Games Invasion
LinkedIn gets games as three puzzlers go live on the workplace social service
Get ahead of the game - literally - with three more reasons to fire it up each morning
Brawling Boost
Brawl Stars has already earned more in 2024 than the entirety of 2023
Supercell's smash hit has recovered from a year-on-year decline with a strong start to the year
Voop Feedback
Revolutionising feedback: Pocket Gamer Connects partners with AI-powered tool Voop
Interview: industry veteran Geoff Glendenning on the AI startup that'll help gamers and event attendees share instant feedback
Partner Up
Partner events are the latest trend in Monopoly GO!, Royal Match and Project Makeover
GameRefinery GM Brendan Fraher delves into the rise of partner events, while also providing insights on competitive events in match-3
Loads Of Layoffs
Belka Games lays off 20% of workforce as it becomes "more critical" of future titles
At least 33 people have been let go, including a number of team leads
Boosting Revenue
How user consent for personalised ads can significantly increase your Android revenue
GameBiz Consulting's Božo Janković on the power of personalised ads and why testing is key
The Web3 Way
Supercell invests in web3 startup GFAL led by King, EA and Activision Blizzard veterans
GFAL has closed a $3.2 million seed funding round to grow its team and accelerate Elemental Raiders
Gaming Trends
TIGA's 10-point plan for 2024 aims to boost UK games industry
The proposed initiatives include new tax credits, a games accelerator, an investment fund, and skills programs, with the potential to create 2,660 development jobs by 2028
Dubai Driving Growth
Dubai wants to be a top 10 games industry hub by 2033
UAE hopes to create a $1 billion games sector over the next 10 years
Dubai Gameexpo Summit
Dubai GameExpo Summit powered by PG Connects begins today featuring GameFounders, iDreamSky, Ubisoft, Tencent and more!
Conference takes place from May 1st to 2nd
Square The Circle
Square Enix warns of "extraordinary losses" ahead of upcoming financial report
A new, more selective approach will be taken to HD game development after $140.3 million in losses on axed projects
Acqusitions
Phoenix Games acquires live operations studio PopReach Games India
Phoenix will now assume control of an extensive collection of free-to-play games, totaling over 420 million downloads to date
Listen Learn Love
PocketGamer.biz Podcast - GameFounders' Kadri Harma on unlocking the MENA games market
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode…
Honkai Hoorah
Honkai: Star Rail zooms beyond $1 billion on its first anniversary
Honkai: Star Rail generated $1.3 billion in its first 12 months, with 25% from 6% of players…
New Partnerships
Man City and Norway striker Erling Haaland joins Clash of Clans
"I've been a huge fan of the game for a long time and know everything about it," says Haaland
Game Creation
Arkadium extends distribution network to all developers
Industry veteran Dan Butchko also joins as director of developer relations to foster external partnerships
Platform Power
Supercell-backed HypeHype to give creators 100% of revenue from user-generated content
During the early access period, creators making games on HypeHype will earn all the net revenue from their creations
Dma Demands
EU ruling gives Apple six months to bring iPadOS into line with DMA demands
Apple’s iPadOS will be held to the same standards as the iPhone operating system after qualitative investigation
Jobs In Games
Fingersoft's welcoming culture draws international talent
The company currently has 118 employees, of which 20% are international staff
Building Bricks
Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen joins LEGO’s board of directors days after Squad Busters’ soft launch
Ilkka Paananen and YouTube Studio’s director of product Ebi Atawodi were appointed on April 26th
Loads Of Layoffs
A Thinking Ape lays off staff across game design, software engineering, art teams and more
Layoffs continue to impact the games industry as restructuring persists in 2024
Job News
GEM Capital appoints three new advisory board members
This will shape the future of gaming investing for many years to come," said GEM Capital’s managing director Roman Gurskiy
Podcast | Episode 09
Supercell's Squad Busters goes global, Embracer Group splits, and Apple's Vision Pro flops | 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 and what's inside this week's episode 09…
Week That Was
Week in Views - Squads busted, Apple crushed, War zoned and Snoozin' with the Snorlax…
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Searching For Success
Meta's VR/AR woes continue with new $3.8 billion loss
The company's VR vision remains out of focus and a pivot to AI isn't going to deliver a big win any time soon
Pokemon Price Hike
Pika fight… Pokémon Go just put prices up 1300% in Turkey
The move comes as a counter measure, ending months of location spoofing, robbing Niantic from earnings elsewhere… But at what cost?
New Game Launch
Tencent's Dungeon and Fighter mobile game will launch in May
Following a closed test involving 300,000 players the game is now set for prime time
Gaming Trends
Carv raises $10M series A to simplify data monetization for gamers
Carv has been profitable since December 2023 with a monthly revenue surpassing $1 million
Monster Milestone
Monster Hunter Now reaches 15 million downloads
Monster Hunter Now reached 10 million installs in 35 days but its taken another six months to gain five million more
Tiktok Ban
ByteDance on the clock as Biden signs TikTok ban bill into law
TikTok CEO Shou Chew says it is “A ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice”
Do Tell, Hotel
Pokémon Sleep goes IRL with $1,800 hotel experience for fans
To coincide with the game’s first anniversary, Pokémon Sleep is partnering with the Grand Hyatt Tokyo
Jobs In Games
Cécile Russeil takes the helm at Ubisoft as EVP of comms, DEI, HR, and legal
With over three decades of experience at the company following pivotal leadership roles could she be the one to finally settle Ubisoft's unrest?
Here We Go
Supercell's Squad Busters launches globally on May 29th
Multiplayer squad-building action game will become the company’s sixth global launch and first in over five years
Emulation Sensation
Everyone loves Nintendo… Delta emulator hits 4.4 million downloads in its first week
Since Apple lifted its ban on retro emulators, playing Nintendo games on iOS has never been simpler… Or more free
Jobs In Games
Raptor PR welcomes James Law as PR director for new B2C drive
Law will play a pivotal role in helping Raptor PR establish its new consumer gaming PR division
Apple Vision Pro
Apple reins in Vision Pro plans following dwindling demand and disappearing apps
Apple have limited the supply of their headset following disappointing sales and the release of ONE new app in the last week of March
Web Shop Beta
Sanlo launches into web shops after raising $13.5 million
Financial services provider inviting games companies to join close beta of its new platform
Noncompete No More
FTC bans noncompete work clauses to encourage entrepreneurialism and higher pay
The ruling should bring about 8,500 new businesses per year and bolster innovation
Gameexpo Summit
The amazing companies you could meet at next week's Dubai GameExpo Summit!
Network with 1,000+ games industry professionals in MENA this May 1st and 2nd
Tiktok Troubles
It's bad day for TikTok as both the US and EU clamp down
TikTok faces a rewards programme ban in the EU and a complete ban in the US unless it sells up
Investment Bounceback
Gaming startups are getting investor attention once again
More than $260 million has been invested globally in early-stage rounds through Q1 2024
Gameexpo Summit
Dubai GameExpo Summit 2024 10-track conference schedule revealed!
Everything from AI to Web3... and MENA's unrivalled growth
Super Start
Supercell’s Squad Busters ranks No. 1 for App Store game downloads in all soft launch countries
Multiplayer action game tops rankings in Canada, Denmark, Finland, Mexico, Norway, Singapore, Spain and Sweden
Global Events
The Esports Future Summit in Jordan gets set to impress
As part of a week of gaming events for Jordan's 2024 Gaming Summit, this weekend's conclusion squarely places Jordan as the epicentre of esports
Mena Games Awards 2024
Pocket Gamer MENA Games Industry Awards 2024 finalists revealed
Winners will be revealed on Thursday, May 2nd, during the Dubai GameExpo Summit 2024
Warzone Wobble
Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile generated 'just' $6.92 million in its first month
Meanwhile its predecessor Call of Duty: Mobile’s launch month brought in over six times as much at $44 million
Busting Out
Supercell’s Squad Busters soft launches today with over 100,000 Google Play downloads
Multiplayer squad builder now available in Canada, Denmark, Spain, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Singapore
Honkai Hoorah
Honkai: Star Rail earned more than double Genshin Impact’s revenue in March
Honkai: Star Rail generated $118.3 million in-game on mobile compared to Genshin Impact’s $58.5 million
Gameexpo Summit
Explore publishing, investment and Web3 at the Dubai GameExpo Summit
The Publishing Power, Investment Insight and Web3 Wonders tracks this May 2nd
Tiktok Ban
US faces prospect of TikTok ban as House of Representatives passes bill
State due to vote on bill