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Event Report
Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2025: Raises the bar for the Nordic Games Industry
A vibrant mix of topics, voices, and networking made the 12th Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki a true celebration of global games industry collaboration
Dragon Ball Data
Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra earns $2.1m in first month, just 8% of Dragon Ball Legends
Bandai Namco’s previous Dragon Ball games Dokkan Battle and Legends picked up $3m and $26.3m in their first months
Industry Outlook
UK games industry leaders urge government to introduce a new “Games Growth Relief"
The proposal seeks targeted tax support for game projects up to £15m
Job News
Appcharge names former Xsolla president David Stelzer as chief strategy officer
He will guide Appcharge’s strategy and push into new global markets
Job News
Aristocrat appoints Amy White as VP of communications for EMEA
She will oversee communications across Aristocrat Interactive and Product Madness
Crafting And Configuring
Genshin Impact to introduce UGC system Miliastra Wonderland on October 22nd
Editing tool Miliastra Sandbox will allow players to edit terrains, skills, game modes and more
Hackathon
Supercell launches global AI Game Hackathon for creators worldwide
Three challenge tracks explore AI-powered games, remakes, and new tools
New On Netflix
Netflix allows subscribers to play games directly on smart TVs
The feature has been in development since early 2023
Podcast | Episode 68
The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers revealed, and crisis in the EU's games industry | 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 68...
Sponsorship Deal
Xsolla extends Stevenage FC sponsorship to 2028
Partnership with English football club will run until at least the 2027 to 2028 season
Market Report
Games industry investment and M&A ticks up in Q3
Drake Star Partners report shows first quarter for investment growth since Q1 2024
Candy Cookbook
Candy Crush dessert cookbook Tasty releases with 50+ recipes
Instructions detail how to make chocolate squares, cakes, wrapped sweets, the Colour Bomb and more
New Offerings
App developer Xibbon launches mobile-optimised Godot editor Xogot
The tool lets users run the Godot game engine on iPhone and iPad
Mysims On Mobile
MySims: Cozy Bundle to launch on Apple Arcade this November
MySims and MySims Kingdom will be included in the package
Market Report
ESA survey claim just two-thirds of people primarily play games for fun
Mobile devices are the most popular gaming platform, used by 55% of players globally
Industry Outlook
Games industry M&A activity held steady at 49 deals in Q3 2025
Mobile in-app purchase spending climbed to $21bn, led by Asian publishers
Funding News
PolyDream Studio raises $500,000 to accelerate development of White Desert
The upcoming FPS game is set in post-war Egypt amid a battle between rival factions
Age Verification
Texas enforces new age verification law for app stores and developers
Developers must update their apps to meet the new compliance requirements
Regulations
Supercell CEO warns crippling EU regulations could kill Europe's games sector
Paananen says proposed rules risk dismantling the foundation of the €27bn European games industry
Pretty Penny
Umamusume: Pretty Derby hits $2.5bn after most lucrative day in four years
The horse girl gacha has picked up $55.3m overseas since its worldwide launch on July 26th
Online Safety
Roblox launches Parent Council to promote safety and positivity on the platform
The council will unite up to 40 parents and caregivers from North America and Europe
Developer Support
Unity urges developers to patch games after discovery of major security vulnerability
The vulnerability affects Unity projects across Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux
Acqusitions
Fragbite Group sells subsidiary Playdigious to Griffin Gaming Partners for €10.5m
The deal is cash and debt-free, with Fragbite retaining 90% of future revenue from Playdigious Originals’ PC titles
New Offerings
Swiss-based Sbarter is raising €40m to “redefine” skill-based games with blockchain technology
Funds will fuel user growth, publisher partnerships, and product innovation ahead of its 2026 launch
Aurora Award
Aurora 2025 announces 15 women and non-binary leaders shaping the future of Nordic games industry
Aurora honours women and non-binary professionals in the Nordic games industry, including leaders from Supercell and Rovio, as well as Sámi storytellers reshaping representation and creativity
Roblox Record
Roblox’s Steal a Brainrot becomes first game to surpass 25m concurrent players
The experience bested Grow a Garden for the top spot in September, then hit a new industry milestone this October
App Store Changes
US Supreme Court rejects Google’s bid to block Play Store overhaul
The decision stems from Epic Games’ antitrust lawsuit accusing Google of monopolising app distribution and payments
Investigations
SEC launches investigation into AppLovin’s data collection practices
The probe focuses on claims that AppLovin breached partner agreements to deliver targeted ads
Job News
Venture studio ELO appoints games economist Joost van Dreunen as strategic advisor
He will advance the studios' mission of empowering global games communities
Adaptations
Fusebox Games secures global rights to develop The Traitors: Interactive Game for mobile
The Traitors: Interactive Game will launch in 2026 on iOS and Android
Hackathon
Second edition of Arab Youth Hackathon launches to empower young talent in games
Participants will create five games inspired by Arab culture under the theme “Arab Identity”
Market Report
87% of mobile game developers rely on Google and Apple for most revenue
84% believe the industry can’t survive long-term under the dominance of just two major app stores
New Offerings
Sustainable Games Alliance unveils new sustainability framework for the games industry
Built specifically for games it covers everything from design and servers to marketing and hardware
Pgc Helsinki
Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki kicks off two days of talks, insights, and networking
Over 150 speakers will share insights across more than 20 content tracks covering every corner of the games industry
Finnish Games Week
Finnish Games Week kicks off in Helsinki with a packed lineup of conferences and summits
The event unites developers, publishers, investors, and creatives across multiple conferences and summits
Lawsuit
Anapol Weiss files lawsuits against Roblox over alleged child grooming and abuse
The lawsuits claim Roblox prioritised profit over safety, failing to enforce key protections like age checks and moderation
Investment News
Kakao Games secures $111m through subsidiary sale and paid-in capital increase
Funds will be used to strengthen finances and expand operations
Podcast | Episode 67
The $55bn EA acquisition unpacked | 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 67...
Podcast
Gaming Meets Beauty: Inside Henkel’s first brand activation
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play, here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode.
Pgc Helsinki
Showcasing the sponsors! Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2025
You can connect and meet with these great companies at our 12th Finnish festival of games
Web Shops
Epic Games launches global web shops for mobile and PC
As part of the rollout Epic has partnered with Codename Entertainment to showcase web shop functionality
Funding Round
Cypher Games secures $30m in series A funding
The funds will go towards its debut title Match Squad
A Good Cause
Supercell, Sybo, EA and more get involved in One Special Day mobile charity initiative
Games involved include Subway Surfers, Hay Day, Golf Clash, Angry Birds 2 and more
Major Milestone
TinyBytes surpasses 100 million downloads across its portfolio
Flagship title Massive Warfare makes up for a large portion of the downloads
Partnerships
BBC Studios brings Great British Bake Off to Roblox with Star Baker game
Star Baker will bring baking challenges inspired by the show to the Roblox platform
Shadows Spending
Nintendo’s Fire Emblem Shadows makes just $90,000 in first week on iOS
Predecessor Fire Emblem Heroes earned $8.2m on iOS in week one
Unstable And Unsustainable
39% of game devs are making mobile games, but layoffs make them "go numb"
Duamentes Gaming’s Making Games, Making Future report reveals most developers enjoy their work but wouldn’t recommend working in the industry
Applovin Axon
AppLovin rebrands consumer-facing ads offering to Axon
The app tech company has been expanding into web and e-commerce, moving away from its apps business
Ios Installs
Epic Games Store sees "stunning" rise in successful installations as iOS scare screen removed
The Fortnite maker still believes Apple is "thwarting competition" despite the improvements