Strategic Growth
Redwood acquires majority stake in Indian games streaming start-up Loco for $65m
The deal will see Loco expand to global markets
Pgc Jordan
Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan conference tracks revealed
Nine tracks designed to unlock game development success
Jordan Games Industry
Finalists for the inaugural Jordan Games Awards 2024 are live!
Winners will be revealed on November 10th, as part of Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan 2024
Big Indie Pitch
Pitch your indie game at next month's Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan
The Very Big Indie Pitch offers the chance to gain expert feedback and get coverage of your game
New Offerings
NetEase and Marvel Games to launch new RPG mobile Game Marvel Mystic Mayhem
Prepare to peek into the “deepest fears" of Captain America, Moon Knight, Scarlet Witch
Mena Market Growth
UAE games market revenue could reach $492 million by 2027
Sector forecast to hit $421m by the end of 2024
New Partnerships
Xsolla and Uzbekistan's IT Park sign deal to open game development academy in 2025
The academy will focus on training local talent and fostering new opportunities for game production
Pgc Jordan
Jawaker, iDreamSky, Mad Hook, and more join the speaker line-up for next month's PG Connects Jordan
Submit your talk and take the opportunity to be featured alongside them
Destiny Mobile
NetEase partners with Bungie for Destiny: Rising mobile game
Limited access closed alpha test starts in November
Mena Market
MENA investments recovers after 63 startups raised $282 million in September
This marked a 234% increase month-on-month and a 607% rise year-on-year
Funding News
Krafton leads investment round in India studio Deftouch to scale King and develop new games
Krafton India co-led the round alongside T-accelerate Capital and Lumikai Fund
Riding The Waves
Wuthering Waves coasts to $150 million
The Shorekeeper’s release helps surge revenue, but a monthly decline is yet to overturn
Top 50
What the Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2024 tells us about industry trends
We analyse merge category growth, how hypercasual publishers have transformed, and the secret blockbusters from the past year
Best Of 2024
The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers of 2024
The mobile movers and shakers of the last 12 months revealed!
Job Losses
Nexon America lays off “small number” of staff
Publisher establishes Western Development Group headed by Hanbyeol Oh
Genshin Goliath
Genshin Impact hits $6.3 billion in time for fourth anniversary, but is it running on fumes?
HoYoverse’s flagship game dipped below $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time
Esports Integrity
Moonton Games teams up with Esports Integrity Commission to promote fair play
The partnership aims to enhance esports integrity through information sharing, education, policy development, and risk management
Top 50
Find out who's in the Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2024 next week
The big reveal will take place on October 2nd live at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki
Sleepy Smartwatch
Pokémon Sleep sleepwalks to $120 million in time for smartwatch update
Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, Fitbit and Google Pixel Watch are now compatible with the app
Strict Laws
Australia sets new rules for games with loot boxes and gambling-like content
Games with interactive simulated gambling will automatically receive an R18+ rating
Lawsuit Triumph
The Pokémon Company wins $15 million in lawsuit over copyright infringement
Pocket Monster Reissue had infringed company's copyright by using Ash Ketchum and Pikachu in the game
Investment News
Nazara invests $117 million PokerBaazi parent Moonshine
India games firm picks up 47.7% stake in the company
Big-form Investment
PUBG developer Krafton invests $89.5m in audio and short-form video streaming firm Spoon Labs
Deal represents publisher's largest investment in a non-gaming company
India Games Industry
Nazara invests $2.2 million in gaming community platform STAN
Nazara secured the deal through its subsidiary Nazara Dubai FZ
Game Regulations
Korea clears bill to regulate overseas gaming firms
The bill requires foreign game companies to appoint a domestic agent
Release Reveal
Tencent’s upcoming RPG Honor of Kings: World set for 2025 release date
Spin-off set to launch across multiple platforms
Stepping Up
Disney Step brings the House of Mouse into location-based AR gaming
New Drecom-developed title looks set for Japan-only release
Connection Hazard
Resident Evil mobile ports now require internet connection to play
Developer Capcom claimed requirement was due to "changes to the startup process"
Final Call
Square Enix to shut down Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius after $900m in revenue
“It would be difficult to continue maintaining the app experience”
Financials
New games and apps business growth drives Lords Mobile dev IGG to $42m profit in H1 2024
Strategy games Doomsday: Last Survivors and Viking Rise push company to growth
Enter Mobile
Bullet hell roguelike Enter the Gungeon heads to mobile in China
X.D. Network set to publish title in the country, over eight years after it was first released
New Partnerships
Nodwin Gaming pens multi-year partnership with Insider.in for events in India
Insider.in will become Nodwin Gaming's official ticketing partner in India for all key IPs across games
World Entrepreneurs Day
India’s video games and esports sector powers growth with over 117,000 startups
This growth has made esports and gaming a viable career for both gamers and entrepreneurs
India Games Industry
Key Indian execs endorse PM Modi's Independence Day games business backing
Modi is also calling for the country to transition from being a games industry consumer to becoming a leading producer
Big Moves
Nazara’s $100m M&A war chest takes India’s largest games company global
CEO Nitish Mittersain on why Nazara could invest even more in deals and his ambitions of growing the company to a $10 billion valuation
Diverse Senior Team
Capcom wants 15% of its managers be women
"Looking ahead, we believe we will be able to see more female directors by broadening our scope and increasing the ratio of female managers"
New Game Approved
HoYoverse’s next game Astaweave Haven among 105 Chinese approvals this July
This month’s domestic approvals in the country are at their highest since March
Investmen Report
Early-stage VC games funding hits 12-month high but growth and later stage investments still "very depressed"
Konvoy Ventures report notes "very depressed" VC investment landscape for growth and late-stage games companies
China Expansion
Xsolla opens new Beijing office
Company says move signifies “renewed commitment” to the region
Executive Departures
Perfect World CEO and co-CEO resign after mass layoffs
Senior VP Gu Liming takes reins at Chinese developer
Ongoing Rift
Tencent's mobile games vanish from Huawei app store rankings
The move left rival NetEase's titles Eggy Party and Fantasy Westward Journey in the top positions
Financial Outlook
Goddess of Victory: Nikke propels developer Shift Up to $2.5 billion valuation
The Seoul-based company has just issued and sold nearly 7.3 million shares at 60,000 won each
Indie View
"The joy of seeing people play your games and appreciate your work makes it all worth it": Lucid Labs discuss indie development
Lucid Labs came 2nd at the Very Big Indie Pitch in Dubai - we discuss their road to the Big Indie Pitch
Podcast | Episode 19
Is Squad Busters a success or failure? | 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 and what's inside this week's episode 19...
Apple Rebound
Apple's iPhone shipments in China surge nearly 40% in May, fuelled by aggressive price cuts
The smartphone giant is likely the driving force behind increase in foreign-brand shipments in China
Acquisition Ahead
CyberAgent to acquire NitroPlus in $104 million deal
Digital advertising firm and games publisher will support new subsidiary's efforts for global IP expansion
Job Losses
Reports: One Punch Man: World developer Perfect World lays off as many as 1,000 staff
The Chinese media firm is is also said to have halted worked on One Punch Man: World and Perfect New World
China Regulations
China approves 104 new games including titles from Tencent and Alibaba
Industry giants including miHoYo and SenseTime have also established the Shanghai Yuanchuang Future Private Equity Fund
China Cha-ching
Dungeon & Fighter Mobile’s first month of iOS revenue was twice that of Honor of Kings
Nexon and Tencent's RPG generated $270 million on iOS in its first month, becoming China’s most-downloaded game
Interview
Five years of My.Games: From new releases to finding success in the Asian market
We caught up with Elena Grigorian who reflects My.Games’ first half of the year and shares on upcoming plans after celebrating the company's five year anniversary