Destined Details
Destiny: Rising opens pre-registrations on App Store
Pre-registrations for the full game will open on Google Play at a later date
Launching At Lightspeed
Final Fantasy XIV Mobile launching this June in China
Square Enix and Lightspeed Studios’ upcoming release has been "specifically tailored" for mobile
New Game Launch
Nazara’s Fusebox Games launches Big Brother: The Game worldwide
UK developer taps game licence for reality TV show
Accomplished Anniversary
Dungeon & Fighter Mobile surpasses $1.3bn in first year on Chinese App Store
Nexon’s mega-hit bolstered franchise revenue by 162% in its release quarter and went on to be 2024’s biggest new mobile release
New Offerings
Why investor Jetapult is building AI platform GamePac
“Our philosophy is that tools should adapt to the studio, not the other way around," said Jetapult CEO Sharan Tulsiani
Cross-platform Curve
Nazara acquires UK publisher Curve Games for $28.9m
The deal will see Nazara take 100% ownership of Curve from Catalis Group
Netease Numbers
NetEase Games revenue rises 12% Y/Y to $3.3bn in Q1
Eggy Party, Where Winds Meet, Infinite Borders and more were named among the quarter’s successes
Mystery Opportunity
Ubisoft reveals new Asia mobile games deal as platform accounts for 22% of bookings in Q4
CEO Yves Guillemot refuses to elaborate on new "opportunity"
Reboot Results
Square Enix claims "a familiar list" of mobile games reduce odds of success as net sales fall 9% to five-year low
Its digital entertainment business saw net sales decline by 17%, though profit rose through reduced expenses
Hot Five
Hot Five: Squad Busters 2.0, Tencent’s game sales up 24%, and Sonic Rumble’s tentative 2025 release
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Job Cuts
KLab offers voluntary redundancy to 100 staff after three years of losses
Financial struggles are partly due to the delayed global launch of EA Sports FC Tactical
Revenue Rise
Tencent game sales up 24% Y/Y to $25bn in Q1 with Honor of Kings, Delta Force and Brawl Stars pulling their weight
Games accounted for nearly $6bn in Q1 revenue, or 24% of total earnings
Dungeon Driver
Nexon’s revenue surpasses $780m this Q1 as Dungeon & Fighter Mobile China drives 60% franchise growth
The developer’s operating income increased by 43% YoY, though quarterly profit fell by 27%
Acqusitions
Team Vitality expands into Southeast Asia with Bigetron Esports acquisition
Bigetron Esports will rebrand as ‘Bigetron by Vitality’
Earnings Report
Aristocrat Leisure hit with $74m Big Fish impairment charge after cuts
Big Fish Games will solely focus on evergreen titles and halt new game development
Lost Link
Square Enix cancels geolocation game Kingdom Hearts Missing Link
The title was announced in April 2022 and has had multiple beta tests, but details have remained sparse
Event Report
Biggest ever Dubai GameExpo Summit draws over 1,400 game professionals from 70 countries to engage with the vibrant MENA games market
Third iteration of the region’s leading conference hosted as part of the Dubai Esports and Games Festival 2025 celebrated innovation, supported new talent and encouraged investment
Tarrifs
US and China agree to cut tariffs for 90 Days as Trump admin rolls back on trade war
President Trump claimed a "total reset with China" following the tariff reduction deal
Regulations
New South Korean law mandates foreign game companies to appoint domestic representatives
Firms with ₩1 trillion in sales or 100,000 users must comply
Network Away
Discover your next connection at the Dubai GameExpo Summit 2025
Discover which companies you may meet, from talented indie developers to major brands, at the global games industry event on May 7-8.
Week In Views
What an IPO means for Discord, Pocketpair challenges Nintendo, and Switch 2 fuels apps surge | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Games Incubator
Krafton’s Gaming Incubator taps six Indian startups for second cohort
Developers will receive financial support ranging from $50,000 to $150,000
Lawsuit
Pocketpair pushes to invalidate Nintendo’s patents in Palworld lawsuit
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are seeking ¥5 million ($32,800) and an injunction against Pocketpair
Valorant Mobile
Riot Games’ Valorant Mobile set for China launch
Hero shooter coming to global markets at a later date
Upcoming Release
Final Fantasy XIV Mobile could be launching August 29th
The mobile adaptation is listed on the Chinese App Store for a launch this summer
App Acceleration
Nintendo app installs surge after Switch 2 Direct while its mobile games go unnoticed
Mario Kart Tour missed out on a download spike despite Mario Kart Word’s full reveal
Unity China
Unity 6 pulled from China in favour of localised engine
Change aligns with Unity's strategy to comply with local regulations
Indian Iphones
Apple airlifted $2bn worth of iPhones from India in March to evade Trump tariffs
The imports marked a substantial increase from January and February
Pgc Summit Shanghai
Connect with the world's biggest games market at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai
West meets East through a little PGC magic before the wonderful madness of ChinaJoy
Market Report
Gaming VC deals rose 35% in Q1 2025 to $373m
But deal value was down 41% year-over-year
Mena Month
The big deals that have shaped the Middle East's games industry over the past year
We take a look at the acquisitions, partnerships and other deals in the Middle East's growing market
Triple Crossover
Sonic Rumble's IP collab Crossover Event 0: Sega Stars is for soft launch players only
The event, which stars characters from Super Monkey Ball, ends one day before the global launch date of May 8th
China Launch
Supercell’s Squad Busters is heading to China
App Store sets April 22nd release date with Tencent set to publish title
Trade Wars
Confusion as Trump tariffs temporarily exempt smartphones
US administration plans to open investigations into the electronics supply chain, claims the US President
Five New Games
New release roundup: Black Mirror: Thronglets, Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE, Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic+, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Global Divisions
Political maelstrom: Trade wars and rivalries are shaking up games and tech
How the week's upheavals are creating uncertainty as to what happens next
Supercent Game Challenge
Supercent announces 4th Supercent Game Challenge to discover future hitmakers
Enter the Supercent Game Challenge - with a prize pool of $2,000,000
Trade Wars
Trump gives most countries 90-day pause on tariffs as China trade war escalates
Most countries will see a universal 10% levy, while China is hit with new 125% charges on imports
Trade Wars
Trump tariffs come into effect as economic turmoil continues
Hardware manufacturers Nintendo, Apple and Samsung face challenges amid emerging trade wars
Pre-order Delays
Nintendo delays Switch 2 pre-orders in the US over tariff concerns
Nintendo is currently assessing the potential impact of tariffs as they may impact supply chain costs
Tiktok Pushback
TikTok deal hits roadblock as China pushes back amid Trump's tariffs
China is currently blocking any TikTok deal to ensure that Chinese laws and procedures are complied with
Hot Five
Hot Five: AppLovin wants to acquire TikTok, Supercell's film and TV ambitions, and Netflix Stories cancelled
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Tiktok Lovin
AppLovin wants to partner with "undermonetised" TikTok globally
CEO Adam Foroughi opens up on the ad tech firm's interest in acquiring TikTok and its plans for the video-sharing platform
Tick Tock
US extends TikTok sale deadline by 75 days
Buyers have until mid-June to negotiate a deal for the popular video-sharing app
Podcast | Episode 48
Nintendo Switch 2 release date reaction and Tencent's bizarre Ubisoft deal | 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 48...
Trade Wars
Trump tariffs bite just as the games industry was getting back on its feet
Ampere Analysis' Louise Wooldridge discusses the potential impacts on the sector
Finding Funds
HYBE Interactive Media secures $21m to bring K-pop artists to games
Anticipation for MMORPG Architect: Land of Exile played a key role in the latest deal
Hot Five
Hot Five: GDC takeaways, Nintendo Today app launches, and Honkai: Star Rail’s race to $2bn on mobile
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Nintendo App
Nintendo Today mobile app launches to keep fans informed on Switch 2 and more
App is free download but requires a Nintendo account
Publising Deal
Skystone Games takes US publishing rights for Mobile Legends as TikTok ban looms
ByteDance has been forced to relinquish publishing rights to the MOBA and Marvel Snap by US lawmakers