Sensor Tower Report
Honkai: Star Rail races past Genshin Impact in overseas revenue
MiHoYo’s latest game continues to be a massive success according to the latest data
Q&a
Kirk Scott joins Pingle as Vice President of Publisher and Developer Relations
The global game development partner aims to “conquer the world”
Fluent Report
48% of Gen Z-ers have at least four gaming apps downloaded
A new report by Fluent delves into the world of app downloads
New Studio
Krafton opens new deep learning-focused studio, ReLU Games
The studio will be Krafton’s 11th independent developer
Company Spotlight
Company Spotlight: Finz Games
Find out more about Finz Games, the developer and publisher, based in Pakistan who've scored hits with their innovative sports and fighting games
Tencent X India
Tencent eyes a comeback in India with Undawn
The game’s titles were removed from India but Tencent is ready to return via Level Infinite
Guest Post
Maximising ROI with Playable Ads: Key Strategies for Success
Mobvista’s Greg Castro discusses the state of playable ads
Partnerships
Hutch to partner with Forza's Turn 10 for standalone racing game
The studio behind Top Drives is set to tackle working with Microsoft's top driving team
Markets
Tencent and NetEase regain momentum as licences return
But licences volumes are still below their equivalent levels from 2017
New Report
Mobile dominates total gamers in America
But mobile still lags in time spent in-game, reports Insider Intelligence and eMarketer
Milestones
TikTok becomes first app to surpass $1 billion consumer spend in single quarter
The milestone puts it above competitors such as Tencent's Honor of Kings.
Q&a
Daniel Paez on expanding Web3 game Gods Unchained to the mobile market
While Web3 and blockchain games may still be unfamiliar to many the mobile platform offers an opportunity for wider exposure
Closures
Co-developers of Subway Surfers, Kiloo, to shut its doors
The studio’s staff were served a notice of termination to take effect at the end of June
Funding
Million Victories secures $6.5m in funding
The money came as part of a series A funding round
Funding
UK video game industry to benefit from additional $5m boost
The boost comes as part of a larger plan to boost creative industries by $50bn
Acquiblizz
A US judge has blocked Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Despite being approved around the world, the biggest acquisition in gaming history still faces significant hurdles
Interview
Kabam’s Mark Raham on the creation of Disney Mirrorverse
Our MGA Award's People’s Choice award winner is Kabam’s latest big IP hit. But how did they tackle such a big project from such a big name?
Artificial Intelligence
ChatGPT app reaches 351,000 downloads in the UK
The generative AI platform has proved a winner in mobile app form
Unity Report
Mixed ad strategies come out on top, with offerwalls leading the way
Unity’s new report delves into the state of mobile game monetisation
Guest Post
Personalising gameplay: enhancing player experiences and extending game lifecycles
Skillsprint CEO Chethan Ramachandran on the potential of offering diverse experiences in the same game
New Partnership
Azerion’s GameDistribution announces a new partnership with Moonlander.ai
The companies aim to revolutionise game development with AI powered gaming
Company Spotlight
Company Spotlight: Sunday
Find out more about Sunday, the hypercasual specialist, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, responsible for titles including Cat Escape, Spinner Merge and Mr Pain
Announcements
Is Samurai Shodown coming to mobile on Netflix Games?
A now-private video, widely shared, indicates the SNK title would be released soon on Netflix Games
Legislation
Google's ads business under threat from EU Commission
The European Commission has sparred with Google before
Launches
Krafton launches pre-registrations for Clash-like Defense Derby
The title will be developed by RisingWings
Web3 Wonder
Hybrid Web3 game NFL Rivals approaches 1 million installs in 6 weeks
15% of revenue generated through Web3 item resale between players
Legislation
India to enact new laws prohibiting three types of mobile game
The new regulations are both a clarification, and an incredibly broad set of factors to be interpreted
Gaming In Japan
Why we want more Square Enix mobile games in the West
Bravely Default: Brilliant Lights deserves a chance to shine outside of Japan. And that's not all…
Mavens
Mobile Mavens: Is the Vision Pro the next iPhone moment?
We asked industry experts for their thoughts on the reveal of Apple’s Vision pro mixed reality headset
Deal Disruption
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard sued by FTC
The Federal Trade Commission aims to block the acquisition sooner rather than later
Exclusive Interview
Zynga’s Yaron Leyvand talks Take-Two, the games industry, and their secrets for success
We catch up with Zynga's executive vice president of mobile games, one year on from Take-Two’s acquisition
Restructuring
Embracer announces restructuring programme after disastrous Q4 financials
After a massive $2bn deal fell through at the eleventh-hour, Embracer is in damage-control mode
Closures
Mobile sports game developer Nifty to close after five years
The announcement was made in a LinkedIn post by CEO Jon Middleton
Ubisoft X Level Infinite
Ubisoft partners with Level Infinite to launch Assassin’s Creed Jade
The companies are also partnering to launch Tom Clancy’s The Division Resurgence in Southeast Asia
Animoca Brands
Animoca Brands to shift focus away from US markets
The company’s cryptocurrency, Sand, has been named an unregistered security by the Security and Exchange Commission
Feature
Using AI in games development: Part One
In a new series iLogos Game Studios founder Alexander Goldybin explains how developers can best utilise all that AI has to offer
Apple Vs Epic
Apple and Epic ask US court to reconsider the ruling in their dispute
The ongoing battle between the companies takes yet another turn
Interview
Mobile ray-tracing’s chicken and egg problem
Imagination Technologies’ chief marketing officer David Harold discusses the the promise of ray-tracing for mobile games and why it may only be a couple of years away
Partnerships
WeMade acquire 20% stake in external developer StandEgg
StandEgg will be the first external developer to work with WeMade, and will produce two titles based on Anipang
Sales
Improbable sells off defence business in pivot to metaverse
The company has worked in mobile previously
Teaming Up
Activision Blizzard piles in to support Microsoft’s CMA appeal
UK regulator to face Microsoft and Activision Blizzard together in cloud gaming appeal
Hypercasual Acquisition
AI Games FZ acquires Good Job Games’ hypercasual portfolio
Good Job Games has a successful track record in user acquisition
Week That Was
Week in Views - What caught our eyes in the last seven days
The Pocketgamer.biz team take their pick of this weeks big news including Apple's Vision Pro, what Netflix did next and a welcome 'light touch' to UA
Financials
MiHoYo made more money than either EA, Activision Blizzard and Embracer
The Genshin impact developer is cagey with financials
Interview
Maysalward’s Nour Khrais: “There is always an opportunity in the MENA region”
We catch up with this years Mobile Legend award winner in advance of our Dubai Game Expo Summit
An Apple (game) A Day
All Apple Arcade games available now
From Subway Surfers Tag and Sayonara Wild Hearts to Sonic Racing and Amazing Bomberman
Happy Anniversary
Alchimerge: Merge and Crafts celebrates first anniversary
The game has added graphical and character customisation enhancements to mark the occasion
Q&a
Uptodown CEO Luis Hernández on the rise of alternative app stores
Alternative app store Uptodown offers developers a new home for their apps
Pre-registrations
Kabam opens preregistration for cross-platform title King Arthur: Legends Rise
The game will be Kabam’s first cross-platform title
Final Fantasy Vii
FInal Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis preregistration is open
The announcement came with a new trailer for the game