Epic Delay
Epic Games calls out Apple over blocking Fortnite approval
The developer first submitted the app for review on May 9th
Job Cuts
KLab offers voluntary redundancy to 100 staff after three years of losses
Financial struggles are partly due to the delayed global launch of EA Sports FC Tactical
Investment News
Super Banana secures funding to expand and innovate in the casual puzzle genre
“We’ve seen what works, and more importantly, we’ve seen what hasn’t”
Leadership Change
Stillfront names Tim Holland interim CFO as strategic leadership shuffle continues
He will remain based in Stockholm as part of the executive management team
New Offerings
Marvel Contest of Champions debuts on PC after amassing $2bn on mobile
The fighting game generated nearly $130m in 2024
Pgc Barcelona
Applications close soon for the fringe events at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona
Sign up by Monday 19th for the finest curated networking this June 3rd and 4th
Revenue Rise
Tencent game sales up 24% Y/Y to $25bn in Q1 with Honor of Kings, Delta Force and Brawl Stars pulling their weight
Games accounted for nearly $6bn in Q1 revenue, or 24% of total earnings
New Offerings
Industry veterans launch Unreal Engine-focused Codfish Academy in Portugal
“We are looking to bridge the gap between formal education and industry needs"
Funding News
Studio42 raises $3.6m to accelerate mobile game development
The company is developing its first original game, blending classic puzzle mechanics with a modern hybrid-casual approach
Dungeon Driver
Nexon’s revenue surpasses $780m this Q1 as Dungeon & Fighter Mobile China drives 60% franchise growth
The developer’s operating income increased by 43% YoY, though quarterly profit fell by 27%
Acqusitions
Team Vitality expands into Southeast Asia with Bigetron Esports acquisition
Bigetron Esports will rebrand as ‘Bigetron by Vitality’
Investment News
TaleMonster Games secures $7m seed funding to boost puzzle game development
The studio currently has 17 employees across multiple cities and aims to double its staff by next year
Pgc Helsinki
Lowest ticket rate ending: Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2025 – this week only!
Save up to £520 on the two-day games industry conference this October 7th and 8th
Seed Round Secured
Layer AI closes $6.5m seed round with generative AI tools geared to mobile devs
The funding will be used to further develop features and scale up team size
Earnings Report
Aristocrat Leisure hit with $74m Big Fish impairment charge after cuts
Big Fish Games will solely focus on evergreen titles and halt new game development
Pgc Barcelona
Meet the latest speakers for PG Connects Barcelona 2025!
Just some of the 100 experts delivering a packed 20-track conference schedule this June 3rd to 4th
Lost Link
Square Enix cancels geolocation game Kingdom Hearts Missing Link
The title was announced in April 2022 and has had multiple beta tests, but details have remained sparse
Revenue Rumble
Sega still aiming for Sonic Rumble 2025 release after last-minute delay
Net revenue was down by 9% in FY2025, though Entertainment Contents grew marginally
New Offerings
AdsAdvisor platform launches globally to boost growth for mobile businesses
Service originally developed by My.Games' marketing team now available to all
Winners Revealed
Supercell founder Ilkka Paananen named Power Player of the Year at Finnish Game Awards 2025
The awards ceremony also celebrated the 30-year history of the Finnish games industry
Event Report
Biggest ever Dubai GameExpo Summit draws over 1,400 game professionals from 70 countries to engage with the vibrant MENA games market
Third iteration of the region’s leading conference hosted as part of the Dubai Esports and Games Festival 2025 celebrated innovation, supported new talent and encouraged investment
Microsoft Management
Microsoft to lay off 3% of global staff
The move could impact thousands, expected to be felt across all teams, levels and locales
Dismantled
Machine Zone reduced to minimal core team operating Game of War and Mobile Strike
Studio no longer has the capacity to work on new games
Royal Revenue
Royal Kingdom surpasses $100m after record month
Dream Games’ Royal Match sequel has seen 12 consecutive months of player spending growth, when including soft launch results
New Offerings
Aarki launches privacy-first mobile growth platform Encore
Service provides support for UA and retargeting
Tarrifs
US and China agree to cut tariffs for 90 Days as Trump admin rolls back on trade war
President Trump claimed a "total reset with China" following the tariff reduction deal
Nintendo Numbers
Nintendo’s net sales down 30% in the final stretch before Switch 2
Operating profit is down 47% YoY, net profit is down 43%
New Proposal
SAG-AFTRA proposes new terms to protect against exploitative AI in games
One proposed change is to replace “voiced dialogue" with "vocal material" to cover all sounds
Legal Proceedings
Palworld developer to make more gameplay changes to the game amid legal dispute
“As many have speculated, these changes were indeed a result of the ongoing litigation”
Studio Support
MLC Studio’s Global Games Alliance aims to curate deals, funding calls, job postings and more into one central hub
Workshops, exclusive events and more are planned for later down the line
New Offerings
Playgama expands Bridge SDK distribution to over 300m users
“Adding Facebook and MSN is a major step forward for reach - and we’re just getting started,” said Playgama head of developer success Pavel Polovinka
Environmental Impact
PlanetPlay reports 79% of players made eco-friendly changes after playing green themed games
In-game poll data from PlanetPlay after surveying 181,000 players from 189 countries
Overhaul Overload
Squad Busters to overhaul victory conditions, progression systems and remove many modes in tomorrow’s update
Doppelgangers, Double Trouble, Epic Overload, Loot Machines and Hatchling Herder are all being removed
App Store Changes
Brazil orders Apple to allow App Store sideloading in 90 days after court reversal
Apple argued that the requested changes were too complex to implement within the given timeframe
Epic Comeback
Epic Games submits Fortnite for App Store comeback after four-year ban
Fortnite will launch in the US App Store after review is completed and approved
Podcast | Episode 52
Tim Sweeney's epic App Store win and Tripledot's transformational AppLovin deal | 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 52...
New Offerings
Appcharge launches Payment Links for iOS developers to monetise outside the App Store
Developers can avoid platform fees and retain up to 95% of revenue
Leadership Change
Sumo Group restructures leadership to drive next phase of growth
Gary Dunn and Andy Stewart have been named co-CEOs
Job News
IGDA welcomes three new board members as it expands global vision
New members include ecosystem strategist, climate advocate, and emerging markets expert
Pgc Helsinki
Introducing Finnish Games Week 2025
Five days of games industry excellence takes place in Finland October 6th to 10th
Earnings Report
Netmarble reports $429m revenue in Q1 2025
Revenue growth was driven by the success of RF Online Next in Korea
Gamescom Latam 2025
Gamescom Latam 2025 wraps up with 130,000 attendees
The event saw a 30% increase compared to the previous year
Funding News
Sett secures $15m to expand AI-powered platform for mobile game studios
Funds will go towards team expansion and growth acceleration
Acqusitions
Xsolla acquires Ludo to boost player engagement and revenue growth for developers
The move will see Xsolla integrate Ludo’s questing tool into its web shop and rewards solutions
Golden Week Glory
Golden Week 2025: Pokémon TCG Pocket dominates, Fate/Grand Order falls, and a 2012 title makes a surprising rise
The 10 best-performing mobile games in Japan generated $81m this Golden Week, up from $44.9m in 2024
Earnings Report
AppLovin reports 40% revenue growth in Q1 2025 to reach $1.48bn
The ad tech firm's apps revenue declined by 14% to $325m
Teenage Time
Subway Surfers is entering its "teenage years" with 200th World Tour destination for 13th anniversary
Starting in an in-game Copenhagen, players will be able to unlock 21 other cities during the event
Job News
Ludeo welcomes ex-Activision Blizzard exec as chief business officer
The company will leverage Schonfeld's industry experience to expand its roster of triple-A partnerships
Mena Games Awards 2025
Meet the MENA Games Industry Awards 2025 winners
Winners announced on Thursday, May 8th, as part of the Dubai GameExpo Summit 2025
Victory
Microsoft wins FTC appeal over Activision Blizzard acquisition
Court rules that the FTC failed to demonstrate the merger would harm competition