded design and low-code accessibility are reshaping player retention across both VR and mobile
Week In Views
PEGI revises ratings with loot boxes among key changes, and Angry Birds marketing strategies | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Generate Identify & Scale Playables
Beyond the guesswork: introducing Playable Factory’s AI-generated playables
How Playable Factory is using over 50 billion playable sessions to move beyond the ‘guess and check’ era
Industry Insights
How Azur Games increased retention and doubled revenue with Hidden Objects 2
Daria Korbyleva explains how structural design and live ops helped Hidden Objects 2 outperform its predecessor
#MENA
Strategic Move
Saudi Arabia acquires a fresh 5.03% stake in Capcom through EGDC
The investment is positioned as a financial play targeting capital gains and dividends
Monetisation In Africa
Africa’s monetisation debate: founders weigh in on mobile, PC, and the realities of game revenue
Several founders warn that treating Africa as a single gaming market ignores the continent’s diverse economic and payment realities
Developer Support
Tenjin joins Turkish government incentives programme for game developers
Eligible Turkish studios can now receive government reimbursement when using Tenjin’s services
New Office
Maysalward opens new headquarters in Amman
The new office will host The Capsule, a programme designed to expand the studio’s capacity-building efforts
Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions
Funding News
Quicksave Interactive secures HyperScope Ventures investment for Playables.ai
Playables.ai enables advertisers to create playable ads using simple prompts rather than traditional development workflows
Funding News
Cheer Games raises $4.5m pre-seed to build puzzle franchises
The studio plans to use the funding to develop new puzzle titles and expand its Barcelona team
Acqusitions
Open World acquires Drope.me to scale creator-driven games marketing
Acquisition expands Open World’s ability to run large-scale creator campaigns
Finding Funds
Antihero Studios raises $4.5m in seed funding ahead of Misfitz open alpha
a16z Speedrun and Laton Ventures led the round
Funding News
Istanbul-based Vento Games secures $4m to scale family-friendly mobile puzzle portfolio
Funding will support talent expansion and accelerate the rollout of new brain-building puzzle titles
Funding News
Minit Games raises $2m to bring instant play gaming into the feed era
Startup prepares for invite-only early alpha following pre-seed round
Investment News
Replay Global backs Vietnam-based Playard to scale its mobile games portfolio
Playard to remain independent following undisclosed investment
Jobs News
Jobs Roundup
March 2026's Movers and Shakers: Pokémon’s product marketing manager, multiple King promotions, founding Rocket Game Talent, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
New Offerings
Former PlayStation and Xbox hiring lead launches Rocket Game Talent
New boutique firm aims to help studios scale hiring operations
Job News
Beyond The Pixels strengthens leadership ahead of its debut title Astro Burn
Former Fnatic and GIANTX CEO Wouter Sleijffers joins the studio as chief operating officer
Job News
Sixteen Tons appoints former Wooga VP creative Sebastian Nußbaum as chief creative officer
He joins amid renewed momentum for Emergency HQ, working alongside CEO Jan Richter
Mobile Mavens
Evolution or revolution at Xbox? The games industry reacts to leadership changes in Microsoft's games division
The Mobile Mavens share their insights on the past, present and future of Xbox
#Regulation
Apple Troubles
German publishers urge antitrust fine against Apple ATT
Industry groups say Apple’s proposed ATT changes fail to resolve competition concerns
Security Review
Report: Trump administration reviews Tencent gaming investments over security concerns
Officials are assessing whether the company’s investments pose potential national security risks.
Child Safety
UK consultation on kids’ online lives: what the video games industry needs to know
Celia Pontin explains the UK government’s consultation on keeping children safe online
Week In Views
Games industry regulation tightens and transmedia insights with the Umamusume: Pretty Derby movie director | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
More News
New Offerings
Apple cuts App Store fees in China after regulator talks
Developers in the Small Business Program and Mini Apps Partner Program will see fees drop from 15% to 12%
Layoff News
Meta planning layoffs that could affect 20% of workforce
The potential cuts would be the company’s largest since its 2022–2023 “year of efficiency” restructuring
Gdc 2026
GDC Festival of Gaming draws 20,000 attendees as industry gathers in San Francisco
GDC took place in San Francisco from March 9th to March 13th, 2026
Nominations Named
No mobile games nominated for Best Game at BAFTA Games Awards 2026
Nominations are now public, and mobile’s appearance is sparse
Strategic Move
Nodwin Gaming appoints MTG gaming executive Arnd Benninghoff as board member
The company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round to support global expansion and strategic acquisitions
Tencent Tech
Tencent showcases AI lighting tech MagicDawn at GDC
Open-world MMO Roco Kingdom: World was used as a demonstration of new capabilities
New Offerings
Google Play rolls out Game Trials so players can try full paid games before purchasing
New “buy once, play anywhere” model lets players access supported games on both mobile and PC
Latest Videos
How D2C lets you 'take the power back' from app stores
08:25
|
19 views
How D2C can build personal relationships | Liam Wiltshire from Tebex
11:59
|
12 views
What's behind the Xsolla rebrand? | Berkley Egenes from Xsolla
10:30
|
37 views
Highlights from Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026
01:46
|
186 views
Podcasts
Podcast | Episode 85
The future of Xbox and Pokémon's 30th anniversary | 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 85...
Podcast | Episode 84
Scopely's $1bn Loom Games deal and Matthew Ball's State of Video Games report | 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 84...
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...