Accomplished Anniversary
Dungeon & Fighter Mobile surpasses $1.3bn in first year on Chinese App Store
Nexon’s mega-hit bolstered franchise revenue by 162% in its release quarter and went on to be 2024’s biggest new mobile release
Agenda Overview
Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2025 agenda overview: Insights and networking await in the heart of the European games industry
The Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2025 agenda is live. Join us June 3rd and 4th to gain insights from 100+ industry leaders and network with top professionals.
Job Losses
Wooga struck by around 50 layoffs as Claire’s Chronicles: Solitaire cancelled
The news comes as the developer moved into its new office
Mobile Mavens
How to launch a new game in 2025
Our Mobile Mavens share insights and advice on launching a new game in today’s market
Clash Incoming
CLASH: A Clash of Clans Netflix show is now in pre-production
The series based on the Clash of Clans and Clash Royale universe is being animated by ICON Creative Studio
Earnings Report
Yalla Group records $83.9m revenue in Q1 2025 despite 8% decline in paying users
The company's game services generated $30.1m
Mobile Milestone
Delta Force surpasses $100m on mobile
The tactical shooter earned $72.9m on mobile ahead of global rollout, with a further $33.8m earned since
New Offerings
Why investor Jetapult is building AI platform GamePac
“Our philosophy is that tools should adapt to the studio, not the other way around," said Jetapult CEO Sharan Tulsiani
Career Zone
Careers Zone at Pocket Gamer Connects: Matchmaking that works
Cross-platform Curve
Nazara acquires UK publisher Curve Games for $28.9m
The deal will see Nazara take 100% ownership of Curve from Catalis Group
Studio Closure
Jason Avent’s Hardball Games closing down
"Gradually during 2023, the market went cold, the money taps all turned off and the conversations we were having all went dry"
New Offerings
Moonton has soft launched MLBB Lite in Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa
A streamlined version of the developer's popular Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Epic Complaint
SAG-AFTRA files complaint against Epic Games over AI Darth Vader voice in Fortnite
Complaint was filed against Epic subsidiary Llama Productions
Legal Royale
Judge asks Apple why it believes it has legal authority to ignore injunction
"Obviously, Apple is fully capable of resolving this issue without further briefing or a hearing," says judge
Netease Numbers
NetEase Games revenue rises 12% Y/Y to $3.3bn in Q1
Eggy Party, Where Winds Meet, Infinite Borders and more were named among the quarter’s successes
Mystery Opportunity
Ubisoft reveals new Asia mobile games deal as platform accounts for 22% of bookings in Q4
CEO Yves Guillemot refuses to elaborate on new "opportunity"
Market Report
Games industry growth stalls at $189.3 billion as companies struggle with player retention
New report from Duamentes finds that 60% of new mobile games in crowded genres struggle to gain traction
Earnings Report
Ubisoft revenue falls 17.5% in FY 2024-25 as it eyes expansion of key IPs
“This year has been a challenging one for Ubisoft, with mixed dynamics across our portfolio…” said Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot
Rich List 2025
Playrix, Tripledot and King founders make The Sunday Times Rich List 2025
Playrix's Igor and Dmitry Bukhman were the only mobile game makers in the top 100, ranking 10th overall ahead of King Charles III and former UK prime minster Rishi Sunak
Aidian Evermerge Partnership
Aidian Network Announces Strategic Partnership with Big Fish Games' EverMerge
New partnership will enchant players by bringing the magic of EverMerge to China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan
Game Closure
Activision pulls the plug on Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile
There is currently no official date for shutting down the server permanently
Reboot Results
Square Enix claims "a familiar list" of mobile games reduce odds of success as net sales fall 9% to five-year low
Its digital entertainment business saw net sales decline by 17%, though profit rose through reduced expenses
Epic Vs Apple
Apple maintains Fortnite ban as Epic pushes back with new court filing
Apple advised Epic to withdraw the current Fortnite submission for the US App Store and resubmit it without including the country’s storefront
Hot Five
Hot Five: Squad Busters 2.0, Tencent’s game sales up 24%, and Sonic Rumble’s tentative 2025 release
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 53
Will Squad Busters 2.0 revive its fortunes? | 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 53...
New Games
New release roundup: Shogun Showdown, Astronaut Joe: Magnetic Rush, Lego Friends Heartlake Rush+, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
Epic Delay
Epic Games calls out Apple over blocking Fortnite approval
The developer first submitted the app for review on May 9th
Job Cuts
KLab offers voluntary redundancy to 100 staff after three years of losses
Financial struggles are partly due to the delayed global launch of EA Sports FC Tactical
Investment News
Super Banana secures funding to expand and innovate in the casual puzzle genre
“We’ve seen what works, and more importantly, we’ve seen what hasn’t”
Leadership Change
Stillfront names Tim Holland interim CFO as strategic leadership shuffle continues
He will remain based in Stockholm as part of the executive management team
New Offerings
Marvel Contest of Champions debuts on PC after amassing $2bn on mobile
The fighting game generated nearly $130m in 2024
Pgc Barcelona
Applications close soon for the fringe events at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona
Sign up by Monday 19th for the finest curated networking this June 3rd and 4th
Kill Your Darlings
Can Squad Busters 2.0 hit the mark for Supercell?
A look at the game's early failings and whether "kill your darlings" should apply to live games, too
Region Focus
How Barcelona is establishing itself as a key mobile games industry hub
Ahead of the debut Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona on June 3rd to 4th, we speak to industry locals about the opportunities and challenges facing the development hub
Very Big Indie Pitch
Fideo's Adventure was full of confidence and won the Very Big Indie Pitch at Dubai GameExpo Summit
Find out who took the top three spot at Dubai GameExpo Summit's big indie pitching content
Game Set And Match
Anyone for eTennis? An interview with Roland-Garros' Aymeric Labaste
Aymeric Labaste, Director of International Development at Roland-Garros tells PG.biz about the company's approach to eTennis and why Tennis Clash might be the future of fandom
Legal View
A legal breakdown of what happens next in the Epic Games vs. Apple case shaking up the mobile market
Futura Digital partner Alexandra Kurdyumova and associate Nazar Volkov analyse the latest ruling opening up the App Store
Revenue Rise
Tencent game sales up 24% Y/Y to $25bn in Q1 with Honor of Kings, Delta Force and Brawl Stars pulling their weight
Games accounted for nearly $6bn in Q1 revenue, or 24% of total earnings
New Offerings
Industry veterans launch Unreal Engine-focused Codfish Academy in Portugal
“We are looking to bridge the gap between formal education and industry needs"
Funding News
Studio42 raises $3.6m to accelerate mobile game development
The company is developing its first original game, blending classic puzzle mechanics with a modern hybrid-casual approach
Dungeon Driver
Nexon’s revenue surpasses $780m this Q1 as Dungeon & Fighter Mobile China drives 60% franchise growth
The developer’s operating income increased by 43% YoY, though quarterly profit fell by 27%
Acqusitions
Team Vitality expands into Southeast Asia with Bigetron Esports acquisition
Bigetron Esports will rebrand as ‘Bigetron by Vitality’
Investment News
TaleMonster Games secures $7m seed funding to boost puzzle game development
The studio currently has 17 employees across multiple cities and aims to double its staff by next year
Pgc Helsinki
Lowest ticket rate ending: Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2025 – this week only!
Save up to £520 on the two-day games industry conference this October 7th and 8th
Seed Round Secured
Layer AI closes $6.5m seed round with generative AI tools geared to mobile devs
The funding will be used to further develop features and scale up team size
Earnings Report
Aristocrat Leisure hit with $74m Big Fish impairment charge after cuts
Big Fish Games will solely focus on evergreen titles and halt new game development
Mena
Kiro'o Games' lofty ambitions for the African games market
Madiba Guillaume Olivier discusses the studio's upcoming mobile game, $1m funding goal, and its vision for the future of games in Africa.
Pgc Barcelona
Meet the latest speakers for PG Connects Barcelona 2025!
Just some of the 100 experts delivering a packed 20-track conference schedule this June 3rd to 4th
Animal Appeal
Seven years of Zoo 2: Animal Park: Longevity, season passes, and the importance of new content
We speak with Zoo 2: Animal Park’s project manager Bernd Willuhn about the game’s long-term appeal, remaining accessible to newcomers and more
Lost Link
Square Enix cancels geolocation game Kingdom Hearts Missing Link
The title was announced in April 2022 and has had multiple beta tests, but details have remained sparse