Fortnite’s global return, Xbox’s uncertain future and the rise of Melon Sandbox | Week in Views

Fortnite’s global return, Xbox’s uncertain future and the rise of Melon Sandbox | Week in Views

The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories

New release roundup: Clash of Critters, Sword x Staff, Farming Simulator 26, and more

New release roundup: Clash of Critters, Sword x Staff, Farming Simulator 26, and more

We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week

Sweden's games industry in numbers

Sweden's games industry in numbers

The key data behind Sweden’s bustling games industry and the stats powering its success

Latest

This June, games industry deals happen in Barcelona

This June, games industry deals happen in Barcelona

Build the right connections at Pocket Gamer Connects on June 15th and 16th

Clash Royale wins Business Excellence Award at Finnish Game Awards 2026

Winners Revealed

Clash Royale wins Business Excellence Award at Finnish Game Awards 2026

The awards recognised the sector's top games, developers and impact of individuals

Room 8 Group appoints Juanita Draude as CEO

Room 8 Group appoints Juanita Draude as CEO

She joins the company with more than 20 years of leadership experience across media and entertainment

Esports Nations Cup 2026 unveils rankings system and Team Builder ahead of roster reveals

Esports Nations Cup

Esports Nations Cup 2026 unveils rankings system and Team Builder ahead of roster reveals

The rankings system tracks player performances from major international tournaments

Fortyseven Communications expands with new London office

Fortyseven Communications expands with new London office

The company also launched a new global Creator Relations practice

Xsolla partners with Dubai Films and Games Commission to expand global opportunities for MENA developers

New Partnerships

Xsolla partners with Dubai Films and Games Commission to expand global opportunities for MENA developers

The partnership will create a Dubai-based studio accelerator program for game developers

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Editor's Picks

Inside Scopely's rise to a global mobile games giant

Fifteen Years On

Inside Scopely's rise to a global mobile games giant

Chief operating officer Eunice Lee discuses 15 years of growth and building long-term live service games

Why Sensor Tower acquired rival AppMagic

Why Sensor Tower acquired rival AppMagic

Sensor Tower chief revenue officer outlines the company's reasons for the major deal that consolidates power in the mobile market intelligence space

GAMEx’s Aïda Figuerola to discuss building elite teams at PGC Barcelona in June

GAMEx’s Aïda Figuerola to discuss building elite teams at PGC Barcelona in June

Another star speaker joins the speaker lineup for Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona on June 15th and 16th

Opinion

<blockquote>We are beginning to see a new, perhaps slightly more realistic investment landscape beginning to emerge.</blockquote>

We are beginning to see a new, perhaps slightly more realistic investment landscape beginning to emerge.

UKIE CEO Nick Poole delves into the state of games industry investment in his first PocketGamer.biz

<blockquote>The conclusion for product teams is this: live ops mechanics do not determine success on their own.</blockquote>

The conclusion for product teams is this: live ops mechanics do not determine success on their own.

Oxana Fomina explores how three breakout sort puzzle hits built different monetisation strategies

#Pocket Gamer Connects

Meet companies like Sony, Landfall, Raw Fury, Rovio and Sybo at PGC Malmö on May 27th and 28th

Pgc Summit MalmÖ

Meet companies like Sony, Landfall, Raw Fury, Rovio and Sybo at PGC Malmö on May 27th and 28th

See who you could do business with at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Malmö

See who you could connect with at PG Connects Barcelona this June 15th to 16th

See who you could connect with at PG Connects Barcelona this June 15th to 16th

Network with the biggest brands and brightest minds including Zynga, Rovio, Gameloft, King, Scopely and more

Gameloft Barcelona GM Raúl Orrego to speak at PGC next month

Gameloft Barcelona GM Raúl Orrego to speak at PGC next month

Another star speaker joins the speaker lineup for Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona on June 15th and 16th

No Discord or mailing lists: Rethinking game discovery in China

Pgc Summit Shanghai

No Discord or mailing lists: Rethinking game discovery in China

Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai is where Western studios define their China strategy

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Industry Voices

“Mobile has become too expensive for the old playbook”: The Mobile Mavens on rising barriers to entry

“Mobile has become too expensive for the old playbook”: The Mobile Mavens on rising barriers to entry

The Mobile Mavens discuss whether mobile gaming is becoming too difficult and expensive for new developers to break into

Hybridcasual growth starts with smarter creative strategy

Industry Insights

Hybridcasual growth starts with smarter creative strategy

Karen Levy explores how creative strategy in hybridcasual games balances performance marketing with player trust and long-term growth

The NYT Games blueprint

Newsletter Column

The NYT Games blueprint

Media platforms turn to games in a digital battle for users' time

Wordle heads to television and Nintendo Switch 2's big sales surge | Week in Views

Wordle heads to television and Nintendo Switch 2's big sales surge | Week in Views

The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories

Why the Savvy-Roblox deal lands differently in Saudi Arabia

Why the Savvy-Roblox deal lands differently in Saudi Arabia

A look at why Savvy Games Group has cut a deal with popular UGC platform Roblox despite local restrictions and global allegations around child safety

More

#MENA

Esports World Cup 2026 relocates from Saudi Arabia to Paris amid regional uncertainty

Esports World Cup

Esports World Cup 2026 relocates from Saudi Arabia to Paris amid regional uncertainty

The Paris tournament marks EWC’s first edition outside Saudi Arabia

Dubai Films & Games Commission partners with Good Game Club to promote games as a force for good

Dubai Films & Games Commission partners with Good Game Club to promote games as a force for good

Dubai is targeting 30,000 gaming jobs and $1bn GDP contribution by 2033

Qiddiya expands Google Cloud partnership to build AI-powered gaming and entertainment city

Partnership Extension

Qiddiya expands Google Cloud partnership to build AI-powered gaming and entertainment city

The project links gaming, AI and smart city infrastructure under Saudi Vision 2030

Savvy Games Group wraps Saudi 'Play to Learn' competition with 719,000 students involved

Savvy Games Group wraps Saudi 'Play to Learn' competition with 719,000 students involved

The competition involved 7,705 schools and more than 36,000 instructors across Saudi Arabia

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Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions

Xsolla partners with Skich to support alternative mobile game distribution

New Partnerships

Xsolla partners with Skich to support alternative mobile game distribution

Xsolla becomes merchant of record for Skich mobile marketplace

Atari acquires rights to first five Wizardry RPGs as it plans franchise revival

Atari acquires rights to first five Wizardry RPGs as it plans franchise revival

Wizardry’s revival extends beyond games into film, TV, and merchandise

Sensor Tower acquires mobile market intelligence rival AppMagic

Sensor Tower acquires mobile market intelligence rival AppMagic

Terms of the deal were not disclosed

NCSoft subsidiary Veroplay acquires Moving Eye Games and Swamp Attack franchise

NCSoft subsidiary Veroplay acquires Moving Eye Games and Swamp Attack franchise

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed

Grand Games raises $70m Series B to scale hybridcasual games

Grand Games raises $70m Series B to scale hybridcasual games

Funding will support marketing, hiring, and upcoming game launches

Esports Foundation and JioBLAST launch India Rising pathway to Esports World Cup

Esports Foundation and JioBLAST launch India Rising pathway to Esports World Cup

Chess will serve as the first competitive title for the programme

Gamefam teams up with Borussia Dortmund for FIFA Super Soccer on Roblox

New Partnerships

Gamefam teams up with Borussia Dortmund for FIFA Super Soccer on Roblox

The event introduces exclusive Borussia Dortmund-themed quests and rewards for players

More

Jobs News

Leadership Hires

Xbox hires Matthew Ball and Scott Van Vliet in leadership team expansion

Focus is on improving execution and speeding up product development

Embracer keeps mobile in-house as it spins off Fellowship Entertainment

Company Restructure

Embracer keeps mobile in-house as it spins off Fellowship Entertainment

Mobile stays with Embracer, keeping DECA, CrazyLabs and A Thinking Ape

May 2026's Movers and Shakers: Xbox leadership reshuffle, Stillfront hires CHRO, and more

May 2026's Movers and Shakers: Xbox leadership reshuffle, Stillfront hires CHRO, and more

Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers

Roblox appoints Mohamed El Sheakh as general manager for MENA and Türkiye

Roblox appoints Mohamed El Sheakh as general manager for MENA and Türkiye

The new GM will oversee partnerships and developer ecosystem growth

Is Metacore a warning sign?

Mobile's Key Challenges

Is Metacore a warning sign?

The Merge Mansion developer's challenges and acquisition by Supercell highlights mobile’s big challenges

More

#Regulation

Melon Sandbox: 150m installs and UGC evolution

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

EU's Digital Markets Act has

EU's Digital Markets Act has "not yet reached its full potential"

Cloud and AI markets are next in the Commission's enforcement crosshairs

Türkiye passes sweeping digital law restricting social media access for under 15s

Türkiye passes sweeping digital law restricting social media access for under 15s

Meanwhile, foreign gaming platforms with over 100,000 daily Turkish users must now appoint a local representative

India launches Online Gaming Authority with strict compliance mandates from May 2026

India launches Online Gaming Authority with strict compliance mandates from May 2026

Online money games are explicitly barred from recognition as esports under Indian law

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More News

Game AiCon Seoul brings together developers, publishers, investors and more next week

Game AiCon Seoul brings together developers, publishers, investors and more next week

PocketGamer.biz can get a special discount to attend the show on May 26th to 28th

FTC urged to investigate Roblox over child safety and spending concerns

FTC urged to investigate Roblox over child safety and spending concerns

Roblox accused of complex in-game spending system using Robux currency

Sky: Children of the Light surpasses 300m downloads

Artistic Achievement

Sky: Children of the Light surpasses 300m downloads

The milestone gets confirmed as thatgamecompany turns 20 years old

Nazara’s annual revenue rises 13% to $190m despite India’s Gaming Act and $95m impairment

Nazara’s annual revenue rises 13% to $190m despite India’s Gaming Act and $95m impairment

"Nazara today operates at a materially different scale than it did 12 months ago"

Lilith Games’ Clash of Critters launches globally today

Clash Of Critters

Lilith Games’ Clash of Critters launches globally today

Today’s global launch excludes parts of Asia like China and Japan

Report: Hypercasual and puzzle games dominate the browser gaming space

Web-based Gaming

Report: Hypercasual and puzzle games dominate the browser gaming space

New report from CrazyGames shows US browser gamers now spend 30 minutes per session on average

Ofcom warns children remain exposed to online safety risks across platforms including Roblox, TikTok and YouTube

Ofcom warns children remain exposed to online safety risks across platforms including Roblox, TikTok and YouTube

Around four in ten children aged 11–17 use Roblox

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Latest Videos

How to leverage incentivised rewards for high value UA

How to leverage incentivised rewards for high value UA

10:34 | 116 views

Rewarded Marketplaces & How Surprise Equals Engagement

Rewarded Marketplaces & How Surprise Equals Engagement

08:50 | 138 views

How D2C lets you 'take the power back' from app stores

How D2C lets you 'take the power back' from app stores

08:25 | 45 views

How D2C can build personal relationships | Liam Wiltshire from Tebex

How D2C can build personal relationships | Liam Wiltshire from Tebex

11:59 | 12 views

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Podcasts

Sensor Tower's AppMagic acquisition and Sega's brutal Rovio comments | Week in Mobile Games podcast

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...

Week in Mobile Games podcast: Episode 90

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...

Podcast: The state of the UK games industry with UKIE CEO Nick Poole

Podcast: The state of the UK games industry with UKIE CEO Nick Poole

We discuss the challenges facing the UK's games industry and what developers need in the coming years to boost their success

Week in Mobile Games podcast: Episode 89

Podcast | Episode 89

Week in Mobile Games podcast: Episode 89

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 89...

More