Mobile Mavens' New Year's resolutions for 2026: Advocate through action, play more games, and keep experimenting
As the year comes to a close, we've been taking a look back at the top games and trends of the year, reflecting on a year of change in the industry.
As part of our 2025 retrospective, we asked our Mobile Mavens - a collection of games industry experts - a few questions about the year gone by.
Here we ask:
What's your New Year's resolution and what resolution would you enforce on the industry?
You can read part two here.
Learn about the latest industry trends and what's in store for the year ahead in the games industry at Pocket Gamer Connects London on January 19th and 20th. Not in town? Check out our other global events here.
Jernej Česen
My personal resolution is to keep experimenting with bold ideas, and never let the fear of failure get in the way. For the industry, the same rule applies: give creators room to play, take risks, and focus on quality.
Money talks, sure, but creativity, fun, and keeping players on their toes are the real wins. Honestly, we need to allow ourselves, better yet, push ourselves, to reinvent and reshape the mobile gaming segment.
A new generation of game creators is rising within our teams, and those of us with more experience in the industry can contribute most by giving them the time, space, and support to explore new ideas.
What will ultimately define the market is a new generation of creators who come from being players themselves.
Alina Zlotnik
When I stepped into the role of head of market Insights in 2025, my main focus was building a steady flow of industry reports. Over the year, we released our first unique studies on live ops and monetisation, and our first mobile market annual report is coming very soon.
In 2026, I want to make these materials even better: easier to read, richer in insights, and, most importantly, more practical.
The goal is to clearly answer the question developers care about most: what exactly should I change in my game to increase revenue? With the launch of Steam analytics, we’re also expanding much deeper into PC games. And on a personal note — one more resolution is to remember to rest and not burn out.
For the industry overall, I’d say the most important thing is to keep a close eye on what’s really happening:
- Regularly revisit reference games and competitors, because audience overlap often appears where you least expect it.
- Watch market signals and timing carefully. For example, D2C and web shops still don’t always make sense for small studios, but store policy changes could shift this very quickly.
- Explore new distribution channels, especially Steam. Competition there is growing fast, but it’s still one of the few real growth opportunities for mobile teams.
Vladimir Nikolsky
Our goal is to create the next hit, and I wish the same for the industry. It’s always a pleasure to see more new products that reach and engage multi-million audiences.
Alisa Akifeva
Our resolution is straight: alternative distribution.
Alternative app stores, alternative payments, and a continued focus on antitrust issues in mobile gaming are essential for a healthier ecosystem. The industry needs more competition, more choice, and fewer artificial barriers.
If we could enforce one resolution, it would be this: build systems that serve players and developers first, not gatekeepers.
Kian Hozouri
The 2026 resolution I’m holding myself to in the new year is to double my hours playing games. There were so many fantastic titles released this year that I didn’t get the chance to dive into and I’m determined to make that right.
I’d echo the same for anyone who didn’t get the chance to play games they were excited about. I’d say pick one you’ve been dying to try and give it a go.
Andrew Wailes
My new year's resolution this year is the same as every year, which I think is a good one for anyone and any industry: try to be better than last year. A better leader, partner, father, person in general.
I think the new year is a good time to reflect on the last year and figure out what we did well and what we didn’t, and instead of a singular goal, I prefer to take it as an opportunity to remind myself that I can always do better.
Jacki Vause
Continue to pay it forward. One of the greatest things about this industry is that we have so many opportunities to collaborate and help and encourage talent into the industry, which, in turn will grow it more.
And continue to work with my favourite women in the industry like Kelly Vero, Peggy Anne Salz, Teddy Ludmer, Julia Hong, Gina Jackson, and Cat Channon, to name a few, to positively advocate through action to pave the way for other women and minorities.
Kirill Gurskiy
Success finds those who always go the distance, regardless of the struggle. The triumph of Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a perfect example of that. Never give up, and always go all the way!
Vadim Andreev
I’d challenge everyone in the games industry to look beyond the status quo next year. Google Play, App Store, and Steam are vital distribution channels, but they shouldn’t be the only consideration.
This applies to all roles in the industry: whether you’re a games publisher deciding which app store or platform to release your game on, or a game designer deciding which tool to use next; there’s always room to try new approaches beyond the most popular option. It’s a piece of advice I’ll be applying in 2026!
People