Epic Win
“Game over for the Apple tax” as US court rules publishers can freely link to off-store payments
The iPhone giant could face criminal contempt proceedings as judge issues scathing ruling
Pc Expansion
Marvel Contest of Champions to launch on PC after making $2bn on mobile
Pre-registrations are open now, but the exact release date hasn’t yet been confirmed
New Partnerships
Saudi Esports Federation partners with PUGB Mobile to expand competitive opportunities
The partnership will merge the Saudi eLeague with the PUBG Mobile National Championship
Game Optimisation
Hypercasual games see 78% boost from story-driven ads despite low spend
New AppsFlyer report finds that top 2 percent of ad creatives in games still drive 53 percent of total spend
New Offerings
PvX Partners launches business intelligence suite Lambda
Tool is designed for financial planning and decision-making
Pokemon Prime
Pokémon TCG Pocket usurps Pokémon Go launch as it closes in on $1bn after six months
Pocket made $915.3m in its first half-year, beating Go’s $800.7m by 14%
Sponsored
How GeeMee reshapes mobile app Monetisation with AI technology
The evolution of app revenue generation
In-game Advertising
Report: Mobile leads in reach while PC and console drive deeper ad engagement
New report from Anzu finds that advertisers can benefit by combining the deep engagement of PC and console with the broad reach of mobile
Industry Insights
Four cases of the HR brand solving real business problems
Nikita Guk shares real examples of how employer branding helped companies with hiring, retention and reputation challenges
New Partnerships
Stillfront’s Dorado Games and Bytro Labs join forces to launch the Supremacy Franchise
Both companies have now formed Twin Harbour Interactive
Layoff News
EA layoffs hit hundreds in company wide restructuring
Around 100 staff were let go at Respawn and 200-300 more company wide
Magic And Mysteries
Jam City talks Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery’s seventh anniversary and the power of storytelling
General manager Bryan Shaw and product lead Nicole Adams discuss immersion, loveable characters and bespoke brand alignment
Podcast | Episode 51
Regulators poke the Apple and Google monopoly bear | 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 51...
Big Push
Brazil aims to sweet talk the global games industry at Gamescom LATAM
The country's flagship event hopes to boost its presence on the world stage
Winners Revealed
Unity for Humanity Grant 2025 winners revealed
Winners will receive a share of Unity’s increased $600,000 Charitable Grant
Studio Seizure
Russia seizes Lesta Studios over Wargaming’s support of Ukraine
Wargaming pulled out of Russia and Belarus in 2022 and sold all of its local assets to Lesta Studio
Regulations
New South Korean law mandates foreign game companies to appoint domestic representatives
Firms with ₩1 trillion in sales or 100,000 users must comply
Expansions
Animoca Brands opens first Middle East office in Dubai
Omar Elassar will lead the new hub as managing director and head of global strategic partnerships
New Offerings
Appcharge launches Live Store Sync for real-time monetisation updates
“Instead of five minutes, it takes five seconds to update your store," said Appcharge CTO Amit Porat
Lawsuit
Update: Roblox and Discord hit with lawsuit over alleged sexual exploitation of minor
Despite being aware of safety tools on Roblox, the plaintiff's parents believed these measures were insufficient
Earnings Report
Krafton reports record Q1 2025 revenue of $608 million
Inzoi is now the fastest-selling title in the company’s history
Ready To Race
$2.5bn maker Uma Musume: Pretty Derby opens pre-registrations, cantering towards English release June 26th
Cygames’ Japanese horse girl hit is changing lanes with an English localisation launching this summer
Resident Record
Resident Evil 4 remake surpasses 10m unit sales, but mobile may represent less than 1%
The milestone was reached by the end of 2024, though only now confirmed by Capcom
Network Away
Discover your next connection at the Dubai GameExpo Summit 2025
Discover which companies you may meet, from talented indie developers to major brands, at the global games industry event on May 7-8.
Pgc Barcelona
Publishers: you can't afford to miss PG Connects Barcelona
Meet new talent and discover their latest work this June 3rd and 4th
Game Jam
Thatgamecompany and Coreblazer partner for online game jam
A cash prize of $4000 will be offered to the best overall winner
Big Plans Ahead
Blizzard selects Nexon for Overwatch Mobile distributions and a new Starcraft game
NCSoft and Netmarble also participated actively in the bidding process
Cross-platform
Inside Once Human's mobile expansion
Starry Studio's Sun Xiangyu reveals how Once Human transitioned from PC to mobile
Multiplayer Mode
Infinity Nikki introducing multiplayer mode in major update tomorrow
The Version 1.5 update Bubble Season will add two-player online co-op
Job News
Jetapult recruits AI experts Oz Silahtar and Dr. Arjun Jain to boost development efficiency
The company's GamePac AI suite is designed to allow studios to integrate AI into their daily workflows
Investment News
True Gamers secures $5m to expand across MENA and Europe
The company previously landed $45m investment to build esports facilities in the KSA
Downloading Dragons
Puzzle & Dragons 0 opens pre-registrations ahead of late May release
The latest entry will join a series with over 90 million downloads to date
Monster Milestone
Monster Strike surpasses $11bn in 11 years with Japanese dominance
Mixi’s flagship has surpassed $1bn in annual player spending five times, twice since Western shutdown
Job News
NetEase global investments head Simon Zhu steps down after 12 years
VP of corporate development Ken Li will take over the role
Hot Five
Hot Five: Apple’s DMA violation, Discord CEO steps down, and Blue Ocean Games launches $30m fund
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Week In Views
What an IPO means for Discord, Pocketpair challenges Nintendo, and Switch 2 fuels apps surge | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Dma Hits
The EU deals out tepid DMA fine to Apple, but potentially meaningful change
The European Commission is trying to enforce its rules. What happens next?
Games Incubator
Krafton’s Gaming Incubator taps six Indian startups for second cohort
Developers will receive financial support ranging from $50,000 to $150,000
Cloud Gaming In Mena
The Game Company launches AI-Powered cloud gaming platform
Launch comes after it raised $10m in funding earlier this year
Layoff News
Meta cuts jobs at Reality Labs
Number of employees affected was not revealed but Meta confirmed the cuts impacted teams working on Quest products
New Office
Savvy Games Group opens first permanent HQ in Riyadh
New HQ now houses both Steer Studios and Mirai, bringing them under one roof
New Games
New release roundup: Once Human, Delta Force Mobile, Pandoland, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
Resilient Growth
Flexion grows revenue 9% in 2024 by doubling down on alternative app stores
“We’ve already moved beyond the era when Google and Apple controlled everything,” said Flexion CEO Jens Lauritzson
New Office
Steer Studios moves into new Riyadh office to support growth
The company said its new HQ provides more space to constantly expand its team
Investment News
Hogo Games secures funding at $5m valuation
Funds will go towards developing new projects and growing existing titles on mobile and PC
Jobs Roundup
April 2025's Movers and Shakers: New CEOs at Discord and GoodVille, Supercell appoints head of marketing, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
Long Term Strategy
Behind the scenes: How teamwork and strategy have sustained Clockmaker for over a decade
Belka Games' Anna Bobrikova looks at the structure, culture and strategy behind Clockmaker
Gameexpo Summit
Dubai GameExpo Summit 2025 full conference schedule revealed!
Introducing: The Investment Summit; plus everything from AI to web3 this May 7th and 8th
Making A Difference
American Cancer Society partners with Besitos to fight cancer through mobile games
Rewards earned for mobile games via KashKick will trigger matching donations to the ACS
Pgc Jordan
Investor AMA: "When it comes to platforms, we think that mobile is the way to go"
Speakers from Merak Capital, Tamatem and Walking Squid Advisory offered funding tips at PGC Jordan 2024