New Studio
Monopoly Go developer Scopely opens new studio in Saudi Arabia
The new division, called Mirai, is led by industry veteran Charity Joy
Jobs In Games
Jobs in Games: Belka Games lead game designer Kate Shtirts on making it in the games industry
Shtirts offers advice on getting a job in game design and working as part of a team
Investigation
CMA Investigates Apple and Google’s dominance in UK mobile market
The CMA expects to make a final decision in March 2025
Milestone
Matchingham Games celebrates reaching 750 million downloads worldwide
“A huge thank you to everyone who’s been part of this journey.”
Investment News
Stillfront secures $78 million in successful bond issuance
The new bond framework positions Stillfront for future growth
Premium Power
Balatro nears $4.4m on mobile amid a sudden spending surge
LocalThunk’s premium game had been on the decline throughout October
New Offerings
Sony is developing a handheld console to run PlayStation 5 games
The company could be eyeing a return to portable gaming after discontinuing the PS Vita and PSP
Rewarded Ua
The rise of rewarded user acquisition platforms
Almedia CEO and founder Moritz Holländer delves into one of the industry's hottest trends in 2024
Podcast | Episode 37
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket's blockbuster launch and Royal Kingdom hype | 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 and what's inside this week's episode 37...
Earnings Report
Flexion profit rises by 54% to £3.9m as it rides direct-to-consumer wave
The company is working on a new service set to launch in 2025 that will feature an SDK for non-Google/Apple distribution
Resource Ready
LEGO and UNICEF release eight key frameworks to promote child wellbeing in games
The pair’s Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children Design Toolbox includes resources and practical tools to promote children’s wellbeing
Cloud Gaming
Samsung releases mobile cloud gaming platform for Galaxy devices in North America
The platform lets users play Android-native games without a download
Funding News
Appcharge lands $26 million to boost direct-to-consumer platform for mobile games
Backers include Supercell, Creandum, Play Ventures and Gillot Capital
New Offerings
My.Games launches MGVC Publishing with $100m marketing budget to scale mobile games
The new division is on the hunt for games in soft launch and released titles ready to scale
Royal Revenue
Royal Kingdom records $450k in first four days to beat Royal Match’s debut
The UK remains on top for player spending after a head start through soft launch
New Offerings
Supersonic launches Top Creatives Library to help game developers drive growth
The library allows developers to discover top-performing assets from live Supersonic titles
Hot Five
Hot Five: Monopoly Go’s 58% decline, Adjust lays off staff, but "seismic" Pokémon TCG Pocket could be the next Pokémon Go
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Culture Change
Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen: “I was actually quite worried about the company”
"The problem was that we were trying to solve these two very different problems using exactly the same type of approach"
Fireside Chat
Full Slush 2024 transcript: Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen on the Clash of Clans developer's evolving culture
Paananen goes in-depth on Supercell's evolution, touch choices, and changes to new and live game development
Executive Shuffle
Adjust names new CEO amid layoffs
Andrey Kazakov returns to the company to take the top role
Job Losses
AppLovin-owned Adjust lays off staff
Mobile app measurement firm was acquired in April 2021
Week That Was
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket breaks out, industry investment returns, Ever Crisis hits $100m | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
African Esports
Behind the scenes of the Carry1st Africa Cup: A bold new chapter for African esports
MENA insider Stephen Sandmann speaks with Carry1st community manager Oluwaseun Aladelo on the growing competitive gaming scene in Africa
Pg Awards Black Friday
Pocket Gamer Awards live ceremony offers exclusive Black Friday weekend discount
Join us for awards, networking, and festive fun at the Pocket Gamer Awards 2024 and save 20% off with Black Friday weekend discount.
Five New Games
New release roundup: Royal Kingdom, DC Heroes United, TED Tumblewords, and more
We highlight the new games that have broken cover over the past week
Dissolved
Bandai Namco Online to shut down after 16 years of operation
There's no word on whether staff are going to be affected by this move
Mobile's New Kings
Royal Kingdom is here - Are new hits reshaping the top grossing mobile games charts?
Analysing the new kings of mobile gaming
Job News
Pocket Worlds recruits ex-TikTok leader as new head of trust and safety
Sean will enhance moderation policies and expand the team with specialised roles
New Offerings
Quicksave launches no-code solution to transform web design
QSApp aims to help businesses stand out by turning static websites into dynamic and engaging experiences
No Bs Fridays
The celebrity effect in mobile game advertising: When stars collide with games
In this regular column UA and marketing expert Matej Lančarič shares his thoughts on some of the biggest topics in games
Investment News
WTFund and Nazara Technologies back Norian Games and Xigma Games with $240,000 investment
“This fund is a small step in supporting companies that have made a mark with their innovative games”
Ticket Competition
Win your spot at the Pocket Gamer Awards 2024!
Enter our competition to win complimentary tickets to the Pocket Gamer Awards 2024 – a night celebrating the best games and festive networking!
Pgc London
What to expect at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2025
Pocket Gamer Connects London - the ultimate gathering for games industry professionals to connect, learn, and thrive in 2025
A New Focus
Hasbro aims to invest up to $150m a year in games
The company has already invested $1 billion to its gaming division
1000 Apps And Counting
Gamelight Celebrates Milestone of 1,000 Mobile Apps Promoted Worldwide
Gamelight has reached an exciting milestone - promoting over 1000 mobile games and apps through its rewarded user acquisition platform.
Cloud Gaming
MTN and Telecoming partnership brings cloud gaming to mobile in South Africa
Players in the region can now stream Steam titles directly to their smartphones
Funding News
KGeN secures $10 million for web3-powered ‘gamer controlled’ economies
The latest raise brings the company's valuation to $500 million
Sinking Spending
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis surpasses $100 million
Square Enix’s RPG hits the mobile milestone after over a year and slowdown in monthly revenue
Very Big Indie Pitch
The Big Indie Interviews: Not A Cult on getting players out the door with award-winning fantasy MMORPG WalkScape
Community building, being active, and MMORPG combine in this PGC Helsinki pitch competition third place winner from a Finnish indie developer
Dream Deal
Playtika completes acquisition of Dice Dreams developer SuperPlay
The deal could be worth up to $1.95 billion, depending on SuperPlay’s performance in the next three years
Tiktok Webinar
Watch: How to unlock your game’s next level with TikTok
Gain insights into live ops and marketing through TikTok during Q5 and beyond
Royal Arrival
Dream Games launches Royal Kingdom worldwide as Royal Match nears $4 billion
One of the year's most anticipated releases is here after generating $21.2 million in soft launch
Critical Hit
Game Analysis: The winning formula behind Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
Jakub Remiar takes a deeper look at how the latest Pokémon game is securing more than $4 million a day
Jobs Roundup
November's Mobile Movers and Shakers: PlayStation's new head of mobile, Noice appoints CEO, Ubisoft names CPO, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
New Offerings
Minecraft set for real-world attractions with $110m Merlin Entertainments deal
The strategic partnership will see themed rides, attractions, hotel rooms and retail outlets from 2026 to 2027
Ai Ads
Reforged Labs begins open beta for generative AI-created mobile game ads following $3.9m investment
The open beta allows developers to upload gameplay and automate animated, voiced game ads
Job News
Almedia goes on recruitment drive with 17 new hires
Hires form part of Almedia's growth plans across Europe and North America over the next year
Pgc San Francisco
Save the date: PG Connects will return to San Francisco next year
Join us for the USA edition of our conference series for the global games industry on March 17th and 18th 2025
Adaptation Ahoy
Final Fantasy XIV Mobile is being developed by Tencent’s Lightspeed Studios
Square Enix will publish the mobile iteration of its 2013 MMORPG
Market Growth
Xsolla signs MoU to help transform Busan into a global game development hub
Xsolla plans to open an Asia-Pacific HQ to support game developers