Root Raising
Social platform Root raises $9m in seed funding ahead of closed beta
Funding was led by Headline Ventures and Konvoy Ventures
No Deal
Tencent denies Nexon acquisition reports
The idea of a Chinese company purchasing South Korea-founded Nexon sparked backlash from the Korea Game Society
Funding News
Habby invests $2m in Istanbul studio Mavis Games
Casual games developer aims to expand its team as it looks to scale its portfolio
Trade Union
Workers at mobile studio Ubisoft Halifax file to unionise
Of the developer's 60 staff, 39 have publicly said they want to unionise with CWA Canada
Live Ops
Sensor Tower acquires live ops data platform Playliner
Platform tracks in-game events, monetisation and player engagement in mobile games
Refocus
Warner Bros. Games restructures around key IP
The outfit is now split into divisions focused on DC, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and Mortal Kombat
10th Anniversary
Fallout Shelter surpasses 230m downloads
The news comes as the title turns ten years old
Finland's Foreign Workers
Finnish Aliens Act amendment gives international talent just three to six months to find new employment
"We must not close the door on the very people who help make Finland thrive," says Finnish games trade association Neogames
Phoney Pledges
Moshi Monsters’ comeback Kickstarter sabotaged by "malicious actor" who made multiple fake pledges
It was previously believed that the campaign reached its £250,000 goal in less than 24 hours, before fake pledges with "clear intent" to mislead were discovered
Milestone
Fable Town overhaul sparks growth to $5m revenue
Marketing spend in the title has doubled this year as it scales to over two million downloads
Expansions
Unico Studio surpasses 100 employees amid global expansion and hiring push
The company claims to have achieved over one billion installs across its portfolio of 50+ games
Prize Pool
Dunk City Dynasty’s first competition Community Bash has $10,000 prize pool
Winning teams in Southeast Asia and North America will net $2,300 each
Crossovers
Sonic races into Squad Busters as Supercell and SEGA launch crossover event
Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Dr. Eggman will be featured in the game
Crowdfunding
Clash of Clans Tabletop Game surpasses $50,000 Kickstarter goal in 30 minutes
Game is set to release in 2026
Mobile Royale
Mobile-first Fortnite Blitz Royale mode launches on June 18th
Move comes shortly after Fortnite's return to mobile on the US App Store
Funding For Games
Bigger Games raises $25m to fuel global expansion
Studio set to scale its currently soft-launched mobile game Kitchen Masters
Making Playtime More Rewarding
MAF’s Play2Earn launches on iOS, outperforming multi-reward by +80% ROAS
MAF’s Play2Earn for iOS is outperforming traditional multi-reward setups. Discover how it delivers +80% ROAS and redefines what rewarded ads can do on iOS
New Partnerships
NBA, NBPA, and 2K strike new multiyear deal to expand global partnership
All parties involved are also launching a new NBA Take-Two Media as part of the deal
Moshi Monsters Mobile
Moshi Monsters to make mobile comeback after £250,000 Kickstarter target reached in one day
The 2000s web browser game is getting a follow-up on mobile, expected in 2027
M&a
Korean games industry slams Tencent’s Nexon pursuit as threat to national security
It remains uncertain whether NXC is open to selling its Nexon stake
Anzu And Amex
Amex Ventures invests in in-game ads firm Anzu
The investment will help Anzu scale faster in key segments
Trade War
Shenzhen targets 55% digital service trade by 2035 in new growth strategy
The strategy focuses on industrial support, IP development, infrastructure and more
New Offerings
HoYoverse to open its first ever themed café in Berlin this June
The café will launch with a Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero event from June 20th to July 13th
Funding News
Candy Crush veterans secure $4.6m for Studio555’s interior design game app
Developer plans to launch the app next year
Agreement Reached
SAG-AFTRA board approves tentative deal to end strikes
Members have until July 9th, 2025 to vote on ratification
Podcast | Episode 56
The Apple Games verdict | 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 56...
Direct-to-consumer
Xsolla and Second Dinner launch new Marvel Snap Web Shop
Players Can Redeem the Global ‘WEBLAUNCH’ Code at Launch to Access Special Offers and Exclusive Rewards
New Partnerships
Xsolla partners with Defold to simplify in-game purchases for web developers
“This is a huge win for our developers heading into the Game Jam,” said Defold product owner Björn Ritzl
Earnings Report
Ten Square Games records $7.4m profit despite drop in bookings
The company plans to double its efforts on scaling live games amidst ‘market evolution’
Training Camp
Khalifa Fund opens registration for 8th Venturist Summer Camp focused on game development
“The camp will also prepare students for freelance and future career opportunities in the gaming sector,” said Khalifa Fund acting CEO Mouza Al Nasri
Wwdc 2025
Apple expands iOS features with new social tools and player overlays
The iPhone maker also showcased new additions to developer tools such as Metal 4 and Xcode 26
The Birds Are Back
Angry Birds Bounce launches in July as series’ first game developed under Sega’s ownership
Sega completed its acquisition of Rovio in August 2023, 18 months after the last mobile Angry Birds game released
New Offerings
Unity launches Audience Hub to help marketers bring privacy-first targeting to games
The tool is currently available to marketers in the US and Canada
Finding Funds
Former Tacticool devs at Nice Plans Studio secure $3m for 3v3 shooter Ricochet Squad
Studio claims day one player-to-payer conversion rate is 4% to 5% in soft launch
Acqusitions
Nazara acquires Smaaash for $14.7m aiming to revamp the brand with digital IPs
“Smaaash was a bold idea once. It's time to build on that idea with sharper execution and a clearer lens,” said Nazara CEO Nitish Mittersain
Building Brands
Supercell hiring in multiple roles to grow brands outside of games
A "whole slate of unannounced projects" are already in development
Why Shanghai
Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai 2025 offers key insights into China's bustling market for international studios
Here’s why China’s games industry deserves a closer look and why we’re heading to Shanghai on July 30th
Strike Over
SAG-AFTRA ends strike against video game companies after reaching tentative AI protections deal
All members have been instructed to return to work
New Company
Ex-Netflix VP Mike Verdu and Zynga founder Mark Pincus form AI games startup Playful.AI
Company aims to “reinvent game development and game experiences with AI”
Funding News
Team Angels launches to back early-stage startups in Mumbai
The initiative offers equity funding between ₹40 lakhs ($45,000) and ₹1.5 crore ($175,000)
Game Ban
Hong Kong bans mobile game promoting anti-communist content
The game has now been removed from both the Google Play and Apple’s App Store in Hong Kong
Price Adjustments
Supercell adjusts in-game prices in multiple countries due to tax and exchange rate changes
Price increase impact titles in Brazil, Peru, Azerbaijan and others
Studio Closure
Dundee game studio Cobra Mobile shuts down after 20 years
The liquidation has resulted in eight employees being made redundant
Leadership Overhaul
Phil Rogers named CEO of Embracer as Lars Wingefors shifts focus to M&A
Wingefors will leave the executive management team from August 1st, but stay on as a board member until the annual general meeting
Summer Camp
Zynga to host Girls Make Games 2025 summer camp at San Mateo HQ
Participants will learn the fundamentals of game development and design while working in teams
Marvellous Mena
Dubai’s games industry surges with 260 game developers and 16.6% growth rate
Data shows that 67% of game companies have their headquarters in Dubai
Switch 2 Success
Nintendo Switch 2 breaks records with 3.5m unit sales in four days
The original Switch reached 2.7m unit sales in 29 days
End In Sight
SAG-AFTRA reaches tentative deal with games companies to end strike
The labour union has been on strike against video game companies since July 26th, 2024
Origin On The Way
The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin launching this year after Grand Cross surpasses $1bn
The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross generated its first $1bn on mobile in under five years
Strategic Growth
Games for Change welcomes five new board members
New and existing board members will guide the organisation's next phase of growth