Esports World Cup
Esports World Cup 2026 relocates from Saudi Arabia to Paris amid regional uncertainty
The Paris tournament marks EWC’s first edition outside Saudi Arabia
Company Restructure
Embracer keeps mobile in-house as it spins off Fellowship Entertainment
Mobile stays with Embracer, keeping DECA, CrazyLabs and A Thinking Ape
New Offerings
Roblox expands mental health efforts with new partnerships and well-being resources
The company partnered with Koko, ThroughLine, and Thrive
New Offerings
Dubai Films & Games Commission partners with Good Game Club to promote games as a force for good
Dubai is targeting 30,000 gaming jobs and $1bn GDP contribution by 2033
In-game Event
Epic brings Mandalorian and Grogu watch party island to Fortnite ahead of film release
Fortnite players can watch an exclusive 10-minute sneak peek of the upcoming film
Podcast | Episode 91
Sensor Tower's AppMagic acquisition and Sega's brutal Rovio comments | 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 91...
Partnership Extension
Qiddiya expands Google Cloud partnership to build AI-powered gaming and entertainment city
The project links gaming, AI and smart city infrastructure under Saudi Vision 2030
Fortnite Freedom
Fortnite returns globally on the App Store, with one exception
Epic Games has yet to bring Fortnite back to the App Store in Australia
Milestone
Terraria mobile sales approach 20m as game surpasses 70m copies sold
Developer Re-Logic confirmed crossplay support is currently in development
Next From Nintendo
Nintendo reveals "kind of silly" photo game Pictonico!
The title is available for pre-registration now, with a release date of May 28th
Milestone
Stan reaches 45m users as product-led growth model gains traction
The platform is targeting further expansion across APAC and MENA regions
New Offerings
Appcharge launches MCP server to power AI-driven mobile game DTC onboarding
Additional agentic workflows and API coverage planned through 2026
Play To Learn
Savvy Games Group wraps Saudi 'Play to Learn' competition with 719,000 students involved
The competition involved 7,705 schools and more than 36,000 instructors across Saudi Arabia
Pgc Summit MalmÖ
Connect and do games business in Sweden next week
Get direct access to developers, publishers and investors at PG Connects Summit Malmö, May 27th to 28th
Pgc Barcelona
Learn how Scopely crafted a distinct visual identity for Monopoly Go at PGC Barcelona
Join over 1,000 attendees at the conference on June 15th and 16th to network and gain insights on global hits like Monopoly Go
New Partnerships
Xsolla partners with Skich to support alternative mobile game distribution
Xsolla becomes merchant of record for Skich mobile marketplace
Possible Acquisition
StreamElements confirms acquisition talks amid shutdown speculation
The company says it is in “positive discussions” with potential buyers
Esports World Cup
Esports World Cup reportedly set for Paris move amid Middle East conflict
The Esports Nations Cup is still scheduled for Riyadh in November
India On The Rise
Tencent commits over $1m to support India’s Orange economy
The publisher also signed three-year partnerships with SEPC and GDAI
New Offerings
Mistplay launches Audience Network for rewarded advertising following acquisitions
Network combines Mistplay inventory with Connected Rewards and MyChips assets
Funding For Games
UK Global Screen Fund opens video game release funding programme
Grants between £5,000 and £50,000 available for UK developers
Winners Revealed
Unity names 10 winners of 2026 Unity for Humanity Grant from $600,000 prize pool
The programme celebrated projects using real-time 3D to tackle global challenges aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Pgc Summit Malmo
Revealed: PGC Summit Malmö schedule (May 27th to 28th) for new networking event
Expert insight alongside meeting-centric summit designed to boost your business
Pgc Barcelona
FunPlus CBO Chris Petrovic to discuss the games industry's 'new normal' at PGC Barcelona
The industry veteran is another big name to join our raft of star speakers heading to the Spain conference on June 15th and 16th
Milestone
Pixel Federation reports $48m revenue in 2025 as TrainStation 3 drives record launch
TrainStation 2 remained the top performer overall, pulling in $15m in 2025
Market Report
Okre and Ukie launch unified framework to better measure UK video games’ impact
65% of UK adults and 88% of children play video games, yet the sector's broader influence remains poorly understood by policymakers
New Offerings
Time and Business Insider follow New York Times Games playbook with puzzle launches
Both publishers are chasing the retention loop that turned NYT Games into a subscription engine
Acqusitions
Atari acquires rights to first five Wizardry RPGs as it plans franchise revival
Wizardry’s revival extends beyond games into film, TV, and merchandise
M&a
Sensor Tower acquires mobile market intelligence rival AppMagic
Terms of the deal were not disclosed
Events
PocketGamer.biz and EnJoyPay Vietnam Global Game Developers Mixer welcomes local and international studios
Representatives from VNGGames, Gamota, Funtap Games, Sky Mavis, Tencent, Scopely and more joined for an evening of networking
India On The Rise
LVL Zero unveils global mentor network for inaugural gaming incubator cohort
Startups to receive support across publishing, growth, and live ops
Moshi Media
Moshi Monsters returns with new animated TV series amid multi-platform revival
A new Moshi Monsters game is also planned for early access in 2026
Discount Deal
Save €190! PGC Barcelona Early Bird prices end this week!
Book your tickets by midnight this Thursday, May 14th
Policy Shift
Google Play to shift chargeback costs to Android developers in 2026
New Review Refund API launching in July 2026
Proposal Rejected
eBay rejects GameStop acquisition proposal over financing and strategic concerns
Board calls GameStop bid “neither credible nor attractive”
Rovio Restructuring
Sega calls out sluggish Rovio performance as it eyes turnaround
Sega’s latest financials noted that Rovio will undergo restructuring, then focus on expanding the Angry Birds brand
Switch 2 Success
Nintendo Switch 2 nears 20m unit sales in under a year but shares have tanked 40%
The Switch 2 has outsold its predecessor’s first year by 32% with two months still to go
Pgc Barcelona
Scopely’s growing presence in Barcelona: From five employees to 750
Scopely originally established an office in the city to work on an end-to-end platform
Job News
Roblox appoints Mohamed El Sheakh as general manager for MENA and Türkiye
The new GM will oversee partnerships and developer ecosystem growth
Acqusitions
NCSoft subsidiary Veroplay acquires Moving Eye Games and Swamp Attack franchise
Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed
New Offerings
Guerrilla Games co-founder Arjan Brussee is building a European alternative to Unreal and Unity
The Immense Engine aims to compete with Unreal and Unity
Adaptations
NBC greenlights Wordle game show adaptation for 2027 debut
Savannah Guthrie will host the Wordle television adaptation
Funding News
Grand Games raises $70m Series B to scale hybridcasual games
Funding will support marketing, hiring, and upcoming game launches
Pgc Barcelona
Socialpoint head to speak at PGC Barcelona next month
Ivan Zaguirre joins a host of star speakers at our big conference next month
New Offerings
Discord launches Nitro Rewards with Xbox Game Pass and gaming hardware perks
Subscribers will receive monthly orbs drops and bonus quest rewards
New Partnerships
Spin Master and Supercell partner on global toy line for Clash and Brawl Stars franchises
The global toy line is scheduled to launch in summer 2027
New Offerings
Esports Foundation and JioBLAST launch India Rising pathway to Esports World Cup
Chess will serve as the first competitive title for the programme
Aurora Award
Last chance to nominate for the Aurora Awards Europe
Celebrating the women of the European games industry this summer at PG Connects Barcelona 2026
Esports Tournament
The Battle of Polytopia World Championship returns with a $10,000 prize pool
More than 10,000 players entered the tournament qualifiers in 2025
New Offerings
Flexion launches Exprexion to help expand mobile game monetisation beyond Apple and Google
The company is pushing for a more decentralised future for mobile game distribution