Annapurna Interactive makes multiple hires to internal development studio

Director Deluge

Annapurna Interactive makes multiple hires to internal development studio

Helmed by game director Chelsea Hash, the new additions – Brett Lajzer, Evan Hembacher, and Cosimo Galluzzi – will push forward with an unannounced project

Apple unveils iOS 16, but no substantive games updates

Apple unveils iOS 16, but no substantive games updates

WWDC keynote is low on games announcements, but new Metal 3 API coming to iPadOS 16 and family sharing of Apple Arcade subscriptions

Apple Arcade’s senior team keeps shrinking

Apple Arcade’s senior team keeps shrinking

Apple Arcade execs Mark Bozon and Kathy Astromoff leave to pursue very divergent paths

Pokémon GO celebrates lifetime player spending of $6 billion

Prospering Pikachu

Pokémon GO celebrates lifetime player spending of $6 billion

Sensor Tower data reveals the game has averaged $1 billion per year since launch

Exclusive: Supercell breaks ground with first investment in NFT gaming

Exclusive: Supercell breaks ground with first investment in NFT gaming

Oxalis Games has raised $4.5 million in a seed round led by Blocore and including Supercell, Animoca Brands, and Sir Ian Livingstone

Turkish mobile puzzle games developer Cypher Games raises $3.2 million

Committing To Casual

Turkish mobile puzzle games developer Cypher Games raises $3.2 million

Investment will be used to expand the team sixfold, open a new office in Berlin, and create the firm's first casual title

Mighty Kingdom and Lion Studios partner to develop unnamed title

Co-development Deal

Mighty Kingdom and Lion Studios partner to develop unnamed title

Partnering for 12 months of co-development

Playstack acquires Magic Fuel Games, reunites EA veterans

How To Say "welcome" In Simlish

Playstack acquires Magic Fuel Games, reunites EA veterans

The deal brings Magic Fuel's exec team, including Kevin Shrapnell, together with Playstack CEO Harvey Elliot, following previous collaboration on the SimCity franchise

68% of mobile games devs find marketing more difficult following Apple ATT

68% of mobile games devs find marketing more difficult following Apple ATT

Tenjin and Growth FullStack speak to PocketGamer.biz on their latest report which states 99% of developers plan to use alternative Android stores this year

Toronto’s the up-and-coming esports capital of the world – join us there to learn all about it firsthand!

Esports Everywhere

Toronto’s the up-and-coming esports capital of the world – join us there to learn all about it firsthand!

Esports are taking over the world, join us at PG Connects Toronto to learn how to get in on this growing industry.

Update: Lawsuit alleges Activision Blizzard sexual harassment led to employee suicide

Update: Lawsuit alleges Activision Blizzard sexual harassment led to employee suicide

Lawsuit alleges “wanted sexual harassment” in a “hostile, intimidating, offensive, oppressive, and abusive” workplace

Hutch begins four-day working week trial

Hutch begins four-day working week trial

Mobile games developer Hutch has now begun its four-day working week trial, as part of a pilot organised by 4 Day Week Global.

Explore the hottest industry topics at Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto, July 6-7

Tracks On Tracks On Tracks

Explore the hottest industry topics at Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto, July 6-7

Get all the details on our upcoming Toronto conference’s 15 tracks, and take advantage of our Early Bird discount to save up to $350 on your conference ticket!

It’s time to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee! Get 30% off your Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto ticket for a limited time only

Celebrating And Saving

It’s time to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee! Get 30% off your Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto ticket for a limited time only

You have five days to take advantage of this incredible flash sale – don’t wait to enjoy 30% off your PG Connects Toronto ticket.

Speaker Spotlight: Wizards of the Coast’s John Eberhardt on the importance of a wide a variety of perspectives in the game making process

Speaker Spotlight

Speaker Spotlight: Wizards of the Coast’s John Eberhardt on the importance of a wide a variety of perspectives in the game making process

Get to know the thought leaders of Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto, June 6-7

Sky Mavis reveals player-generated games using Axie Infinity IP

Sky Mavis reveals player-generated games using Axie Infinity IP

Selected games from the Builders Program granted a minimum of $10,000 in AXS

Games Workshop partners with PocketGamer.com at the Warhammer Skulls Mobile Showcase

Skulls For The Skull Throne

Games Workshop partners with PocketGamer.com at the Warhammer Skulls Mobile Showcase

The wargaming behemoth will reveal its upcoming slate of mobile releases at 18:00 BST today (June 1) in a co-production with PocketGamer.com

Square Enix is creating an NFT ecosystem with Animoca Brands

Blockchain Breakthrough

Square Enix is creating an NFT ecosystem with Animoca Brands

Partnering with Animoca Brands to develop Web3 plans

Playtika to lay off 250 employees as it closes three development studios

Locational Layoffs

Playtika to lay off 250 employees as it closes three development studios

London, Los Angeles, and Montreal studios are closing, Helsinki studio considered

The Pokémon Company celebrates a record fiscal year

The Pokémon Company celebrates a record fiscal year

Net profit increased by 123%, with sales reaching $1.6 billion

Infinite Drive is steering towards the metaverse

Metaverse Motoring

Infinite Drive is steering towards the metaverse

The Tiny Digital Factory has revealed its next racing game with Web3 and NFTs

tinyBuild is trailing limitless paid time off until end of year

Heaps Of Holiday

tinyBuild is trailing limitless paid time off until end of year

Mandatory minimum of two weeks remains in place

Gamigo Group joins Playing For The Planet Alliance

Gamigo Group joins Playing For The Planet Alliance

The European and North American publisher is the latest in the 43-strong games industry environmental advocacy group

3 Network operator, CK Hutchison, and Gameloft to launch

Subscription Service

3 Network operator, CK Hutchison, and Gameloft to launch "All You Can Play" service

Titles like Asphalt Nitro 2 and Sonic Runners Adventure included

Homa Games appoints Brice Vinocour as VP of marketing & communications

Homa Games appoints Brice Vinocour as VP of marketing & communications

Homa Games will leverage Vinocour's experience and leadership skills to build the scaleup’s marketing & communications strategy, increase brand awareness, and grow gamers and developers' communities

From Google to Netflix, get a sneak peek at the incredible speakers of Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto and their companies

Meet The Speakers

From Google to Netflix, get a sneak peek at the incredible speakers of Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto and their companies

Find out some of the fantastic names we have lined up to speak at our Toronto conference this July 6-7

Android games make $50 million through alternative app stores, states Flexion

Alternative App Stores

Android games make $50 million through alternative app stores, states Flexion

“Essentially a bonus for games that already do great in Google Play,” claims CEO Jens Lauritzson

Updated: Kwalee's Pedro Caria details why Portugal was the right choice for Kwalee's fourth international office

Vamos Celebrar!

Updated: Kwalee's Pedro Caria details why Portugal was the right choice for Kwalee's fourth international office

Winner of Best Publisher at the Mobile Games Awards has opened its first office in Almada, Portugal

Founded by Rovio and Zynga veterans, Village Studio has raised €2.1 million

Founded by Rovio and Zynga veterans, Village Studio has raised €2.1 million

Will Luton, Cyril Barrow, and Tak Fung's Village Studio aims to confront the issue of interoperability in blockchain and Web3 games

Apple loses bid to dismiss app store lawsuit

Apple loses bid to dismiss app store lawsuit

Alternative app store Cydia originally accused Apple of continuing an unlawful monopoly in January 2020

Supercell acquires majority stake in Trailmix with $60 million investment

Supercell acquires majority stake in Trailmix with $60 million investment

Majority stake follows 2018 investment of $4.2 million in the London studio

New PGA golf game utilises Niantic Lightship AR tech

Gaming And Golfing

New PGA golf game utilises Niantic Lightship AR tech

Developer by Trigger as an educational, utility game

Gucci forms permanent presence in Roblox with Gucci Town

Gucci forms permanent presence in Roblox with Gucci Town

Gucci Town, a “virtual piazza in the landscape of Roblox” follows Spotify, Gap, McLaren, the Brit Awards, and near-countless others

Gismart is shifting to remote-first working as of June 2022

Readjusting To Remote

Gismart is shifting to remote-first working as of June 2022

Flexibility to work from anywhere in the world

Boost Your Brand

Elevate your brand at Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto’s Ads x Brands x Games Summit this summer!

Join us in Toronto this July to discover the latest trends and biggest opportunities when it comes to advertising and branding your game!

Former King, Wargaming exec joins Kwalee as head of casual mobile games

Bolstering The Ranks

Former King, Wargaming exec joins Kwalee as head of casual mobile games

F2P specialist Callum Godfrey will lead on all internal and external casual games projects for the UK-headquartered publisher

Apex Legends Mobile player spend reached $4.8 million in first week

Apex Legends Mobile player spend reached $4.8 million in first week

The most downloaded game in 60 countries following initial launch

20% of all first-party releases will be mobile by 2025, says Sony

Mobile Manoeuvre

20% of all first-party releases will be mobile by 2025, says Sony

Playstation CEO Jim Ryan also stated that 10% of first-party releases will be mobile within 2022

Indie developers unite! Pitch your game to experts at Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto

Indie Opportunities

Indie developers unite! Pitch your game to experts at Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto

Apply to our Big Indie Pitch opportunities now to get your game in front of experts this July!

Game economics platform Machinations.io raises $3.3 million

Join The Collective

Game economics platform Machinations.io raises $3.3 million

Machinations.io has announced a $3.3 million Series A funding round led by Hiro Capital

Activision Blizzard is not releasing Diablo Immortal in Belgium and the Netherlands

Activision Blizzard is not releasing Diablo Immortal in Belgium and the Netherlands

Both countries have banned loot boxes in games via gambling laws

Force of Habit co-founder dives deep into the studio’s closure

Breaking The Habit

Force of Habit co-founder dives deep into the studio’s closure

Twitter woes, commercial failures and porting issues, and fighting burnout among influences towards the one-man studio’s closure in May 2022

Mobile wins big at the Finnish Game Awards 2021

Awards And Achievements

Mobile wins big at the Finnish Game Awards 2021

Pako 3, Kitka Games, and HypeHype celebrated for Small Screen Game of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Creative Achievement, respectively

Mobile gaming to exceed 60% of entire games market in 2022

The Lion's Share

Mobile gaming to exceed 60% of entire games market in 2022

More than $1.6 billion spent weekly on mobile games in Q1 2022 alone

Infinite Arcade partners with blockchain gaming community YGG SEA

Infinite Arcade partners with blockchain gaming community YGG SEA

Collaboration with Southeast Asia subsidiary of Yield Guild Games intended to bring half a million players to Web3 gaming

Zynga donating $50,000 for Pride Month

Plans For Pride

Zynga donating $50,000 for Pride Month

Employee resource group zPride donating to Brave Space Alliance, LGBT Foundation, and Gay Gaming Professionals

Niantic wants you in its social AR network

Niantic wants you in its social AR network

The Campfire social app, currently live in Ingress, and Lightship VPS was revealed at Niantic Lightship Summit

Expand your network and connect with a diverse mix of professionals at Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto

Diverse & Dynamic

Expand your network and connect with a diverse mix of professionals at Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto

Introducing the location for our upcoming July Pocket Gamer Connects conference – learn more about what this dynamic, diverse city has to offer

Huuuge announces Q1 2022 results with $84 million in revenue

Double Digit Development

Huuuge announces Q1 2022 results with $84 million in revenue

Adjusted EBITDA percentage increase reaches double digits

Roblox hires former Zynga and Twitter exec Nick Tornow

Roblox hires former Zynga and Twitter exec Nick Tornow

Former Zynga CTO joins Roblox as vice president of technology