Hot Five: Flow Games secures $46m, mobile IAPs down 7%, and Squad Busters ending service in December

To help get you primed and ready for another week in mobile gaming, we’ve curated the biggest stories you need to know from the last seven days.

1) Exclusive: Turkish developer Flow Games secures $46m in funding package led by Tencent

Turkish mobile games developer Flow Games secured a $46 million funding package with approximately three-quarters coming from Tencent, a source familiar with the matter told PocketGamer.biz.

Days later, the studio made an official announcement highlighting its $49m in cumulative funding to date.

2) Supercell set to shut down Squad Busters on December 14th

Supercell’s Squad Busters is ending service on December 14th, 2026.

After launching globally in May 2024, the title will be removed from the App Store and Google Play on December 1st. Players who have the game installed will maintain access until the servers shut down two weeks later.

3) Mobile game IAPs down 7% as no new releases break top-grossing charts this year

Aream & Co’s Q3 2026 Video Game Market Update report found that mobile game in-app purchases fell to $19.6 billion in the third quarter of 2026, down 7% year-over-year.

As yet, no new release this year has entered the top-grossing chart globally. Mobile’s decline also came with a smaller install base and a 10% drop in downloads.

4) Google Play launches discoverability tool Game Finder using "gamer DNA"

Google Play announced Game Finder, bringing enhanced app discoverability using the latest Google AI tech, tailored to gameplay habits.

Game Finder gives recommendations based on a user’s interests in genres and mechanics, the games people they follow are playing, and games that meet filtered requirements. A user can choose not to see titles that push in-app purchases, for example.

5) FIFAe Finals 2026 postponed amid regional security concerns

FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation postponed the 2026 FIFAe Finals shortly before the event scheduled for October 16th to 25th.

The delay followed an assessment of recent developments in the region and their impact on travel, accommodation and event operations, as well as withdrawals by Japan and Brazil.