Industry Outlook
Layoffs leave over half of redundant games workers still jobless
New report from Skillsearch shows budget cuts are among the top three reasons for industry redundancies
Adaptations
Paramount's Call of Duty film set for June 2028 release date
Taylor Sheridan and Peter Berg lead the adaptation of the shooter franchise
Disney Deluge
Disney Solitaire celebrates first anniversary with $230.9m in player spending
Total earnings are likely higher including D2C and ad revenue
Rewarded Ads
Almedia responds after Freecash removal from App Store and Google Play
The company said media reports behind the removal were misleading and is working towards a resolution
New Partnerships
Highrise partners with Neopets for a limited-time mobile crossover
Weekly free Neopet giveaways will run throughout the event
App Delisting
Freecash removed from App Store and Google Play after data scrutiny
The app’s removal follows scrutiny over data practices and marketing tactics
Studio Startup
Barcelona-based Side Quest Games establishes to make sports games for "underserved" fans
The studio has been co-founded by Alexandre Besenval and Oscar Jardi
Settlement Reached
Roblox agrees $12.5m deal to enhance child safety
The company is committing $10m to programmes encouraging children to engage in offline activities
Strategic Move
Amazon ends third-party support on Luna as service shifts strategy
All subscriptions bought via Luna will be automatically cancelled after the next billing cycle
Pokemon Unite
Pokémon UNITE WCS 2026 India Qualifier revealed with $25,000 prize pool
The winning team will represent India at the World Championship Finals in San Francisco
Job News
Imperia Online taps Mario Vasilev as new chief operating officer
New COO role targets improved efficiency and collaboration across teams
Investment News
Sony launches Innovation Fund 4 as venture platform targets $534m in assets
The PlayStation company begins deploying capital from its latest fund, targeting high-growth startups
Competition Case
Aptoide sues Google over alleged Android App Store monopoly
Aptoide claims Google unfairly steers developers toward the Play Store while limiting rival app stores
Partnership Extension
Games for Change and Tencent expand Raising Good Gamers initiative to support families
The programme focuses on promoting healthy play, respectful behaviour and positive gaming communities
Finding Funds
Mission Control Games launches with $4m pre-seed to rethink casual puzzle design
The funding will be used to grow the team and build its first title
Milestone
War Robots marks 12th anniversary as My.Games reports 325m registered users worldwide
War Robots continues to grow adding around 20m players annually
New Studio
New studio Kemet Entertainment opens in Cairo
While starting with mobile games, the studio plans to expand into broader entertainment experiences
Digital Dice
Dice Throne launches $100k Kickstarter for digital adaptation
The digital adaptation will feature full cross-platform play across Steam, mobile and VR devices
Enhancing Esports
ESL FACEIT Group teams up with KICK for esports streams
Viewership of Counter-Strike and Dota 2 competitions will aim to expand in the MENA region
Titan Tech
Supercell’s Titan engine: Spanning flagships to "the cheapest, oldest Android handset" in the world
The "homegrown" engine is built for mobile and aims to enable reach to as many players as possible
Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass "too expensive for players", as per leaked memo
New Microsoft Gaming EVP and CEO Asha Sharma’s internal memo has been leaked
Disney Development
Epic Games reportedly developing a Disney extraction shooter
A Bloomberg report suggests the new game will launch in November this year
Uk Valuation
UK games market hit record £8.8bn in 2025
Latest figures from Ukie highlight impacts of digital software, mobile and transmedia
Funding Support
Government pledges £28.5m for UK Games Fund to boost industry
The support marks a doubling of the fund and forms part of the UK Games Growth Package announced earlier this year.
Parental Controls
Roblox introduces new age-based accounts as it fights to alleviate safety concerns
UGC platform further expands parental controls and age-verification rules
Podcast | Episode 89
Ilkka's BAFTA Fellowship, record D2C revenue and the Super Mario Galaxy Movie's blockbuster opening | 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 89...
Store Policies
Google removes Doki Doki Literature Club from Play Store over policy violation
The studio is exploring alternative distribution options for Android users following the removal
Game Closure
Pocket Mortys shuts down after 10-year run
The Rick & Morty-themed RPG built a loyal audience using mechanics inspired by the Pokémon formula
Esports Nations Cup
Esports Nations Cup 2026 takes shape with 100,000 players set for global qualifiers
The tournament is backed by a $45m funding commitment, including a $20m prize pool
Milestone
CookieRun: Kingdom launches KPop Demon Hunters crossover with limited-time event
The collaboration runs until May 6th 2026, giving players a window to engage with themed content and limited-time rewards
Funding Round
Cloud gaming firm Playruo raises $2.5m
Company aims to expand its services globally following investment
Developers Unite
Five studios come together to form Nova Assembly
Developers unite to share specialised expertise and production experience
Out Of Nowhere
Zynga launches Borderlands Mobile on the App Store
Free-to-play mobile game appears to be developed by NaturalMotion
Afk Arena Anniversary
AFK Arena celebrates seventh anniversary and over $1.5bn in lifetime earnings
The game is now being surpassed by sequel AFK Journey, but remains among Lilith Games’ most lucrative titles over its lifetime
Gearing Up
Exel Gaming Accelerator reopens with up to $300,000 in funding for third cohort
The programme is particularly designed for startups looking to grow in Saudi Arabia
Dragonfire Dawn
Game of Thrones: Dragonfire opens pre-registrations with 10m target
The tactical title has five tiers of rewards depending on the number of pre-registrations reached
Podcast
PocketGamer.biz Podcast: Skillz, Beamable and the live ops shift
We unpack Skillz's acquisition of Beamable, what the future looks like for the two companies, and more
Industry Outlook
UK games sector loses 1,537 jobs as 14-year growth streak ends
Large studios also reduced staffing levels, shedding more than 700 development roles across the sector
Pgc Nordics
Tickets now live for Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics on October 20th to 21st
Must-attend games industry event in Helsinki gets a Nordic makeover
Acqusitions
Sony Interactive Entertainment acquires UK-based machine learning firm Cinemersive Labs
The team will join Sony’s Visual Computing Group following the acquisition
New Offerings
Maysalward launches Golden Agers workshop for 65+ gamers
The initiative aims to help seniors build confidence with technology in a practical, supportive setting
Leadership Change
AppLovin announces leadership succession plans and appoints new independent chairperson
Craig Billings has been appointed independent chairperson of AppLovin’s board
Lifetime Achievement
Ilkka Paananen to be awarded BAFTA Fellowship
Award honours the entrepreneur for his career and work with teams that have attracted hundreds of millions of players around the world
Mario Money
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie jumps to $372.6m at box office in five days
Nintendo and Illumination’s sequel title follows 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the first film based on a game IP to surpass $1bn
Resurgence Revenue
The Division Resurgence makes $717,000 in first seven days
Ubisoft’s new shooter fell slightly short of Rainbow Six Mobile’s recent week-one earnings, but peaked higher
Developer Support
Codfish Academy partners with Dear Villagers to launch game pitching clinic in Portugal
Five selected teams will present their projects directly to a publisher with the potential to secure funding and publishing support
M&a Milestone
Games industry M&A hits $7.7bn in Q1 2026 led by Savvy Games Group
Mobile led M&A during the quarter, with deals by Scopely, NCCSOFT, Nazara and others
Strategic Alternatives
Playtika launches portfolio-wide strategic review
Company last launched a strategic review in 2022, which was suspended in 2024 over "ongoing uncertainty in Israel and Ukraine"
Culture And Creativity
UAE Ministry of Culture opens fifth cycle of national grant programme
The programme supports projects across fields including video games, film, music, publishing and design
Saudi Shares
Saudi Arabia raises Capcom stake to 6.04%
The increase has come less than one month on from the Electronic Gaming Development Company's 5.03% claim