High Hopes
Supercell's great expectations
For almost any other studio, Squad Busters would be a major hit. But is it enough for Supercell?
Interview
Babil Games' CEO Ghina Al-Sharif on leading the company, effective localisation and MENA challenges
We talk emerging technologies, such as AI, and the importance of maintaining a company culture
Podcast | Episode 19
Is Squad Busters a success or failure? | 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 19...
It's Not Over Yet
Apple's store police just rejected Epic's App Store submission
Epic's App Store is trapped in limbo as Apple's notorious policy police reject Epic's first stab at getting onto the newly 'open' post-DMA iOS
Week That Was
Week in Views - Apple's gateway price cuts, World of Tanks crazy crossovers, and who needs game devs anyway?
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Developer Stories
“Apple blocked my account and deleted all my other apps. Instantly $3,000 in daily revenue was gone”
Apple is 'famous' for the opaque nature of its App Store regulations. Here developer Viktor Seraleev shares his nightmare app launch story and why he intends to sue Apple
Gotta Play Them All
I played Pokémon Go for 365 days… And it's still only Niantic’s second-best game…
PG.biz's Aaron Astle goes in deep on Pokémon Go to mark its eighth birthday, and finds a game that still has plenty of room for improvement
Critical Hit
Pokémon Go catches nearly $8 billion in eight years
Niantic's blockbuster fell to its lowest revenue since 2017 - but its web shop could be hiding true player spend
Branching Out
Kwalee takes 3.58% minority stake in Devolver Digital via new equity placing
Devolver have successfully raised around £7.9 million in new investment through recent moves to boost their balance sheet
Resilient Growth
Dungeon and Fighter: Origin hits $500 million revenue in its first month
The game made $233.5 million from the Apple App Store alone in June
State Of Play
Two-thirds of Chinese mobile gamers play mini games
650 million players drive mini games growth while gamers aged 18-22 now play more hours per week than those aged 23 and up
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from Zenless Zone Zero to Zen Koi Pro+
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Nintendo Know-how
Nintendo doesn’t trust AI to make its games
President Shuntaro Furukawa would rather keep making games the Nintendo way rather than hand the reins to AI
He Shoots. He Scores
Sporty Group acquires Jon Hare's Sociable Soccer
Hare's spin on the legendary Sensible Soccer is now part of the SportyBet company's portfolio of betting and gaming brands
Top Charts
June 2024 mobile game charts: Dungeon & Fighter Mobile hits No. 1, and Supercell rises to No. 2
Our monthly look at the global mobile game rankings across the App Store and Google Play
Jobs In Games
Roblox appoints former Xbox and Netflix man Jerret West as CMO
Roblox will leverage West's experience with global teams to drive international growth
Mobile Moments
"Without a shadow of a doubt the launch of both app stores that year was game-changing"
AdInMo's COO Joanne Lacey reflects on the early days of mobile and delivers her pick of its biggest breakthroughs
Back To Blast
Netflix's latest big name release is Microsoft's Minesweeper from 1990
The classic puzzle game first made its first appearance on desktops around the world as part of Windows 3.11's Windows Entertainment Pack
Web3 Watch
Animoca Brands eyes IPO in Hong Kong or Dubai for 2025
Co-founder Yat Siu says the company is confident about going public, likely in the second half of 2025
Shortlist Showcase
Meet the Finalists: Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2024 in association with Gamelight
Every category, every shortlisted nomination showcased for the most important vote you'll cast this week
Battle Over Bots
Skillz files lawsuit against rivals Voodoo over alleged "straight-out lies", bots, and rigged tournaments
Their latest suit claims Voodoo has falsely advertised Blitz - Win Cash and harmed Skillz market share
Game Over?
Finnish startup Bitmagic raises $4 million for AI platform able to create games from text prompts
With Supercell as an investor the company has launched its platform on Steam Playtest as it seeks to "make game creation accessible to everyone"
Billions Buyout
Keywords Studios sells for £2.1 billion in £24.50-per-share EQT buyout
The deal concludes the company's recent $145.8 million M&A strategy and it will now be acquired itself
Revenue Boost
What are 'skip-its' and how will they affect ad monetisation in 2024?
Božo Janković discusses the rise of a new monetisation option and how it's offering a new avenue for revenue generation in mobile gaming
Busting Out
Supercell’s Squad Busters hits $24m net revenue in first 30 days
Supercell's latest picked up 40m installs during its first 30 days
Interview
"As an industry, we need a success story - a studio that achieves a major hit that captures widespread attention"
FitNot Games founder Abdallah Elshabrawy on the African games market and the region's latent potential
Zenless Zenith
Zenless Zone Zero to launch globally with DOUBLE Honkai: Star Rail’s pre-registrations
The game finally lands across the world today and tomorrow and we've got the latest launch figures and exactly WHEN it'll hit your timezone
Expansion On Hold
Rumour: Apple is delaying its plans for an East Coast campus by four years
The tech giant has taken on over 600 workers in Raleigh, North Carolina to date
Apple Rebound
Apple's iPhone shipments in China surge nearly 40% in May, fuelled by aggressive price cuts
The smartphone giant is likely the driving force behind increase in foreign-brand shipments in China
Collab Cometh
Goddess of Victory: Nikke is delivering its "biggest minigame ever" via Dave the Diver collab
Shift Up’s shooter is going retro with a neew pixel-graphics game mode starting July 4th
Distribution Divestment
Thunderful Group sells off distribution business as it focuses on games
The move forms part of a strategy to become a "pure-play games company", not a distributor
Strategic Growth
Nazara eyes full acquisition of Kiddopia in $36m deal
The purchase could be finalised later this month
Mavens
Mobile Mavens: The industry wades in on sexist ads, aiming to “drive meaningful change”
Our industry experts discuss why sexist ads are being created and what we can collectively do to combat them
Podcast
Leveraging IP on a shoestring budget with Tilting Point’s Enric Pedró | Podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode…
Pgc Stories
PGC Stories: "The event was a testament to the incredible talent and creativity flourishing in the MENA region"
King's Aïda Figuerola shares her favourite PGC memories
Interview
Spoilz CEO Musab Almalki on exploring AI in game development, MENA growth and funding challenges
"There's a discernible shift towards mobile gaming, with players increasingly seeking high-quality, localised content."
Acquisition Alliance
Nodwin Gaming to build an esports "alliance" through 100% acquisition of Freaks 4U Gaming
Nodwin currently holds a 13.51% stake and will increase this in tranches to 57%, then 100%
New Appointments
InnoGames appoints Sebastian Goldt as its new CMO
The former director of growth will now oversee all marketing activities for the company behind $1 billion-earner Forge of Empires
Nordic Spotlight
Over 140 games being made in the Nordics right now
We put the spotlight on the live games and new titles in development from the talented teams across Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland
Apple Ads
Apple 30% fee extends to Instagram and Facebook ads worldwide today
The fee was imposed on the US earlier this year and rolls out globally today, July 1st
Apple Vs Epic Games
Fortnite and Epic Games Store with Apple for review as EU launch approaches
Apple’s policies require apps to undergo "notarisation" and human review before being allowed through
Euro Legislation
The EU’s DMA fightback continues with Meta the next tech giant in line for big fines
Following Apple’s DMA dodging, now Meta’s “pay or consent” scheme, trading privacy for ads, has been deemed to deliver insufficient user choice
Billion Blitz
World of Tanks Blitz celebrates 10th anniversary and $1 billion in revenue
Blitz takes a more creative approach than its PC counterpart, aiming itself more at a Gen Z audience
Industry Insights
How to grow your game through experimentation
Tom Storr of The Experimentation Group on how to take your game to the next level by boosting its growth potential
Job Losses
BeReal hit by layoffs following Voodoo acquisition
Around 28 staff impacted by job losses; photo-sharing app maker reportedly had 60 employees earlier this year
Hot Five
Hot Five: Garena Free Fire snipes $4BN, Pokémon dev Game Freak’s first mobile exclusive, and Supercell’s next project imminent
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 18
The EU's App Store crackdown and Square Enix's buzzword bingo | 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 18...
New Hire
Tactile Games hires ex-FunPlus director of marketing Jacob Krüger as CMO
Krüger will help company scale its UA efforts and launch new titles
Week That Was
Regulation with teeth, Game Freak’s new IP, and Square Enix’s AI backtracking | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Tough Talk
EU: Apple not launching AI iPhone features a "stunning declaration" that it's "disabling competition"
The latest spat between Apple and the European Commission centres on the tech giant's unwillingness to launch Apple Intelligence features in the region