Acqusitions
Supercell to acquire Merge Mansion studio Metacore as 160 jobs could be cut
Growth ambitions failed to materialise at the Finnish developer
Acqusitions
GameStop submits $55bn bid to acquire eBay
Ryan Cohen set to lead combined company if deal closes
New Offerings
Unity launches open beta for Unity AI game development tools
The new system is built directly into the Unity Editor
Pgc Summit MalmÖ
Connect, pitch and learn at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Malmö
Business making and market insight at the heart of the Nordic games industry on May 27th to 28th
New Partnerships
Starbreeze partners with Gamefam for new Payday game on Roblox
The title is scheduled to launch later this year
Funding News
Chance Studios raises $3.2M for trading card collectibles platform
Platform surpassed $100,000 in daily trading volume during beta
Funding News
Turkish mobile studio Mindtail raises $2m for AI-driven puzzle games
The studio aims to triple its team size after the funding round
Gamescom Latam Takeaways
Brazil dreams big at Gamescom LATAM
We highlight some key takeaways at the big consumer and B2B games expo
Hot Five
Hot Five: Papaya ordered to pay Skillz $420m, Epic Games Store launches in Japan, PlaySimple IPO, and more
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Week In Views
Behaviour Interactive layoffs and Pokémon TCG Pocket’s staying power | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Epic Release
Epic Games Store launches on iPhone in Japan
Japanese iPhone users can now download Fortnite directly from Epic
Acqusitions
Pearl Abyss sells EVE Online studio CCP Games to management in $120m deal
The company acquired CCP Games for $425m in 2018
Partnership Extension
Star Wars expands in Fortnite with official creator tools and new experiences
Fortnite players can access new Star Wars PvP, co-op and tycoon games
Top 30
Xsolla partners with PocketGamer.biz for regional Top Game Maker reports
We’ll be celebrating the top developers and publishers across the UK, Nordics, Europe, China, Southeast Asia, MENA and more
Awards
What The Clash? wins Best Mobile Game at Gamescom LATAM BIG Festival Awards
Poti Poti Studio’s Is This Seat Taken? takes home the Best Casual Game accolade
Ho Chi Minh Mixer
EnJoyPay and Pocket Gamer announce global game developer mixer in Ho Chi Minh City
The event is designed for teams expanding into Southeast Asia, those navigating global payment policy changes, or developers exploring official web-shop integrations
New Games
New release roundup: Neverness to Everness, Dungeon Clawler, Beholder: Conductor, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
Pgc Summit Shanghai
Make your China market move this May Day
Secure your spot at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai with our time-limited offer
Leadership Change
Jam City co-founder Joshua Yguado steps down as CEO after 16 years
Kabam CEO Chul-min Sim will serve as chief executive of both companies following his appointment
New Offerings
Roblox reveals hybrid architecture for photorealistic multiplayer worlds
“This architecture will empower creators of all sizes”
Pocket Performance
Pokémon TCG Pocket makes $1.6bn in 1.5 years
Pokémon’s fastest billion-dollar maker on mobile celebrates 1.5 years today
Industry Insights
Understanding residual cohort value: The hidden asset in mobile gaming and apps
Martin Macmillan looks at how mobile studios can better understand long-term player value
Pokemon Partnership
Pokémon Go teams up with LEGO for Go Fest 2026 in Copenhagen
The partnership ties into Pokémon Go’s 10-year anniversary celebrations
Ip Insight
Transmedia is back: Why the next hit game IP might start as an animated microdrama
AI, Roblox and beyond: 6 things we learned at Cartoon Next 2026 about the future of cross-platform storytelling
New Offerings
GameMaker launches new runtime to enable larger-scale development workflows
Source access and 3D upgrades expand the engine’s capabilities
Game Closure
Kakao Games to shut down Eversoul after three years of service
Shutdown process underway with purchases already disabled
New Offerings
Ares Interactive and AMC reveal free-to-play Walking Dead roguelite for mobile
Swift Games, the studio behind Heroes vs Hordes is handling development
Pocket Gamer Mixer
Get insight on the growing Vietnam game scene at our networking Mixer
Join us in Ho Chi Minh City for the Pocket Gamer Mixer in association with EnJoyPay on May 8th
Jobs Roundup
April 2026's Movers and Shakers: Jam City's new CEO, Roblox's GM for Europe, Apple's Tim Cook stepping down, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
Game Set And Tennis Clash
Game, set, match: Roland-Garros eSeries returns for 2026 as global eTennis dominance grows
Laure Valée will host the final stage of Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault 2026
Pgc Summit MalmÖ
Sony, Embark, Landfall Games, Raw Fury and more bring expert insight to PG Connects Summit Malmö
Learn from the brightest minds in Sweden’s games industry, funding experts and game makers
Industry Voices
“We’re getting out of a conservative trend and into a more innovation-driven moment”
Industry leaders on creativity, AI, and funding gaps in one of Europe’s rising game hubs
Gamescom Latam
Brazil wants to produce games, not just consume them as Gamescom LATAM 2026 kicks off
Event kicks off for its third year as part of Gamescom to welcome tens of thousands of consumers and business professionals
Brazil Games
How Brazil is accelerating games as a cultural export
Brazil Games' Patrícia Sato discusses why the organisation set up an accelerator program and the importance of games as a cultural export
Apple Troubles
US Appeals Court reverses Apple's stay of mandate in Epic Games case
Epic Games calls ruling the end of Apple’s delay tactics
Dma Review
EU's Digital Markets Act has "not yet reached its full potential"
Cloud and AI markets are next in the Commission's enforcement crosshairs
Mobile Mavens
“Burnout is essentially design failure”: The Mobile Mavens weigh in on player burnout
The Mobile Mavens discuss how studios manage player burnout and build long lasting player relationships
Stillfront Stats
Stillfront’s net revenue declines 14% to $143.9m, but Big Farm: Homestead drives organic growth
Stillfront significantly reduced investment in games outside its "key franchises"
Unionisation
Magic: The Gathering Arena team unionises under CWA
Workers are demanding protections on layoffs, AI adoption and remote work
Market Growth
UK studios face heavier workloads as 62% report pressure from skill shortages
TIGA calls for stronger education and policy alignment in new report
Milestone
Ludus surpasses 10m downloads as new Divisions system drives competitive play
Ludus records 74.6% year-over-year revenue growth
Industry Outlook
European studios increased freelance spending 63% in 2025 as hiring shifts toward contract work
New study from Mellow shows remote talent demand is rising across every major role category
Acqusitions
Atari acquires Implicit Conversions to expand retro game preservation efforts
The deal expands emulation capabilities particularly for 32-bit era games
Aurora Awards Uk
“I've seen inconsistent availability of computer science subjects and low take-up for girls”
Nicky Ormrod on the need to go back to school to fix the gender imbalance in games
Cafes Incoming
Square Enix confirms official cafe and shops for Los Angeles and Shinjuku
The venues will feature themed food and drinks inspired by multiple game franchises
Going Public
Modern Times Group's PlaySimple files for $350m IPO in Mumbai
The Swedish firm will retain majority ownership post-listing
Milestone
Torn RPG surpasses 100,000 daily players after 22 years of growth
The game’s daily player count has more than doubled since early 2024
Vietnam Vitality
Over 50% of Vietnam population plays mobile games as MMORPGs and 4X dominate spending
Vietnamese mobile gamers spent $825m in 2025, averaging 2.5 hours of daily playtime
Hypercasual Evolution
What happened to hypercasual? The market’s evolution over the past year
Eugene Tatonkin explores how hypercasual games have changed over the past year and what the latest market data reveals
Global Ambition
Afrime Studios founders on funding Unyverse and building for 670m players of colour
“We've been in rooms where the vision is clear, the opportunity is clear, and you still feel the weight of scepticism that isn't evenly distributed"