New Offerings
AppOnBoard launches Quvy to speed up user acquisition
“Discoverability shouldn’t be limited to those with the biggest budgets”
Earnings Report
Embracer Group mobile revenue drops 31% after Easybrain sale
User acquisition costs rose to $60m, accounting for 61% of net sales
Victory
FTC drops antitrust case against Microsoft’s $69bn Activision deal
The FTC tried to block the deal over competition concerns in cloud gaming and subscriptions
Fortnite On Top
Fortnite ranks number one for US App Store downloads since return
Battle royale beats out ChatGPT, WhatsApp, Dunk City Dynasty and Block Blast to the top spot
Esports Growth
Banijay Asia teams up with Nodwin Gaming to boost esports and youth entertainment in India
“This is just the beginning of a bold new chapter in gaming and youth content,” said Nodwin co-founder and MD Akshat Rathee
Pocket Gamer Party
Prepare for an amazing Pocket Gamer Party in Barcelona!
Games industry professionals are invited to an exclusive and free networking party celebrating our first event in Barcelona.
Job News
Roblox names Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov as head of parental advocacy
She will lead efforts to build partnerships and programs that support parents in guiding their families through Roblox
New Offerings
Mattel launches first IP crossover mobile game ahead of its 80th anniversary
The game is currently in soft launch in the Philippines and Canada
Funding News
PlaySafe ID raises $1.1m to fight cheating and toxicity in online games
“This is now more important than ever before,” said PlaySafe ID CEO Andrew Wailes
Unicorn Club
Pokémon TCG Pocket surpasses $1bn in just over 200 days
The trading card game has hit the $1bn milestone 78 days faster than Pokémon Go, based on player spending
Jobs News
nDreams CEO Patrick O'Luanaigh steps down after 19 years
Chief development officer Tomas Gillo steps into the role as O'Luanaigh becomes non-executive chairman
New Partnerships
Tencent’s Level Infinite and Invest Qatar sign MoU to boost the country's games industry
Both parties will collaborate on talent development initiatives to drive long-term growth
Delivering Dragonfire
Game of Thrones: Dragonfire soft launches in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines
The strategy title is based on the popular IP’s House of the Dragon spinoff
New Medium
Thatgamecompany fuses film and gaming in new Sky: Children of the Light animated feature
The developers’ transmedia project will explore the game’s origin story
New Offerings
Mistplay launches LoyaltyPlay to help mobile publishers boost retention and monetisation
Rewards hub is currently available to iPhone users in the US
Strategic Move
Embracer to rename as Fellowship Entertainment after Coffee Stain Group spin-off
The move is part of the publisher’s broader transformation strategy after years of layoffs and closures
Expansions
Supercell expands AI Innovation Lab to San Francisco
The Brawl Stars developer is hiring a leader to run the new Bay Area hub
Mid-tier Prices End
Last chance to save: final Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2025 ticket price rise approaches
Save up to €115 (100) if you book before midnight this Thursday, May 22nd
Destined Details
Destiny: Rising opens pre-registrations on App Store
Pre-registrations for the full game will open on Google Play at a later date
King's Crown
King president Tjodolf Sommestad to step down as Todd Green takes the reins
Sommestad has spent three years as president and almost 14 at King overall
Epic Resolution
Fortnite returns to US App Store after nearly five years
Apple and Epic claim they've “resolved all issues”
Xbox Mobile Store
Microsoft urges court to enforce Apple anti-steering ruling amid stalled launch of Xbox mobile store
The tech giant claims its solutions have been “stymied by Apple”
Launching At Lightspeed
Final Fantasy XIV Mobile launching this June in China
Square Enix and Lightspeed Studios’ upcoming release has been "specifically tailored" for mobile
New Offerings
Adjust launches beta for AI-powered Growth Copilot for marketers
The AppLovin subsidiary claims its platform represents a new class of AI for growth teams
New Game Launch
Nazara’s Fusebox Games launches Big Brother: The Game worldwide
UK developer taps game licence for reality TV show
New Offerings
Minion Rush shifts to Unity engine after surpassing 1.2bn downloads
Long-running title gets visual overhaul and new features
Investment News
Voya Games raises $5m to build player-owned economies
Funds will go towards expanding its user base and supporting the growth of its debut game Craft World
Accomplished Anniversary
Dungeon & Fighter Mobile surpasses $1.3bn in first year on Chinese App Store
Nexon’s mega-hit bolstered franchise revenue by 162% in its release quarter and went on to be 2024’s biggest new mobile release
Agenda Overview
Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2025 agenda overview: Insights and networking await in the heart of the European games industry
The Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2025 agenda is live. Join us June 3rd and 4th to gain insights from 100+ industry leaders and network with top professionals.
Job Losses
Wooga struck by around 50 layoffs as Claire’s Chronicles: Solitaire cancelled
The news comes as the developer moved into its new office
Clash Incoming
CLASH: A Clash of Clans Netflix show is now in pre-production
The series based on the Clash of Clans and Clash Royale universe is being animated by ICON Creative Studio
Earnings Report
Yalla Group records $83.9m revenue in Q1 2025 despite 8% decline in paying users
The company's game services generated $30.1m
Mobile Milestone
Delta Force surpasses $100m on mobile
The tactical shooter earned $72.9m on mobile ahead of global rollout, with a further $33.8m earned since
Career Zone
Careers Zone at Pocket Gamer Connects: Matchmaking that works
Cross-platform Curve
Nazara acquires UK publisher Curve Games for $28.9m
The deal will see Nazara take 100% ownership of Curve from Catalis Group
Studio Closure
Jason Avent’s Hardball Games closing down
"Gradually during 2023, the market went cold, the money taps all turned off and the conversations we were having all went dry"
New Offerings
Moonton has soft launched MLBB Lite in Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa
A streamlined version of the developer's popular Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Epic Complaint
SAG-AFTRA files complaint against Epic Games over AI Darth Vader voice in Fortnite
Complaint was filed against Epic subsidiary Llama Productions
Legal Royale
Judge asks Apple why it believes it has legal authority to ignore injunction
"Obviously, Apple is fully capable of resolving this issue without further briefing or a hearing," says judge
Netease Numbers
NetEase Games revenue rises 12% Y/Y to $3.3bn in Q1
Eggy Party, Where Winds Meet, Infinite Borders and more were named among the quarter’s successes
Mystery Opportunity
Ubisoft reveals new Asia mobile games deal as platform accounts for 22% of bookings in Q4
CEO Yves Guillemot refuses to elaborate on new "opportunity"
Earnings Report
Ubisoft revenue falls 17.5% in FY 2024-25 as it eyes expansion of key IPs
“This year has been a challenging one for Ubisoft, with mixed dynamics across our portfolio…” said Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot
Rich List 2025
Playrix, Tripledot and King founders make The Sunday Times Rich List 2025
Playrix's Igor and Dmitry Bukhman were the only mobile game makers in the top 100, ranking 10th overall ahead of King Charles III and former UK prime minster Rishi Sunak
Aidian Evermerge Partnership
Aidian Network Announces Strategic Partnership with Big Fish Games' EverMerge
New partnership will enchant players by bringing the magic of EverMerge to China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan
Game Closure
Activision pulls the plug on Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile
There is currently no official date for shutting down the server permanently
Reboot Results
Square Enix claims "a familiar list" of mobile games reduce odds of success as net sales fall 9% to five-year low
Its digital entertainment business saw net sales decline by 17%, though profit rose through reduced expenses
Epic Vs Apple
Apple maintains Fortnite ban as Epic pushes back with new court filing
Apple advised Epic to withdraw the current Fortnite submission for the US App Store and resubmit it without including the country’s storefront
Podcast | Episode 53
Will Squad Busters 2.0 revive its fortunes? | 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 53...
Epic Delay
Epic Games calls out Apple over blocking Fortnite approval
The developer first submitted the app for review on May 9th
Job Cuts
KLab offers voluntary redundancy to 100 staff after three years of losses
Financial struggles are partly due to the delayed global launch of EA Sports FC Tactical