Break-up
Embracer shares soar 18% on plans to break company apart
Shares still down 75% from all-time high in April 2021
New Partnerships
Kwalee moves into casual games for Text Express: Word Adventure
Kwalee has partnered with Story Giant Games to become the new publisher of the award-winning puzzle game
Closure Announcement
Women Who Code is shutting down due to lack of funding
"We will not be able to continue offering any program services, and will be canceling all upcoming events"
Long Term Ops
Behind the scenes: How to achieve a 30% revenue increase three years after launch
Azur Games' Milana Gelmanova takes a deep dive on the long term ops of Taxi Run
Breaking Up
Embracer Group to split into three separate companies as it aims to pay off debts
New entities will be Asmodee Group, Coffee Stain & Friends and Middle-Earth Enterprises & Friends
Hot Five
Hot Five: Earth Day, birthdays, game closures, layoffs and more. Here's what's hot right now…
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 08
The UK games industry's skills crisis, Fallout's TV success, and Epic's endless court battles | 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 08…
Flying High
Delta game emulator hits No. 1 on the App Store download charts in 35 countries
Nintendo games emulator has reached the top 10 in 66 countries so far today
Week That Was
Week in Views - The search for skills, billion dollar birthdays and terrific transmedia
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Gameexpo Summit
Get practical tips into key game development tools and methodologies at the Dubai GameExpo Summit
The Developer Toolkit and Game Dev Stories tracks at Dubai GameExpo Summit
Podcast
DoubleDown Interactive’s Faith Price on lifecycle marketing tips to extend your app’s lifespan | 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…
Earth Day
Rovio's Angry Birds environmental campaign comes in to land on Earth Day
The activities are featured across their full range of Angry Birds games and promo activities including Times Square video ads
New Games
New release roundup: Take That: This is Life, Neopets: Tales of Dacardia, Persona 5: The Phantom X and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover
Game Regulations
India's PM Modi says gaming industry doesn't need regulation
“There is no need for regulations. It [games industry] should remain free, it is only then that it will bloom.”
Investment News
Multi-million funding to ignite growth for UK games studios
The UKGF's £3 million initiative will provide grants of up to £150,000 to 22 promising games companies in the UK
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: Xsolla's Chris Meredith on making the most of D2C and today's revenue opportunities
"Companies must adopt a Direct-to-Consumer approach to maximize their revenue potential and build stronger relationships with their audience"
Chart Climbers
Chart Climbers: Brawl Stars, Legend of Mushroom, Sea of Conquest and more rise up the mobile game revenue rankings
We highlight the top trending mobile games right now
New Hires
Fortis team boosted by top ex-King, PopCap EA, Microsoft and Warner Bros. Games talent
New hires deliver a new chief publishing officer, SVP of game development and VP of art
Skills Crisis
UK skills crisis prompts call for games industry-led body to tackle key challenges
Report reveals shortages of mid-to-senior level staff and lack of opportunities for junior developers
Crushing It
AI joins the team at King: "Our challenge is to create the right amount of challenge"
A day at King: Using AI in harmony with experts to craft evergreen games with the perfect balance
Gameexpo Summit
Discover essential UA and retention techniques plus key monetisation trends at the Dubai GameExpo Summit
The Growth and Monetiser tracks at Dubai GameExpo Summit this May 1st
Esports World Cup
Saudi Arabia's esports world cup's has the largest prize pool ever with $60m up for grabs
The EWC features a diverse lineup of 19 games, including popular titles such as Apex Legends, Fortnite, and League of Legends
Going Green
Merge Mansion takes on environmental issues in time for Earth Day
The game's Recycle Runaway event is part of Earth Month celebrations as Metacore joins Green Game Jam 2024
Interview
“The MENA region is definitely a focus for Kwalee and we want to build more partnerships there”
Kwalee’s Sayeed Rahman discusses what the team looks for in its partnerships, expansion into the MENA region and the trends and challenges facing the mobile games industry
Investment News
Auctus Capital Partners and Remote Control to invest in European games companies
Their Prestiged fund will invest in financially stable game companies with earnings before interest, taxes, and more (EBIT) ranging from $531,000 to $21.2 million.
Celebrations
Scopely is celebrating Monopoly GO!'s first birthday with in-game events and rewards
The celebration kicks off today with a player contest featuring the diverse musical talents of J Balvin, Bon Jovi, and Natalie Jane
Gameexpo Summit
Learn about the state of play in MENA and the changing payments landscape at the Dubai GameExpo Summit
The Industry Trends and Powering Payments tracks at Dubai GameExpo Summit this May 1st
Nintendo Drops Out
Nintendo are a no show for Gamescom 2024
"Players will have opportunities to try out Nintendo Switch games at other events throughout the year"
Financials
MAG Interactive revenue falls by 25% Y/Y as it places “big bet” on new crossword game Crozzle
Swedish publisher pays up tax bill on research and development deductions over the last few years
Happy Birthday
Monopoly GO! celebrates its first birthday and shares its behind-the-scenes story
And with a $3 billion revenue milestone in its sights, the world’s favourite board game-turned-mobile smash deserves a party
Investment News
A16Z doubles gaming investment with $600M fund as part of $7.2B fundraise
“There’s never been a better time to build a game startup than today," said A16Z partner Jonathan Lai
Developer Hub
Polytopia dev Midjiwan opens Game Town co-working space for Swedish indies
Office aims to become hub for small studios, meetups and game showcases
Industry Insights
Navigating the supply maze: Picking the best demand platform in 2024
Mintegral’s Jeff Sue takes us through three demand platform options available today and weighs up your options
Mobile App Trends
Ramadan sparks rise in Middle East mobile app downloads and purchases
Financial apps saw a 39% increase in conversions, food delivery apps experienced a 169% spike in NOIs, while eCommerce apps showed a solid 27% growth
Job Losses
GTA publisher Take-Two to cut 5% of staff as it cancels new games
Move will cost up to $200 million
Robot Wars
War Robots blasts past $900 million as shooter celebrates 10 years since launch
Mobile title has attracted more than 270 million registered players to date
Epic Battle
Apple fights back and denies violating US court order on alternative payments
Tech giant claims new rules were implemented "in good faith"
Investment News
Indie gamers Avalon gear up for global launch with $10 million investment
The studio is focused on creating an MMORPG experience that'll appeal to both web2 and web3 gamers
Loads Of Layoffs
Kwalee layoffs impact up to 10% of workforce, report claims
Kwalee has laid off up to 40 people as industry-wide job cuts continue
Industry Insights
The state of play for the 4X strategy genre
Andriy Zmeul explores 4X strategy games and evaluates their place in the US mobile games ecosystem
Acqusitions
MTG-owned Ninja Kiwi acquires Legion TD 2 developer AutoAttack Games
"We couldn't imagine a better group of people to partner with," said AutoAttack CEO and founder Brent Batas
Brand Boost
Fallout Amazon series boosts Fallout Shelter downloads by 516%
Layer founder and CEO Rachit Moti discusses Fallout Shelter’s rise, including 384% daily revenue rise
Shut Down
Rovio cancels Moomin: Puzzle & Design mobile game after two years in soft launch
Development ended on April 11th, with servers set to shut down on July 8th
Free Webinar
Free webinar today: The DMA Breakdown explains what the latest EU regs could mean for you
1pm to 2pm UK time, a panel of experts will talk you through what’s new and what possible thanks to the EU’s DMA
Purchase Power
Roblox Marketplace opens up, outlining eligibility criteria for hopeful sellers
Roblox reveals which boxes need ticking and which hurdles need jumping in order to sell items to its 71 million users
Gameexpo Summit
Mid-term discounts end Thursday for Dubai GameExpo Summit
Join the global games industry in Dubai this May 1st and 2nd - tickets reach full price this week
Developers Contest
Supersonic's SuperSpring contest is rewarding puzzle, simulation, and runner games developers
Game submissions for the contest are currently open from today April 15th, with a submission deadline of May 27th
Uk Ukie
UK video games market hits £7.82 billion valuation with mobile up 4.5%
Ukie’s Consumer Market Valuation Report reveals the UK games industry saw 4.4% YoY growth in 2023
Mobile Games Adaptation
MiHoYo green lights Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail movies with government backing
The projects aim to elevate Shanghai into a premier “city of film'' within three years, positioning it as a key destination for film production
Making Sense Of Slowdown
The IGDA calls for "sustainable measures" to stop mass layoffs and "stop driving talent away"
The International Game Developers Association calculates that more than 8,700 game developers have lost their jobs so far this year