Hot Five: Google cuts mobile games fee, AppsFlyer halts $1.9bn sale talks, and Hay Day Match unveiled

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) Google cuts fees for mobile apps and games

Settling its long dispute with Epic Games, Google has reduced its Play Store revenue share for publishers in the European Economic Area, UK and US.

Once the system is rolled out, Google will take a 20% service fee for IAPs for new installs, a 10% fee on recurring subscriptions, and will allow companies to use alternative payment methods.

2) Istanbul-based Vento Games secures $4m to scale family-friendly mobile puzzle portfolio

Vento Games has raised $4 million in seed funding to expand its portfolio of mobile puzzle games.

The funding is expected to accelerate production, including new IP Blossom Word Search, a flower-themed word puzzle title.

3) Hay Day Match is the latest match-3 attempt for Supercell’s IP

Hay Day Match is a new spinoff leveraging Supercell’s long-running IP, soon to enter early access.

Fans in India, Indonesia and the Philippines will be the first to access Playabit’s match-3 puzzler, though only for a limited time later this month.

4) Report: Trump administration reviews Tencent gaming investments over security concerns

The White House is reportedly debating whether to allow Tencent to retain its stakes in major global video game companies.

Senior officials in US president Donald Trump's administration are said to have held internal deliberations around Tencent’s investments in Western game studios and whether these pose a national security threat.

5) AppsFlyer halts $1.9bn sale talks after private equity bidders seek revised terms

AppsFlyer has halted its potential sale to private equity groups after one prospective buyer, Apollo, sought to revise the terms of the agreement.

It was expected that Apollo would hold roughly 70% of the acquired shares and Fortissimo the remaining 30%.