Industry Outlook
UKIE welcomes new SIC codes for UK games publishing and development
The change marks the first time the UK games industry will be formally separated from broad software and IT categories in official economic data
Acqusitions
JetSynthesys confirms EverMerge acquisition from Big Fish Games
The deal supports JetSynthesys’ global expansion plans, with India a key growth market
Milestone
NYT Games' multiplayer word game Crossplay surpasses one million downloads
Launched in January, the title marks NYT’s move from solo puzzles into real-time competitive play
Pgc London
Direct-to-consumer at PGC London: "The Pandora’s Box is open"
Appcharge founder and CEO Maor Sason spoke with Play Ventures founding partner Harri Manninen at PGC London 2026 about the evolution of D2C
Endfield Earnings
Arknights: Endfield hits $30m in two weeks on mobile
Gryphline’s new gacha was released globally on January 22nd
Switch 2 Sales
Switch 2 surpasses 17m unit sales as Nintendo’s net sales rise 99%
The original Switch has become Nintendo’s best-selling console in history, at over 155m units and 1.5bn software sales
New Partnerships
Savvy Games Group signs MoU with Alfaisal University to launch new game design program
The program will be jointly delivered by Alfaisal University and Savvy Academy, blending academic teaching with industry expertise
New Offerings
Roblox launches 4D generation creation feature enters beta
The new system moves beyond static assets, allowing players to generate fully interactive objects in game
Esports World Cup
Esports World Cup Foundation launches global Road to EWC qualification program
The program links more than 230 tournaments into a single global qualification pathway
Funding News
UAE developer iBloxx Studios raises $5.4m to complete development of StrayShot
The funding will also support global marketing, live operations and preparation for console releases
Events
Dubai GameExpo Summit returns in May after record 1,400 game professionals from 70 countries in 2025
The two-day event returns on May 20th and 21st 2026 to engage with the vibrant MENA games market once more
Acquisition
Skillz acquires Beamable's backend tech
Team that built the platform will continue working on the product
New Offerings
Scopely launches Monopoly Go Pets Season with charity-driven challenge
Pets Season links in-game play to real-world support for animal welfare organisations
Adaptations
Iron Lung movie breaks out at box office with $21.5m opening weekend
The film was produced on a reported $3m budget by YouTuber Markiplier, who also wrote, directed and starred in the adaptation
New Offerings
Fractional/ launches to connect studios with senior strategy and operations expertise
The collective focuses on everything but making the game
Top 30
Nominations open for the first Top 30 US Mobile Game Makers 2026
Let us know who you think should be included and why
Investment News
Ares Interactive raises $70m as it plots expansion plans and new game launch
Company president Mike DeLaet discusses how the ambitious company aims to scale, potential acquisitions and the opportunities for Baseball Hits 26
Coding Error
Nexon to refund MapleStory Idle RPG players following pricing error
The company is reviewing the financial impact of the refunds on its consolidated results
Indie Publishing
LootLocker makes strategic investment in indie label Pantaloon
Pantaloon offers publishing services and an email newsletter to promote indie games
Epic Milestones
Epic Games Store sees record $400m in third-party player spending
Third-party titles generated 2.78bn hours of playtime, marking a 4% year-on-year increase
Market Report
Games emerge as a dominant entry point into youth fandoms in the US and UK
Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft rank among the top youth fandoms across both markets
Virtual Concert
Lil Wayne to headline Supercell's Clash Royale virtual halftime show
The in-game performance will premiere globally on February 6th, 2026
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