Hot Five: Papaya ordered to pay Skillz $420m, Epic Games Store launches in Japan, PlaySimple IPO, and more

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. Papaya Gaming ordered to pay $420m in landmark false advertising verdict

Competitive gaming platform Skillz has won a key legal case that saw rival Papaya Gaming ordered to pay $420 million in damages and an advisory disgorgement award of $719m. The case stems from allegations that Papaya misrepresented its skill-based mobile gaming products as fair, when it was said to use bots to simulate real players and manipulate results.

2. Epic Games Store launches on iPhone in Japan

The Epic Games store continues to roll out around the world in the face of legal wins and a new regulatory landscape. This time, the marketplace is now available on iPhone in Japan. Users in the country can now download and play games like Fortnite and Rocket League Sideswipe directly through the store.

3. Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy makes $6.7m in first month

Square Enix has been closing down a number of mobile Final Fantasy games over the past couple of years - but it recently launched a new one: Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy. In its first month, AppMagic estimates the title has generated $6.7 million in gross revenue across the App Store and Google Play.

4. Modern Times Group confirms PlaySimple IPO filing targeting up to $335m in Mumbai

There’s a new gaming IPO on the block: Modern Times Group’s India-based subsidiary PlaySimble has filed to go public at a $335 million valuation. MTG will sell a portion of its stake but will retain majority ownership post-listing.

5. What happened to hypercasual? The market’s evolution over the past year 

Azur Games publishing and M&A lead Eugene Tatonkin delves into the hypercasual space and what happened to the category post-IDFA, focusing in on the past year.