Hot Five: Soolra’s iPhone controller case, Netflix’s gaming investment plans, and EU reportedly likely to greenlight App Store changes
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.
Apple’s new App Store rules and fees are reportedly likely to be approved by the European Commission, which would mean Apple avoiding further fines.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney commented on the report: "If true, it would mean total capitulation of the European Commission to Apple's brazen junk fees and discrimination against competing payment services makes a mockery of competition."
Soolra has released an emulator for iOS and a new iPhone case designed to turn devices into retro controllers.
The case has been designed so that the bottom half slides off and can be snapped over the front of an iPhone, complete with buttons and an eight-directional pad over part of the screen.
3) Nazara spins off Nodwin Gaming ahead of fresh funding round
Nazara Technologies is spinning off its esports subsidiary Nodwin Gaming into a separate entity as Nodwin prepares to raise additional funding.
Through this move, Nazara will remain Nodwin’s largest shareholder but will give up control rights, granting Nodwin more strategic freedom.
4) Netflix plans to ramp up gaming investment
Netflix is looking to ramp up its investment in games, according to co-CEO Gregory Peters.
He shared that the funding going into games remains small compared to overall content investments, but that Netflix will continue to licence games and develop its own titles. He also teased a "whole new set of interactive experiences".
5) Pokémon Champions gets release window as slew of mobile games land updates
The second Pokémon Presents of 2025 unveiled new details on Pokémon Champions, a cross-platform competitive battling title which is expected to launch in 2026.
The presentation also revealed new details on Pokémon Legends: ZA, as well as mobile titles Go, TCG Pocket, Sleep, Masters, Unite, Café Remix and newcomer Pokémon Friends.
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