Growth Drivers
UK games industry joins government delegation to China for the first time
The move reflects the growing importance of games to the UK’s creative economy and export strategy
Ai Debate
Google's Project Genie sparks fall in gaming shares as industry experts question use-case
"The direction is right. The timeline is not what traders think it is," says Storygrounds CEO Andrew Green
Fire Emblem Festivity
Nintendo’s Fire Emblem Heroes celebrates ninth anniversary and over $1.2bn in revenue
The strategy RPG series successfully found its mobile niche as a gacha, surpassing all other Nintendo mobile games
Company Growth
Stillfront records $253m non-cash impairment charge
The write-down is primarily linked to weaker performance in Europe and North America
Gamescom Latam
Gamescom LATAM 2026 launches business ticket sales with Early Bird discounts
Up to 10% discounts on selected ticket categories
Funding News
Tesoro XP raises $5.4m to scale its rewards platform for games
The company plans to expand its SDK, publisher tools, and partner network ahead of a Q1 2026 launch
Growth Drivers
India's Union Budget commits $27.3m to talent development in creative sectors
Game development and interactive media are set to be embedded into national skilling frameworks
Game Approvals
South Korea to seek expanded Chinese game licence approvals in 2026 strategy
Games have been identified as a core pillar of the government’s K-culture growth agenda
Podcast | Episode 81
Ubisoft turmoil and what happened to Big Fish Games? | 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 81...
Game Closure
Pocket Mortys to shut down after 10 years
Pokémon-like RPG based on Rick & Morty was first launched in January 2016
Pgc Barcelona
Tickets now live for Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2026 on June 15th and 16th
Start doing real games business in Barcelona this June. Tickets start at just £85!
Job News
Delphi Interactive appoints ex-Konami tech director Julien Merceron as new CTO
He will oversee a reimagined FIFA simulation launching exclusively on Netflix later this year
Going Public
Liftoff Mobile targets $5.17bn valuation in planned IPO
The company is offering 25.4m shares, with an additional 3.81m available through an overallotment option
New Partnerships
Saudi Esports Federation signs deals with Yalla Group to support esports growth
The partnerships align with Vision 2030 and the National Gaming and Esports Strategy
Industry Outlook
Self-funding rises among game workers as layoffs persist and union interest grows
Co-development, private investment, and venture capital remain limited funding options across the industry
Accelerator Program
Dubai launches GameForward accelerator to support Emirati game developers
The programme supports both early-stage creators and teams looking to scale, with at least one Emirati founder required
An Anniversary Arrives
Love and Deepspace celebrates second anniversary as $1bn milestone draws near
Players celebrated in-game with a special banner and IRL at a Manhattan sci-fi setting
Strike
Ubisoft staff called to strike globally as unions protest layoffs and office mandate
Ubisoft unions have called for a three-day international strike from February 10th to 12th, 2026
Candy Crush Crushable
Candy Crush Crushable is a new daily puzzle game exclusive to Yahoo Games
King’s daily logic title will support Yahoo Games’ comeback, aiming to be "a best-in-class destination for casual play"
Ukie Awards
Vote for Pocket Gamer at the 2026 UKIE Awards
We’re proud to be nominated for Best UK Service Supplier – and we’d love your support
Esports Nations Cup
Esports World Cup Foundation commits $45m to Esports Nations Cup 2026
ENC 2026 will feature $20m in prize money paid directly to players and coaches across 16 titles
Milestone
Mamboo Entertainment surpasses $55m in lifetime revenue
The developer has also crossed 1bn installs and published more than 50 mobile games
New Offerings
Playgama launches advertising solution for web gaming monetisation
The new product marks Playgama’s expansion deeper into monetisation and gaming-focused ad tech
Road To Kalos
Pokémon Go to experiment with new strategy on the Road to Kalos
Ahead of this year’s Go Tour, the now-Scopely-owned title will echo some of Go’s most lucrative events
Layoff News
Amazon to cut 16,000 roles worldwide in a new round of organisational changes
Separately, Amazon Games Studio VP Christoph Hartmann is leaving the company
New Offerings
Yodo1 launches IPVerse platform for in-game IP licensing
IPVerse aims to replace intuition-led collaboration decisions with clear global and regional data
Pgc London
Monetisation trends to watch in 2026: "Player expectations have changed"
PGC London panellists discussed the latest ad and in-app purchase strategies on mobile
Manifesto
Women in Games launches Manifesto 2026 to push for gender fairness
The organisation said women make up nearly half of players, but remain underrepresented in the games workforce
New Partnerships
Stray Fawn and Sidekick Publishing partner on roguelike chess-builder Gambonanza
Digital agency Ateo has also joined the project to handle mobile ports
New Offerings
Godot 4.6 launches with focus on performance and workflow polish
The update arrives less than six months after the previous major release
Funding News
Vietnam’s Panthera Global raises $1.5m to scale mid-core RPG ambitions
The Hanoi-based studio is doubling down on sustainable, higher-LTV game design over hit-driven scale
Very Big Indie Pitch
Couch Party! wins the Very Big Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects Aqaba 2025
Find out who took the top three spot at PGC Aqaba's mobile big indie pitching content
Payment Problem
Arknights: Endfield players hit with extra PayPal charges at launch
Some players who made PayPal purchases were erroneously overcharged on launch day
Pgc London
PGC London's industry health check: Investment, AI, D2C, and advantages of the UK
PGC London pannelists discussed a range of topics checking in on the post-pandemic landscape
Layoffs Imminent
Ubisoft proposes up to 200 job cuts at Paris headquarters
The company plans to use a voluntary collective termination process
Acqusitions
Mistplay to acquire Mobivity’s Connected Rewards platform
The deal is expected to close in early Q1 2026, pending standard regulatory and closing conditions
Speaker Opportunities
Inspire and help define the games industry agenda at Pocket Gamer Connects
Speaker applications to San Francisco, Dubai, and Malmö now open
Milestone
Roblox reports record 12.8m concurrent users for Bruno Mars virtual concert
Players collected more than 5.4m limited-edition “Brunito Marsito” brainrot collectables during the activation
Pgc Summit San Francisco
What to expect as Pocket Gamer Connects lands in San Francisco
Why Pocket Gamer Connects Summit San Francisco is the mobile industry’s must-attend event this March
New Partnerships
Savvy Games Group and NEOM sign MoU to fast-track Saudi gaming startups
The deal connects Savvy’s Nine66 Incubator directly to NEOM’s Level Up Accelerator, creating a clearer growth pathway for startups
Divestiture
Aristocrat Leisure sells off Big Fish Games assets
New company BGF Entertainment acquires BigFishGames.com and games for PC, Mac and mobile
Share Slump
Ubisoft shares fall almost 40% in five days as restructure plans unveiled
Shares have fallen from €6.63 on January 21st to €4.03 on January 26th
Pgc Summit San Francisco
Why the games industry needs a dedicated mobile-first event in 2026
PG Connects Summit San Francisco brings together industry professionals for business-driven networking on March 9th
Cloud Gaming
Netflix unveils new cloud-first direction for its games strategy
Netflix plans to expand cloud-based games on TV as it moves beyond mobile
New Studio
New developer Sanddrifter Studio opens in Abu Dhabi
The studio is currently developing its debut mobile title with plans to expand to PC and console in the future
Mentorship
Supercell opens applications for AI Innovation Lab programme
The nine-week programme is designed for top-tier AI and games founders turning early ideas into breakthrough products
Events
The Dubai GameExpo Summit returns on May 20th and 21st
Save the date for the 2026 edition of the two-day conference powered by Pocket Gamer Connects
Ai Workshop
Sign up for AI Basics: Thrills or Chills? free workshop with Martin Percy
Continue the conversation: free workshop with the award-winning director
Podcast | Episode 80
Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026 unwrapped | 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 80...
New Partnerships
Court reveals secret $800m deal between Google and Epic Games amid antitrust case
The deal was revealed during a court hearing in San Francisco, with a judge questioning its impact on Epic’s legal demands