Stealthy Shadows
Nintendo shadow drops Fire Emblem Shadows as its first new mobile game in six years
The second mobile Fire Emblem takes a real-time approach as opposed to gacha Fire Emblem Heroes’ turn-based combat
Pgc Helsinki
Neogames on why Finland's games industry is still alive and kicking after a challenging few years
We speak to Neogames director KooPee Hiltunen about the state of Finland's games market
New Studio
Former AppLovin leaders launch new mobile studio Cheer
Cheer will focus on creating casual puzzle titles
New Offerings
HoYoverse reveals cosmic life simulation game Petit Planet
The upcoming title marks HoYoverse’s first step into the life-sim genre
Job News
ZBD appoints Nicole Diaz as senior vice president of product
She will lead strategy for ZBD’s global payments and multi-currency solutions
Pgc Helsinki
Beyond Games Transmedia Summit speakers and schedule revealed
Connect with transmedia pioneers at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki, October 7th to 8th
New Partnerships
UMX Studio partners with Audiomob for in-game audio ads
Collaboration aims to enhance player experience while opening new revenue streams
New Game Launch
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor set to launch on mobile this November
The mobile version promises the same hardcore action as PC
Swipe Right?
Skich hatches plan to be the "Steam for mobile gaming"
But can alternative mobile marketplaces really compete?
New Offerings
Google Play launches raft of new games features
Rolls out includes other features like the You tab and Play Games Leagues
New Partnerships
Niantic Spatial partners with Kojima Productions to merge storytelling with geospatial AI
The collaboration showcases AI’s potential to transform how people interact with the physical world
Pgc Helsinki
Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki: Prepare like the professional you are
Handy checklist helping you optimise your event experience
Milestone
Fateless completes Alpha Wave cycle with 36k players for upcoming RPG Godforge
Alpha Wave 3 drew 36,000 players, logging over 355,000 hours of gameplay
Pgc Aqaba
Indies! Maximise your opportunities at PG Connects Aqaba 2025
Exclusive opportunities to showcase your studio in the MENA market this November 8th to 9th
New Offerings
UK creative organisations call for a new Digital Creativity GCSE
The move aims to serve not just games, but healthcare, finance, media, and education
Acqusitions
Swoove Studios sells to undisclosed buyer
Under new ownership, Swoove is expected to continue innovating and scaling globally
Mobile Milestone
Delta Force hits $300m on mobile after record daily revenue
Daily player spending hit $9.3m on September 19th, up 333% over one week
Collaborative Creed
How the Reverse: 1999 team adapted for an Assassin’s Creed collab
Reverse: 1999 has built a brand around the 20th century, but has found a way to explore the Renaissance and ancient Greece with Assassin's Creed
Nordic Games Industry
Why Nordic game companies continue to demonstrate quality, integrity and bold design
Learn from industry experts at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki, October 7th to 8th
Creator Chief
Roblox appoints ex-Zynga and Airbnb veteran Vlad Loktev as chief creator ecosystem officer
He will start the new role on September 29th, 2025, set to lead developer relations and platform events
Game Jam
Saudi Arabia launches the second edition of the Saudi Game Champions Program
Each startup will receive $53,000, mentorship from global experts, and training support
Online Safety
Kuwait temporarily blocks Roblox over child safety concerns
The country joins Turkey, Oman, China, and Qatar in restricting the platform
New Partnerships
Savvy Games Group signs MoU with Alinma Bank to deliver tailored banking solutions for Saudi gamers
The partnership aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Gaming and Esports Strategy
Pgc Helsinki
Rovio's CSO on building a forward-thinking Finnish games industry
We speak to Rovio's chief sustainability officer Heini Kaihu about the present and future of the famous games hub
Soft Launch
55 top mobile games in soft launch: Angry Birds Rush, Tom and Jerry Blast, Coin Master - Board Adventure, and more
The top mobile games in soft launch right now
Ugc
Fortnite's next evolution with new creator rewards
Epic Games is shaking up UEFN
Pgc Helsinki
Therapy? drummer Neil Cooper and other stellar speakers joining Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki
New cutting-edge content announced for Helsinki, October 7th to 8th
Clampdown
Trump imposes a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications
US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick claims big companies are on board with the plan despite millions of dollars in extra costs
Online Safety
US Congress calls on Twitch, Steam, Reddit, and Discord CEOs to testify on online radicalisation
The hearing is scheduled for October 8th 2025
Expansions
Supercell plots new office in Helsinki’s Maria area to support expansion
CEO Ilkka Paananen says the new space will help Supercell attract talent and sustain global growth
Adaptations
MrBeast joins the cast of Angry Birds 3
The film will hit cinemas a month earlier on December 23rd, 2026
Job News
Supercell taps King's Sabrina Carmona as new Clash of Clans GM
She will work alongside a team to spearhead the future of the title
Hot Five
Hot Five: Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer, Angry Birds Rush soft launch, and Steer Studios lands Tom and Jerry licence
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Pgc Helsinki
Mid Term ticket rates extended and 24-hour 10% discount for PGC Helsinki available
Join two days of unmatched b2b games conferencing in the Nordics on October 7th-8th
Week In Views
Balatro update delayed to avoid crunch and Monster Hunter Now celebrates second anniversary | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Growth
Playstack revenue surged 52% in H1 2025 to £30.7m
Balatro and Abiotic Factor sold over 3m units in the first half of the year
Scholarships
BAFTA awards over £277,000 in grants through its 2025 scholarship programmes
The fund provides up to $2,700 each for training, equipment, and other essential costs
Legal Proceedings
Tencent rejects Sony’s claim that Light of Motiram is a “slavish clone” of Horizon
The Level Infinite parent company argues Sony is trying to monopolise common genre elements
Global Launch
Pocketpair confirms Palworld will exit Early Access in 2026 with a major 1.0 update
The studio says that the cleanup work in 2025 will prepare the game for a stronger full release
Pgc Summit Korea
All you need to know before descending into one of the world’s top games markets
How to prepare for Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Korea on October 31st
New Games
New release roundup: Uno Wonder, Bricks Breaker RPG, Angry Birds Rush and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
New Offerings
Fortnite creators will be able to sell in-game items directly from their islands starting in December
Epic says creators will earn 50% of V-Bucks value from sales, rising to 100% through late 2026
Challenges And Opportunities
Lilith Games talks China’s comeback, market maturity and one year of AFK Journey
"While the growth curve looks different, it reflects both the evolution of the industry and the direction we intentionally took with this sequel."
Market Growth
Cross-industry game engine adoption surges, led by Unreal, Unity and Godot
Unreal Engine remains dominant at 65% adoption, with Unity growing to 53% as the second most popular engine
Industry Insights
A developer’s guide to negotiating publishing deals
Wiggin’s Peter Lewin breaks down what indie developers need to know when negotiating publishing deals
New Partnerships
Flexion partners with Microfun to bring Seaside Escape to alternative app stores
Seaside Escape earned $6m net revenue in August
Acquisition
Verve acquires Captify in $30.3m deal to boost data and sales reach
Captify CEO Mike Welch to step down moving into a strategic advisor role
Milestone
Metacore celebrates fifth anniversary alongside Merge Mansion’s five-year milestone
The mobile title has surpassed 60m downloads and $700m in lifetime revenue
Podcast
From offerwall to always-on: Xsolla’s take on player engagement
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play, here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode
New Offerings
Epic Games launches new open content marketplace Fab
Developers can now access Fab’s full asset library and manage acquisitions