Esports Nations Cup
PUBG Mobile joins the Esports Nations Cup 2026 as its 16th competitive title
The national team showdown will take place in Riyadh from November 2nd to 29th, 2026.
Overwatch Rush
Blizzard unveils Overwatch Rush "specifically for mobile players"
The development team is said to have "deep mobile experience"
Job News
Nexon appoints Patrick Söderlund as executive chairman effective immediately
The new structure sees Söderlund set strategy while CEO Junghun Lee drives execution
Child Safety
LA County sues Roblox over alleged child safety failures
Officials claim the platform exposes minors to grooming and sexual exploitation
Strategic Move
BidOn expands leadership and establishes board to advance open source ad tech
2026 roadmap includes publisher-focused ad tech resources
Giant Growing
Giant secures $8m to expand AI-powered storytelling for children
The startup aims to turn children's screen time into interactive, creative play
Job News
Krafton appoints Kangwook Lee as chief AI officer
He will oversee company-wide AI R&D and foundational tech roadmap
Early In Endfield
Arknights: Endfield makes $46m in first month on mobile
The gacha game saw a boost with its first new character banner on February 7th
Rainbow Six Ready
Rainbow Six Mobile launches globally today after navigating hiatus and extended development
After entering soft launch in August 2023, Ubisoft’s PvP mobile title is finally going global
Studio Closure
Tencent closes TiMi Montreal studio after five years
Studio was founded in 2021 to build open-world multi-platform titles
New Offerings
ByteBrew launches AI-powered cross-promotion network to scale app portfolios
The platform enables developers to target high-value users within their own apps and move them across titles
New Offerings
Roblox launches Global Parent Council to strengthen family engagement and online safety oversight
The council includes 80 parents and caregivers from 32 countries across four regions
New Partnerships
Saudi Esports Federation partners with ROC Esports and Team Stallion to strengthen the Kingdom’s esports ambitions
The agreements centre on upskilling Saudi employees and athletes through programs delivered by the Saudi Esports Academy
New Partnerships
Savvy Games Group signs MoU with AUBH to strengthen student training in games and interactive entertainment
AUBH students will gain access to internships, studio visits and direct engagement with Savvy’s teams in Riyadh
Dubai Gameexpo
Tickets on sale with time-limited discount for global games industry event in Dubai
Dubai GameExpo Summit on May 20th-21st connects global business-makers with MENA’s games market
Executive Shuffle
Xbox's outgoing president Sarah Bond: "I’m proud of what we’ve built together"
Executive releases statement after executive shuffle at Microsoft's games division
End Of An Era
Phil Spencer retires as ex-Instacart COO takes top job at Microsoft Gaming
Xbox president and COO Sarah Bond also exits the firm as Matt Booty is promoted to EVP and chief content officer
Podcast | Episode 84
Scopely's $1bn Loom Games deal and Matthew Ball's State of Video Games report | 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 84...
Game Closure
Netmarble to shut down Seven Knights 2 in April
Publisher's focus is shifting to Seven Knights: Re: BIRTH and Seven Knights Idle Adventure
Winners Revealed
Grand Mountain Adventure 2 wins mobile honour at Swedish Game Awards
Mojang Studios’ Minecraft secured Best Live Service, while Candy Crush Saga earned a nomination in the same category
Job News
Exel by Merak appoints Faisal Sedrani as CEO to lead its next growth phase
The accelerator is expanding beyond games into a broader multi-sector innovation mandate aligned with Vision 2030
Job News
Make-A-Wish International appoints Markus Wilding to its Infinite Wishes Advisory Committee
Former Activision, Rockstar, 2K and Private Division leader brings 30 years of global industry experience to the initiative
Strategic Move
Meta splits Quest and Horizon Worlds as it pivots the social sandbox app toward mobile
The company claims Horizon Worlds' mobile MAU grew more than 4x in 2025
M&a
Scopely acquires majority stake in Istanbul’s Pixel Flow developer Loom Games at $1bn valuation
The performance-based deal structure values studio in excess of $1 billion
Pgc Summit Malmo
NEW FOR 2026! PG Connects Summit Malmö tickets have gone live!
New Offerings
UK government reveals expanded finance package to help creative businesses scale
The move includes a $60 million commitment to Redrice Ventures to boost seed-stage investment in creative firms
Acqusitions
Clear Angle Studios acquires DI4D's technology and IP to strengthen performance capture offering
The deal brings together two long-standing specialists in high-fidelity digital performance
Manifesto
Scottish games industry releases manifesto calling for government support ahead of parliament election
The sector is urging the next government to strengthen policy, unlock investment and secure long-term growth
Celebrations
Finnish Game Jam 2026 produced 259 brand new games in just 48 hours
Hundreds of developers gathered under the theme “Mask” for Finland’s Global Game Jam contribution
Brazil Games set to bring over 30 game studios to GDC 2026
The delegation aims to position Brazil as a global development partner
Pgc London
AppsFlyer talks buyer signals, player targeting and staying legally compliant
At PGC London, AppsFlyer SVP and GM, data collaboration platform Edik Mitelman spoke with global director of product Adam Smart about recent tech advancements and retargeting capabilities
Shares Slump
Unity shares approach all-time low after falling 91% since November 2021
Unity shares stood at $18.36 each on closing yesterday, nearing their record low from summer 2024
Industry Outlook
EGDF urges Europe's games industry to "fight forward" in 2026
The federation called on policymakers to recognise games as a strategic cultural and technological asset
Pokemon Pvp
Pokémon Go PvP revamped after competitive players "pushed the system to its limits"
Foundational changes have been made to reduce the impact of connectivity and hardware differences between players
New Offerings
FirstLook launches 1.0 as it expands into a full lifecycle player relationship platform
The platform now integrates playtesting, communications, analytics, rewards, creator campaigns and sentiment analysis in one suite
Crossovers
June’s Journey welcomes Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie anniversary crossover
Players will solve puzzles across iconic Christie-inspired locations in a cosy mystery format
Investment Shift
Saudi Arabia's PIF transfers $3bn Take-Two Stake to Savvy Games Group
The move consolidates Saudi Arabia’s global gaming investments under Savvy
Market Report
Report: Global app installs climbed 10% in 2025 as sessions rose 7% year-over-year
Casual games led growth with 19% install gains and a 37% surge in sessions.
Ramadan Kareem
Ramadan festivities unfold across mobile with themed events and seasonal rewards
We’ve rounded up a selection of the most engaging and inventive in-game events and promotions currently live
Pgc San Francisco
Monetisation, player retention and communities on Discord: Top tips incoming at PGC San Francisco
Discord senior developer Anthony Tešija will talk on stage about best practices for acquiring, retaining and monetising mobile gamers through the platform
New Offerings
Mellow launches Indie Launchpad to support game studios
The program offers six months of full access to Mellow’s contractor management tools
Lunar New Year
Pocket Gamer Connects wishes you a prosperous Lunar New Year
You can register your interest to join PG Connects Summit Shanghai 2026 and start optimising your new business year
Share Drop
AppLovin shares dive as much as 40% this year despite strong earnings growth
The stock recently traded around $390.66, valuing the company at approximately $132bn
Game Closure
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile servers to shut down in April 2026
Players can continue accessing existing content until the April closure date
Duolingo Daus
More than 10 million Duolingo users have a 365-day streak
Of the learning app’s 50m daily users, over 10m have a year-long login streak
Podcast | Episode 83
Supercell faces Clash Royale controversy and banks on innovation | 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 83...
Sluggish Sonic
Sega’s operating income down 55% as it takes $200m impairment loss on Rovio
Sonic Rumble has also been highlighted for falling short of expectations across every KPI
Possible Acqusition
Report: ByteDance in advanced talks to sell Moonton to Savvy Games Group for up to $7bn
Sources say the transaction could close as soon as this quarter, with broad terms already agreed
Pgc Barcelona 2026
What to expect when Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona returns on June 15th and 16th
Explore compelling industry opportunities as Pocket Gamer Connects returns to the heart of Europe’s games industry on June 15th and 16th
Studio Closure
Mega Studio shuts down game development division after nearly five years
The studio built more than 35 games and apps, and at its peak employed nearly 40 staff