Make-a-wish
Steer Studios joins Make-A-Wish International’s Infinite Wishes Initiative to help grant wishes for children
Donations were unlocked through player activity in Steer’s debut mobile game Grunt Rush
Staff
Isa Muhammad
Job Title
MENA Reporter
About Isa Muhammad is the Lead MENA Reporter at PocketGamer.biz, spearheading the team's Middle East & Africa games coverage. He's been in games media for over seven years and is steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism. If he's not reading, playing games or catching up on his favorite TV shows, he's probably writing about them.
Articles by Isa Muhammad
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Layoff News
Amazon to cut around 14,000 corporate jobs including roles in its games division
Tech giant claims it wants to operate like the world's largest startup as it axes staff
Company Buyout
AppsFlyer reportedly nearing a $3bn buyout
Four investment funds have entered the final bidding stage
Layoff News
Report: Amazon plans to cut up to 30,000 corporate jobs
The layoffs will affect around 10% of corporate staff across HR, operations, devices, and AWS
Milestone
Pokémon TCG Pocket surpasses 150m downloads in under a year
New anniversary updates aim to make card collecting more accessible
Age Verification
Google is rolling out age verification on the Play Store
The rollout will vary by region, with some areas exempt from verification requirements
New Offerings
Monument Valley 3 returns to Android and iOS this December
The Garden of Life expansion launches the same day across mobile, console, and PC
Milestone
The Battle of Polytopia surpasses 25m downloads on mobile
The milestone follows steady updates including weekly challenges and new skins
Studio Closure
Netflix shuts down Boss Fight studio behind Squid Game Unleashed
Both Netflix Stories and Squid Game Unleashed remain playable
Apple Troubles
Apple faces up to $2bn damages after UK court rules against its App Store practices
Case represents millions of iPhone and iPad users in the UK
Milestone
Resident Evil Survival Unit surpasses 2m pre-registrations worldwide
The total includes combined sign-ups from the App Store and Google Play across multiple regions
New Partnerships
Sega signs MoU with Media City Qatar to tailor games for Arab audiences
The partnership will support local talent, production, and Arabic localisation across Sega’s global titles
Revamped Offering
Amazon relaunches Luna with beginner-friendly multiplayer games designed for social play
The new GameNight collection adds over 25 local multiplayer titles for friends and family
New Partnerships
Stability AI and EA partner to co-develop generative AI tools for game creation
The collaboration aims to improve creative workflows, enabling faster prototyping and visual storytelling
Strategic Move
MTG’s ownership of its own shares exceeds 5% of total voting rights
The repurchase program runs through May 2026 under authorisation from the 2025 AGM
New Offerings
AdInMo launches player-first hybrid monetisation tech as a new SaaS platform for mobile developers
The tool supports player lifetime value by predicting and integrating relevant ad opportunities during gameplay
Funding For Games
South Australia launches new Digital Games Fund offering up to $100,000 for local developers
Grants will help studios progress from prototype to final release
Market Status
CMA designates Apple and Google with strategic market status on mobile
The designation gives the CMA new powers to ensure fair competition across mobile ecosystems
Unity Dtc
Unity gets into DTC with cross-platform "unified digital stores"
The update streamlines monetisation and live operations across mobile, web and PC
New Partnerships
Gadsme teams up with Zynga to bring immersive in-game ads to select titles
The integration blends ads into gameplay while supporting engagement and revenue
Accelerator Programme
Xsolla and Scaffold Institute launch accelerator to help studios grow and monetise games
The 12-week programme guides developers in building a playable demo and publisher-ready pitch deck
Company Restructure
Ubisoft RedLynx eyes 60 job cuts
Helsinki studio will shift focus to mobile development
Marvellous Mena
HYS Games CEO Husam Suwaid on growing beyond mobile and pursuing triple-A creativity
"We’re pursuing our lifelong passion by developing our first large-scale flagship title for PC and console"
Funding News
Istanbul-based Pax Animi Games raises $250,000 to expand mobile operations
The studio will use the funds to scale its titles, enter new markets, and enhance its tech stack
Funding For Games
Creative Wales Game Development Fund awards $771,000 to 12 studios
The initiative is part of Creative Wales’ broader support for the sector, alongside its £850,000 Scale Up Fund
Deadline Extension
US judge grants Google one-week extension to comply with Epic Games injunction
Both Google and Epic jointly requested the deadline extension from October 22nd to 29th, 2025
Online Safety
Update: Iraq bans Roblox over child safety concerns
The government said Roblox’s chat features exposed children to exploitation and cyber-extortion
New Offerings
Appcharge unveils new Android Payment Links solution
The payment solution is currently in beta and will roll out globally soon
New Offerings
MSquared launches global Partner Programme to help brands build virtual experiences
The programme lets brands create and own interactive 3D worlds that can evolve over time
New Partnerships
Sports Interactive signs multi-year Football Manager partnership with FIFA
FM26 will now feature the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup
Game Closure
EA to shut down The Sims Mobile after seven years
The game will become unplayable from January 20th, 2026
Service Disruption
Amazon Web Services outage impacts Clash Royale, Pokémon Go, Fortnite, Roblox and more
Some of the world's biggest games and web services face downtime as Amazon scrambles to fix issues
New Partnerships
Mattel expands Roblox partnership with Monster High debut
Monster High debuts on Roblox October 24th, marking Mattel’s first self-published title on the platform
Funding For Games
Esports Global launches $50m fund to back companies shaping the future of games and esports
The fund is backed by Kuwait’s Alshaya family, known for major investments across multiple industries
New Partnerships
Saudi Esports Federation signs MoU with Riot Games to boost Saudi Arabia’s games and esports ecosystem
The collaboration focuses on empowering young gamers and fostering new opportunities for creators and fans
Industry Outlook
Survey: One in four game professionals laid off in the past year
39% of junior-level professionals exited the industry between 2024 and 2025
Closure Announcement
AppLovin shuts down Array software amid allegations of unauthorised app installs
The company said the product was discontinued last quarter due to poor economic viability
Job News
2K Games appoints Ben Brinkman as new studio head of 31st Union
Brinkman to lead development of upcoming free-to-play shooter Project Ethos
Legal Proceedings
Sony opposes Tencent's legal defence over alleged Horizon inspired game lawsuit
The company called Tencent’s defence “nonsense,” saying the damage from copying Horizon has already been done
Milestone
Where Winds Meet surpasses 5m global pre-registrations ahead of launch
The game has already surpassed 30m players in China since its 2024 launch
New Game Launch
Sonic Rumble set to launch this November
The game marks the franchise’s first-ever multiplayer Sonic game
Investment News
General Intuition raises $134m to train AI agents using gameplay videos
Khosla Ventures and General Catalyst led the seed round with participation from Raine
Funding News
Tilting Point pumps $30m into two non-gaming apps
The deal builds on Tilting Point’s $150m UA fund launched in March
Unionisation
Over 400 Blizzard employees have voted to unionise under the Communications Workers of America
Organisers cite layoffs, low pay, and return-to-office policies as key reasons for unionising
Buyout Concerns
US senators raise national security concerns over $55bn Electronic Arts buyout
Open letters cite the PIF’s history of using investments to expand Saudi cultural influence
Rivrs And Roblox
Rivrs launches $1m Creator Fund to back Roblox developers in Southeast Asia
The fund will help scale promising games and support Southeast Asian teams
Funding News
Character platform ego AI raises $6.7m to make in-game characters more human-like
Funds will go towards expanding research and training its proprietary foundation model
Marvellous Mena
Copa Fantasy CEO Abdullah Eid on building MENA’s football super-app for global fans
“We’ve created a platform that feels culturally relevant while also appealing to global audiences”
Crossovers
SYBO teams up with Innersloth to bring Among Us into Subway Surfers for the first time
The crossover launches October 20th and runs for three weeks, ending November 3rd, 2025
New Offerings
Owlcat Games launches free resource hub for developers named GameDev Learning Drop
The directory features over 350 curated resources across game design, coding, narrative, and production