Mighty Milestone
Vietnam Game Connect 2026 reports more than 40% attendance growth
More than 300 Vietnamese studios took part in the event
Milestone
Develop:Brighton draws record attendance at 20th anniversary event
Develop:Brighton will return from July 13th to 15th, 2027
Pgc Summit Montreal
New event: PG Connects Summit Montréal
Bringing mobile games to MIGS this November 10th
Funding News
Neon raises $13m Series A to expand direct-to-consumer commerce platform for game publishers
The company focuses on giving publishers control over commerce, payments, and player data
Pokemon Pvp
Pokémon Champions makes $7.2m in first month on mobile
Japan has led mobile spending thus far, accounting for 55% in month one
Freedom Regained
Alpha Dog Games returns to independent ownership after Microsoft closure
The founders reacquired the studio from Microsoft following its 2024 closure
Acqusitions
Palo Alto Networks to acquire Embrace to expand observability platform
The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2027
Unity Upgrade
Unity 7 unveiled ahead of 2027 launch
Early beta testing begins this December
New Offerings
Juneinter unveils game revenue estimation model for F2P developers
The event targets F2P PC and mobile game developers
Company Growth
Netflix says kids' mobile games engagement jumped 600% as cloud gaming gains traction
The company says gaming remains an important part of its broader entertainment expansion strategy
New Offerings
Drop Fake unveils DC mobile fighter DCKO ahead of 2027 launch
Developer claims real-time PvP is a first for a DC mobile fighting game
Mergers & Acquisitions
Judge temporarily halts Paramount-Warner Bros. merger over antitrust concerns
Preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for August 3rd
Tencent In Talks
Report: Disney Solitaire maker SuperPlay could be purchased by Tencent in deal worth up to $1.5bn
Tencent and Playtika are believed to be in talks about an acquisition
Mobile Games Awards
Last chance to vote! The Mobile Games Awards 2026 in association with Samsung Gaming Hub
Voting ends at midnight tonight - Monday, July 20th - for the industry's most prestigious awards
Podcast | Episode 98
Epic and Google withdraw their US settlement and Pokémon Go revenue skyrockets | 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 98...
Sleeper Hit
Pokémon Sleep surpasses $230m in three years
Year three saw monthly revenue peak in December, making almost $6.7m
New Offerings
Kuro Games reveals Wuthering Waves: Elysium anime series
The anime expands the Wuthering Waves universe beyond the game
Funding For Games
Gamecity Hamburg opens second prototype funding round in September
Developers can apply for non-repayable grants of up to €80,000
New Offerings
Uzbekistan launches first game investment fund for developers
Funding ranges from $1,000 for early concepts to $100,000 or more for established studios
Regulations
EU orders Google to open Android and Search to rivals
The rulings require operational changes rather than financial penalties
Ea Acquisition
Saudi PIF-led $55bn Electronic Arts deal set for EU approval
The European Commission is expected to approve the deal under both subsidy and merger rules
New Offerings
Roblox unveils mobile-first AI game creation with new Build tool
Users can generate games from simple text prompts
New Offerings
Aurion11 launches MDN11 to automate mobile ad yield optimisation
The platform uses user-level predictive algorithms for real-time optimisation
Game Closure
Looney Tunes World of Mayhem to shut down in October
The game will be removed from app stores on August 23rd
Restructure
Scopely reorganises Stumble Guys team after performance review
Some affected employees have moved to other teams within Scopely
Pgc Summit Shanghai
Special opportunities for indies at PGC Summit Shanghai
Exclusive ways to showcase your studio in the Asia market this July 29th
New Offerings
Netflix launches minigolf party game inspired by its hit shows
Netflix Minigolf launches on July 28th
Epic Vs Google
Google and Epic withdraw settlement as Play Store overhaul moves ahead
Google Play will begin carrying rival app stores in the US from July 22nd
H1 2026 Report
H1 2026 genre analysis: strategy stumbles, RPGs fall, and puzzle revenue ramps up
We analyse AppMagic data to determine the top genres both globally and in the US, with close competition between strategy and puzzle genres seemingly ahead
Milestone
Lingokids surpasses 500m plays across Disney activities
The platform reaches 30m families worldwide
Investment News
Vgames raises $500m to launch growth financing platform for gaming companies
The fund plans to deploy more than $500m in additional financing in the coming years
Job News
Nodwin Gaming appoints Teemu Koski as CEO of MENA business
He will lead strategy, operations, business development and expansion across MENA
Market Report
Gaming financings surpass $2.5bn in strongest quarter of the past 12 months
AppsFlyer raised more than $1bn, the largest disclosed financing of the quarter
Vote Now
Vote for Best Development Partner at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2026
Voting ends at midnight on July 20th
Industry Outlook
Ukie welcomes UK government's IP-backed lending plans for games studios
The scheme is expected to support 20,000 businesses a year, up from 8,000 currently
Develop Brighton
Why Ustwo Games shifted from mobile to PC and the "mind-boggling" discovery problem
CEO Maria Sayans discusses the challenges with subscription deals and why platform holders aren't earning their 30% fee
Cash Climb
Pokémon Go revenue skyrockets towards a record high during Go Fest 2026: Global
July 11th marked Go’s second-best day ever between Google Play and the App Store, with web store earnings potentially pushing it to first
Industry Outlook
Most UK games industry workers are proud of the sector, but only 38% would recommend it as a place to work
New survey from Ukie shows 22% experienced job loss in the past three years, though half found a new role within three months
New Partnerships
Savvy Games Group partners with King Salman Science Oasis to expand games education
The partnership focuses on education, innovation and game development
Job News
Saber Interactive appoints former Epic Games executive Steve Allison as chief business officer
He will oversee publishing, marketing and revenue opportunities at Saber
Vote Now
Vote for Leading App Store Experience at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2026
Voting ends at midnight on July 20th
Vote Now
Vote for Best Developer at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2026
Voting ends at midnight on July 20th
Pgc Summit Shanghai
Save up to $80 before PGC Summit Shanghai mid-term rate ends this week!
Plus: conference schedule revealed
Child Safety
Two new lawsuits accuse Roblox of failing to protect girls from online predators
The complaints were filed on behalf of girls from Louisiana and Oregon
Royal Revenue
Royal Kingdom surpasses $750m with 42% of all revenue made in H1 2026
Dream Games’ match-3 title has found its most lucrative audience in the US, following suit after Royal Match
Mergers & Acquisitions
California-led coalition seeks to block Paramount-Warner Bros. merger
The lawsuit argues the merger would substantially reduce competition across film and cable markets
India On The Rise
GDAI launches Supernova to support India's next generation of game studios
The inaugural cohort will support 40 studios selected from across India
Layoff News
11 Bit Studios lays off 20 employees as it prepares for new production cycle
The studio says its financial situation remains stable despite the cuts
Milestone
Left to Survive surpasses 85m installs as My.Games marks eighth anniversary
The zombie base-building shooter has also amassed $170m in lifetime revenue
Films And Flocks
Angry Birds Dream Blast event features scenes from The Angry Birds Movie in transmedia promotion
Players of the puzzle spinoff can encounter scenes from the original film until July 21st