2025 Reflection
SayGames reflects on 2025: Fewer projects but deeper partnerships
SayGames chief publishing officer Anton Volnykh discusses the company's strategy that has shaped the year and what he expects for 2026
M&a
NCSoft acquires majority stake in Singapore's Indygo Group for $103.8m
NCSoft bought a 67% stake in Indygo Group for $103.8m, becoming its largest shareholder
New Offerings
YouTube's AI-powered Playables Builder will let creators make games
The closed beta is currently limited to creators in the US, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia
New Offerings
FIFA and Roblox extend partnership with launch of FIFA Super Soccer
Gamefam rebranded its Super League Soccer as FIFA’s official Roblox game
Developer Support
Supercell to launch new grants programme for African game developers
The programme will officially launch in 2026 with non-dilutive grants ranging from $20,000 to $200,000
Acqusitions
Netflix acquires avatar-creation platform Ready Player Me
The platform will shut down its services on January 31st, 2026 following the sale
Hot Five
Hot Five: Where Winds Meet launch numbers, 2025's biggest trends and game releases, and Supercell restructuring
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 77
Games industry trends 2025 review | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 77...
Week In Views
Roblox’s one trillion YouTube views, Asia dominates mobile’s biggest launches, and Netflix teams up with FIFA | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
New Games
New release roundup: Maneater, Sengodai, Cozy Coast: Merge Adventure, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
Games Of The Year
PocketGamer.biz's mobile games of the year 2025: Kingshot, Persona 5: The Phantom X, Fire Emblem Shadows
The PocketGamer.biz discusses their favourite games of the year, including honourable mentions and titles on other platforms
Apps Business Summit London
Learn from Duolingo and Booking.com's expertise for new growth strategies in the global apps economy
Top speakers coming to the Apps Business Summit on January, 19th
Trends Roundup
The mobile games industry trends that shaped 2025
A look back at the top stories and trends of the year
Acqusitions
Mythwright acquires minimalist strategy title Thronefall
The acquisition brings Thronefall into Mythwright’s growing catalogue of niche strategy and simulation titles
Milestone
The Game Awards 2025 reportedly attracted an estimated 171m global livestreams
Viewership follows last year’s 31% jump, when the show reached 154m livestreams worldwide
Settlement Reached
Sony and Tencent reach confidential settlement over Light of Motiram
The agreement brings an early close to Sony’s lawsuit alleging the game was a clone of the Horizon series
Expansions
AviaGames establishes new subsidiary in Germany as part of global expansion strategy
The move marks AviaGames’ official entry into the European market
Crossovers
Sega brings Godzilla to Sonic Rumble in limited-time crossover event
The month-long collaboration introduces a new stage, playable kaiju and unique abilities
Beyond Games
Did these five games and music predictions come true in 2025?
Video games and music strategist and consultant Mat Ombler looks back at the last year in music for Roblox, Fortnite, Epic Games, mobile – and a certain high profile triple-A no-show
Apps Business Summit London
Duolingo headlines the Apps Business Summit in London on January 19th
Duolingo’s Simon Hade and Nicoll Hunt will share expert insight at the debut Apps Business Summit and Pocket Gamer Connects London
Asian Domination
Asia dominates 2025’s biggest mobile releases as top 10 new games make $2.2bn
Spending on the biggest new releases fell, down from $3bn across the top 10 of 2024
Industry Outlook
The global games market is forecast to reach $197bn in 2025
Mobile games are projected to generate $108bn in 2025, up 7.7% year-on-year
New Partnerships
Esports World Cup Foundation signs MoU with Ghadan to expand community engagement at esports events in Saudi Arabia
Ghadan and the EWCF will establish a framework covering volunteer management and social impact initiatives
Real-money Gambit
Sbarter unfazed by India’s real-money ban in €40m skill-based gaming ambitions
CMO Dominique Cor discusses the Sbarter's €40 million raise, real-money gaming regulation, and web3's struggles
Pgc Summit San Francisco
Pocket Gamer Connects Summit San Francisco revealed as part of the 2026 world tour
On March 9th, we bring our globally reputable B2B games event stateside to gather mobile games professionals as the second stop on our world tour
Legal Win
Apple secures partial appeals court win in Epic Games App Store case to retain reasonable commission
Apple may now seek a reasonable commission on off-platform purchases instead of facing a total ban
New Partnerships
Netflix partners with FIFA to launch football simulation game ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026
The mobile title is being developed and published by Delphi Interactive and will be exclusive to Netflix members
Milestone
Roblox content surpasses one trillion all-time views on YouTube
Players logged 88.7bn hours on Roblox in 2025, alongside over 50m daily searches
Warner Warning
Warner Bros. will urge shareholders against Paramount’s $108.4bn deal, reports claim
A deal with Netflix was already accepted, subject to regulatory approval
Multiplayer Made Easier
Inside Coherence 2.0 and lowering the barrier to building multiplayer games
CEO and founder Dino Patti talks about Coherence 2.0 and why multiplayer no longer needs to be a five year infrastructure project
Milestone
Ludus: Merge Arena surpasses 8 million installs
The milestone was achieved following a year of new events and partnerships
Retention Rates
"We don’t talk about low CPIs anymore" as hybridcasual raises player retention
Utku Erdinç and Teemu Kokkonen discussed genres and retention rates at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2025
Transmedia Ip
How IP cross-over is driving opportunities beyond games
Why transmedia strategies drive audience expansion and revenue
Pgc London 2026
Industry beacon Pocket Gamer Connects hits record-high numbers five weeks prior to London event
More content, more meetings, and more attendees already registered for January 19th and 20th
Market Analysis
Greenlighting is a lottery: How Voodoo, SLG Giants, and Habby turn ‘luck’ into ‘math’
While indies pray for a hit, the industry giants have turned mysticism into mathematics. Here is how they calculate the optimal solution in an uncertain market.
Industry Debate
Awards recognition "important for mobile’s reputation in the gaming community"
Midjiwan CEO Christian Lövstedt discusses his open letter and how mobile games companies can do more to be in the running for the industry’s top accolades
Award Achieved
Shift Up CEO wins Presidential Commendation for Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Stellar Blade
His impact on South Korea’s games industry was recognised by the Ministry for Culture, Sports, and Tourism
Aurora Award
Last chance to nominate for Aurora: Celebrating Women in the UK Games Industry
Nominations close on Thursday, December 18th
Milestone
Where Winds Meet hits 15 million players within one month of release
The game released with a staggered launch across PC, PlayStation 5 and mobile
Pgc London
Last chance to save up to £160 on tickets to Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026
Mid-Term savings to the UK’s biggest games industry event end soon
Supercell Shift
Supercell elevates Sara Bach to president as key teams unite under Live Games banner
Paananen called this Live Games unit the "next evolution of Supercell"
Action Arrival
Where Winds Meet makes $557,000 during launch weekend outside China
Everstone Studio’s flagship launched overseas on mobile on December 12th
Tiktok Deal
TikTok’s US sale stalls despite readiness from investors
As the deadline draws near the fate of TikTok’s US operations still remain unresolved
Funding Round
Zoe Studios secures Angel investment to make chess more accessible
Developer aims to kick off a VC raise as it looks to develop and scale a new chess experience for mobile
Mena Trends
Key MENA trends: Partnerships, console growth, and Saudi's strategic shift
Savvy alone signed at least 15 MoUs in 2025, making partnerships one of the year’s defining themes
Hot Five
Hot Five: Netflix vs Paramount in Warner Bros. deal, EasyWin lands $15m valuation, and Duolingo’s Genshin Impact crossover
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Privacy Policy
Stricter data collection rules mark a "defining moment" for India's games industry
The updated Digital Personal Data Protection Act requires greater transparency and data protection
Week In Views
Navigating new trends, why award shows overlook mobile, and Supercell’s AI testing | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Pgc London
Massive 32-track conference schedule revealed for PG Connects London 2026
Start 2026 with the most up-to-date industry insights, trends and forecasts
Mobile Snub
Why ignoring mobile gaming at the world’s biggest awards shows matters
The games industry looks stuck decades in the past if it can't embrace other platforms