Job Losses
Metacore closes Germany and Sweden operations as it confirms 159 layoffs
Merge Mansion developer still in negotiations with Supercell over buyout
Milestone
WeChat Mini Games crosses 500m monthly active users as Tencent shifts focus to retention
The platform's developer base grew to 500,000, up from 400,000 in 2024
New Partnerships
Qiddiya City signs five-year partnership with MPL MENA
The partnership will focus on fan engagement, community initiatives, and youth-focused activations
Online Safety
SuperAwesome partners with Roblox as under-13 advertising partner
The partnership focuses on delivering brand-safe and COPPA-compliant advertising experiences
New Studio
Poncle to open Japan studio led by El Shaddai creator Sawaki Takeyasu
The studio plans to continue working with relatively small development teams
Pgc Barcelona
Tetris president and CEO Maya Rogers to speak at PGC Barcelona
Yet another industry titan joins the speaker lineup for Pocket Gamer Barcelona on June 15th and 16th
Going Public
Liftoff Mobile prices IPO at $3.83bn valuation
IPO proceeds will primarily be used to repay outstanding debt
Layoff News
Team17 confirms layoffs in marketing and communications team
Two former staff members have been made redundant
Game Jam
Green Game Jam 2026 launches with 70 games and environmental activations
Additional games are expected to join the campaign in September
Market Report
Mobile dominates US gaming as weekly player base reaches 212 million
Gen Z leads in-game spending, with 78% having made a purchase and a median monthly spend of $20
New Offerings
Mexican Football Federation launches FIFA Super Soccer activation on Roblox ahead of World Cup 2026
The event lets players use Mexico’s official adidas 2026 kit before it is worn at the tournament
Champions Incoming
Pokémon Champions’ mobile release slated for June 17th
The battling title previously launched on Nintendo hardware in April
Franchise Expansion
Warner Bros. Games launches Game of Thrones: Dragonfire worldwide on mobile
The free-to-play title arrives on iOS and Android ahead of House of the Dragon Season 3
New Offerings
Mattel Digital Studios releases Skeletor: Until Next Time mobile game
The title launched on iOS and arrives on Android next week
Market Report
Asia and MENA video game revenue set to surpass $100bn by 2030
Niko Partners' report shows China's mini games now account for nearly 20% of mobile game spending
Pokemon Partnership
LEGO stores to partner with Pokémon Go this summer, with exclusive rewards and LEGO Smart Play sets ahead
Participating stores will span the US, UK, Germany, France, Poland and Australia
Warhammer On Mobile
Nitro Games' Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun Boom to launch on mobile in 2026
Pre-registration is now open on the Apple App Store and Google Play
Winners Revealed
Apple names 2026 Design Awards winners
Eight of this year's 12 winning titles are available on iPhone
Preserving Games
California State Assembly passes landmark game preservation bill
The bill next needs to go through the California State Senate
Settlement Reached
Stillfront divests OFM Studios and cuts $26.5m Gameberry settlement
The proceeds will support Stillfront’s continued deleveraging efforts
Roblox Collaboration
Miraculous and Rabbids launch cross-experience Roblox collaboration
The collaboration links three Roblox experiences through a shared narrative
Deal
Akin Babayigit and Makers Fund launch AMF Capital with $28m UA financing for Bear Hug
Further deals from UA fund will be announced soon
New Office
Sheba Joy opens new office in Beijing
The move is part of its efforts to accelerate social gaming innovation for the Middle East
Pgc Summit Shanghai
What to expect at next month's PGC Summit Shanghai
Your gateway to the Asia market and your warmup to ChinaJoy this July 29th
Market Growth
New Zealand games industry surpasses $1bn revenue milestone ahead of schedule
Industry revenue reached $758.9m last year, while workforce numbers grew 29%
Restoring Streaks
Duolingo is restoring lost streaks for a limited time, aiming to recover lapsed users
Until June 30th, "any learner" can restore their old streak of 30 or more days by completing three lessons in one sitting
Morocco Gaming Expo
Studio expansions and $3bn ambitions take centre stage at Morocco Gaming Expo
Morocco is targeting $3 billion in games revenue and 1% of the global market by 2030
Netease Numbers
NetEase’s games business grows 7% to $3.7bn in Q1 2026
Eggy Party, Where Winds Meet and other titles were noted to have strong revenue performances
Marvellous Mena
Dubai hosts first-ever DEF Education & Gaming Summit on June 4th
The summit covers gaming careers, esports, content creation and digital innovation
Ai Strategy
Saga launches AI Labs following blockchain network transition
Saga is prioritising AI products and digital characters following the transfer of its blockchain network operations to Alapin Holdings
Pgc Barcelona
PG Connects Barcelona: full two-day schedule revealed
Save up to €120 this week before Mid Term prices end
Pgc Nordics
The Nordics’ biggest B2B games event is back
What to expect as Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics returns this October
Value In Vietnam
Vietnamese puzzle, simulation and arcade games are most-downloaded in the world
Vietnamese games achieved 4.9 billion downloads in 2025, with 67% coming from three genres
Acqusitions
Atari acquires Crossy Road creator Hipster Whale in deal worth up to $39.3m
The deal is expected to be completed in the coming days
European Impact
King’s first European market report reveals mobile's €5.9bn economic impact for the continent
Mobile studios in Europe employ 30,000 people, while 61% of public play mobile games
Support Programme
Global Game Jam launches micro-missions pilot to connect indie studios with emerging talent
The new programme introduces paid micro-projects across, art, audio and QA to support indie development and early-career experience
Content Incoming
Tencent reportedly preparing UGC initiative for Delta Force
Plans include creator tools, content distribution and monetisation systems
Strategic Moves
FIFA outlines multi-partner digital football strategy ahead of 2026 World Cup
FIFA said its Roblox experience attracts more than 10m monthly active users
Developer Training
Maliyo Games' GameUp Africa has trained 6,000 devs in five years
A new impact report tracks five years of building one of Africa's largest game development programmes
Game Approvals
China approves 158 games in May as licensing pace accelerates in 2026
Total game approvals in 2026 have reached 779, comprising 754 domestic and 25 imported games
Unblocked
Hungry Studio’s Block Blast returns to Google Play
The title, which the company claims has 300 million monthly active users, was temporarily unavailable during the past 24 hours
M&a
VantageCo agrees deal to acquire majority stake in UK games publisher Playstack
TruFin is selling its majority stake
Pocket Gamer Connects
PGC Summit Malmö sets the standard in Sweden
More than 500 attendees gathered for two packed days of tightly focused networking
Jobs News
TIGA names Elaine Green as new chair
The Nellyvision co-founder replaces Rebellion CEO and co-founder Jason Kingsley in the role
Blocked
Hungry Studio’s Block Blast no longer available on Google Play
The popular mobile game is said to have 300 million monthly active users worldwide
Topics And Trends
D2C, co-development and "volume over viability": GDC 2026 trends revealed
The GDC Festival of Gaming 2026 Trends Report has revealed five key topics from the event
Back Of The Net
Canada national football team partners with Roblox’s FIFA Super Soccer
Deal is part of Canada Soccer's 'Our Game Now' marketing campaign that aims to generate excitement for the team
Hardware Costs
The Steam Deck OLED returns with up to $300 price increase
Valve notes rising memory, storage and broader hardware costs across global markets
New Venue
Esports World Cup gets new Paris venue as tickets set to go live on May 29th
The tournament will take place at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles
Power Up
Epic teases Unreal Engine 6
Could Unreal Engine 6 be officially unveiled at Unreal Fest Chicago in June?