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
Training Camp
GameSkills opens applications for pan-European advanced training programme for game developers
The initiative will support 250 participants from 50 European studios through expert-led, hands-on training
Incubator
LVL Zero opens applications for inaugural gaming-focused incubator in India
Ten selected teams will each receive a $10,000 equity-free grant, creating a $100,000 funding pool
Acqusitions
1SP Agency acquires games industry matchmaking platform MeetToMatch
The deal strengthens 1SP’s data-driven networking and event technology capabilities
Event Report
Biggest ever Pocket Gamer Connects London united the games industry in resilience and optimism
Around 3,000 attendees gathered in the UK capital for two packed days of networking
Company Restructure
Ubisoft moves mobile studios and IP into new Creative House under wide-ranging restructure
The reset is built around a new operating model, a refocused content roadmap and accelerated cost-reduction measures
Pgc London
Around 60% of Snapchat ads are for games
Snapchat’s Sara Antonelli spoke at PGC London about "impressive" Playables results
Investment News
ZBD lands $40m Series C financing to accelerate growth in games and app payments
The funding will support the company's expansion as a licensed, vertically integrated payments provider built for games
Charity Campaign
Aviagames raises over $136,000 through Wonderland Wishes charity campaign
Funds raised will support toys, care kits, bicycles and educational resources for children in foster care
New Partnerships
Oh BiBi partners with Rovio to develop Angry Birds Rush
The upcoming title marks the franchise’s first move into the luck battler genre, offering a fresh twist on the mobile gaming IP
New Offerings
Rovio partners with Kingsoft Shiyou to relaunch Angry Birds in China
Kingsoft will exclusively publish and operate the Angry Birds franchise in China, marking its first major return to the market in years
Pgc Summit San Francisco
Stay ahead of the curve at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit San Francisco on March 9th
A high-impact summit connecting you with the right contacts to drive partnerships and momentum at the start of a crucial industry week
Funding For Games
Anka Ventures launches early-stage VC fund targeting mobile games and apps
The fund was established by VLMedia to help founders scale internationally through network access and follow-on funding
Funding News
UK government opens bids for £27m creative industries cluster funding
The move forms part of the next phase of the creative industries sector plan under the Industrial Strategy
Expansions
Outfit7 launches PlayValley to expand into PC and mobile game development
The new studio is developing original new IPs aimed at expanding Outfit7’s portfolio beyond its existing franchises
Accelerator Program
Ukie and Tencent expand Games Growth Programme with 30 UK studios in new cohort
The programme combines an Accelerator track for emerging studios with a Scale-up track for high-growth companies
Developer Support
Arcade launches data-first publishing model for casual and hybrid-casual studios
The publisher’s model centres on analytics-driven decision-making and hands-on product execution
Market Report
Global mobile in-app purchase revenue hit $167bn in 2025
Over 280,000 apps were downloaded per minute, reaching 149 billion downloads in 2025 according to a new report from Sensor Tower
Aurora Award
Aurora celebrates women in the UK games industry
Ten women recognised for leadership, creativity, sustainability and long-term industry impact live at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026
Pgc London
Pocket Gamer Connects London welcomes UK Minister of State for Trade Policy Chris Bryant to showcase country's bustling game industry
The Minister offered support for the UK's creative industries and shook hands with the industry on the show floor
Esports World Cup
Esports World Cup 2026 to feature a $75m total prize pool
The winning Club will earn $7m as part of the expanded Club Championship payouts
Pgc Summit San Francisco
Save up to $300 on PGC Summit San Francisco
Super Early Bird prices end at midnight Thursday, January 22nd
New Partnerships
Coda partners with Unity to integrate in-app purchasing into web store platforms
Developers can manage digital catalogues across mobile, web, and PC through Unity’s existing IAP workflow
Milestone
RuneScape surpasses $3bn in lifetime revenue as Jagex marks 25th anniversary
The RS25 programme is positioned as the most ambitious evolution in RuneScape’s history
Talent Development
Belfast XR Festival launches £200,000 immersive development programme
Teams will receive stipends, mentoring, masterclasses, and hands-on prototyping support
Lack Of Support
"If I had to start a 100 person studio today in games, I wouldn't do it here in the UK"
Members of the newly formed UK Video Games Council had stark words for government support as they look to help chart a new path forward
Vision 2030
Scotland targets £1bn games sector by 2030 with new national action plan
The plan reframes games as a driver of economic growth, skills development and cross-sector innovation
Regulations
Italy watchdog opens probes into Activision Blizzard over mobile game monetisation
Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile are under scrutiny for allegedly misleading free-to-play practices