Podcast | Episode 97
Xbox's big reset | 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 97...
Zenless Zest
Zenless Zone Zero hits over $600m on mobile in two years - but it's just 17% of Genshin Impact
Mobile player spending has fallen by 51% year-over-year
New Partnerships
Xsolla partners with Sabah.hub to support Azerbaijan's games ecosystem
The partnership focuses on education, talent development and startup growth
New Offerings
Apple updates App Store age rating questionnaire with social media questions
Responses will become mandatory for new app submissions and updates from September 2026
Athletic Arrival
EA releases College Football Mobile as paid progression is removed from College Football 27
Dynasty Rush Mode will arrive in a future update
Anniversary Arrives
Pokémon Go marks 10 years with 800m players and a trillion Pokémon caught
More than 1,000 players took part in one of the game's largest in-person raid battles
Job News
Atari appoints Andreas Deptolla as president of Atari Europe
Deptolla will oversee Atari's expanding European studios and business operations
Pgc Summit Shanghai
IndieLight vice president Tony Shong to speak at PGC Summit Shanghai
A leading voice in China’s indie games scene joins the Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai lineup on July 29th
Ai Safety
Xbox executive Asha Sharma joins US Federal Reserve task force on jobs and productivity
Sharma will help assess how artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies affect the economy and monetary policy
Game Closure
D20 Labs to shut down Sugartown after failing to secure future for web3 gaming platform
The studio said a lost technical dependency prevented several completed games from launching.
India On The Rise
India's mobile games market set to reach $2.4bn by 2029
Combined IAP and IAA revenue is expected to reach $1.5bn in 2026
Pgc Summit Shanghai
Habby's David Pan joins the 'Publishing in China' panel at PGC Summit Shanghai
One of mobile's most prolific hit-makers takes a seat on the panel unpacking what it really takes to launch and thrive in China
Market Report
Vietnam's mobile games market hits 121m downloads and $23m in revenue during May 2026
In-app purchase revenue increased 3.13% to $23m, while midcore revenue reached $32.2m
Market Growth
New Zealand game studios grow revenue 17% to $829m with rebate support
GDSR distributed $21.9m in rebates to 43 studios in 2026
New Partnerships
PubMatic and Zynga partner to expand advertiser access to premium mobile games audiences
The collaboration combines agentic advertising, commerce-enabled creative, and AI-powered media buying
Industry Outlook
Games industry M&A reaches $2.3bn in Q2 2026
The quarter recorded the highest deal activity since 2022
Milestone
Bluey: Let's Play celebrates 75m downloads with biggest update yet
The update introduces a new Dress Up Mode for character customisation
Esports World Cup
Esports World Cup 2026 officially opens in Paris
The event features a record-breaking $75m prize pool
Abrupt End
Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis to end service in October
In-game events will continue to be updated until the end of service
Game Closure
Nintendo to shut down Mario Kart Tour in September
“Thank you for your support throughout the years”
Funding News
Exclusive: Türkiye studio Bold Games raises $6m
Studio aims to grow the team and scale debut sort puzzle mobile game Market Match
Union Support
CWA vows action after Microsoft layoffs impact unionised Xbox game workers
The union plans to bargain over severance, job placements and recall rights
Backlash Continues
Love and Deepspace cancels Bilibili World 2026 appearance amid ongoing controversy
The company will reimburse affected fans for tickets, flights and hotel cancellations
Strategic Move
Xbox CEO says mobile to play key role as Microsoft restructures gaming business
Asha Sharma said the Microsoft games division spread its resources too thin
New Offerings
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey launches Roblox companion game ahead of film release
The game has already recorded 1.7 million visits
Leadership
Xbox appoints Helen Chiang as first chief operating officer
The appointment comes as Microsoft continues a broader restructuring of its Xbox business
Pgc Summit Shanghai
Why developers can't miss PG Connects Summit Shanghai
A gateway for international companies to access the world’s largest games market
Xbox Reset
King and Mojang to report directly to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma after company "reset"
The Candy Crush and Minecraft developers were highlighted for their large player bases
Marvellous Mena
Dubai doubles down on public-private partnerships to drive gaming ambitions
Crown Prince Hamdan says the future of gaming depends on government and industry collaboration
New Offerings
YouTube launches supervised kid accounts across MENA with new parental controls
New accounts include built-in parental controls and safety protections
Studio Closure
Niantic Spatial closes New Zealand office amid enterprise shift
At least 10 employees are believed to have been laid off
Strategic Move
Stillfront extends €60 million loan facility until 2028 amid CEO search
Loan terms have been aligned with the company's revolving credit facility
Regulations
US Supreme Court allows Texas app store age verification law to take effect
Apple and Google are among the companies challenging the legislation
10 Years Of Pokemon Go
Pokémon Go celebrates 10th anniversary with over $9bn in revenue
The location-based game is the fifth highest-grossing mobile title across the decade
Sweeping Cuts
Xbox to cut 3,200 jobs and divest five studios
Microsoft is laying off 1,600 staff today and will make more staff redundant over the coming year
Rebranding
Pokémon Go studio Niantic rebrands to Scopely Explore
The studio had continued using the Niantic name following its $3.5 billion acquisition by Scopely
New Partnerships
Scopely invests in ex-Umamusume Pretty Derby director's startup Studio AuKnow
The studio is led by former Uma Musume Pretty Derby content director Takuma Akitsu
Funding For Games
Supercell opens applications for Africa-focused developer grants
Equity-free grants range from $20,000 to $200,000
Game Petition
Love and Deepspace 'bring back Valko' petition surpasses 229k signatures
The campaign has collected 228,970 signatures
Funding News
Tripo AI raises $150m in Series A3 funding round
Tripo AI plans to invest further in 3D foundation models and world model technologies
Game Concerts
Wuthering Waves concert tour expands to Los Angeles after selling out in Asia
The concert celebrates two years of Wuthering Waves music and updates
Pgc Summit Shanghai
Newzoo director of consulting Ben Porter to speak at PGC Shanghai
A leading games market analyst joins the speaker lineup for Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai on July 29th
Podcast | Episode 96
WeChat Mini-Games uncovered and the Love & Deepspace Valko backlash | 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 96...
Job News
Rovio CEO Alex Pelletier-Normand appointed COO of SEGA Europe's West Studios
Pelletier-Normand will continue serving as CEO of Rovio Entertainment
Providing Support
United Videogame Workers launches hardship fund for laid-off game workers
Eligible applicants can request between $1,000 and $5,000 in assistance
Funding News
Innovate UK opens £10m Createch funding call for game developers
Grants of between £100,000 and £500,000 are available for eligible projects
Mobile Games Awards
VOTE NOW: The games of the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2026
Who will win? Featuring Arknights; Hatch Dragons; Kingdom Rush; My Talking Tom; The Division; Warframe; Zenless Zone Zero and more…
Funding For Games
Google launches $1m Indie Games Fund for African developers
Ten indie game studios will receive between $50,000 and $200,000 each
Google Loses
Google loses appeal against $4.7 billion Android antitrust fine
Regulators found Google used Android agreements to block rivals
Milestone
SuperCity reaches $100m revenue as it celebrates 15 years
The game has reached 40m installs worldwide