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Aaron Astle

Job Title

News Editor

Contact aaron.astle@steelmedianetwork.com

About Aaron is the News Editor at PG.biz and has an honours degree in Creative Writing. Having spent far too many hours playing Pokémon, he's now on a quest to be the very best like no one ever was...at putting words in the right order.

Articles by Aaron Astle

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Mobile games successfully

Mobile games successfully "squeezing" more revenue per install as average player spending rises 11% despite 7% install fall

Appfigures’ latest report suggests average consumer spending per mobile game install rose to $1.52 in 2024

Nazara’s FY25 revenue up 43% to $190m after pivot to

Nazara’s FY25 revenue up 43% to $190m after pivot to "high margin" games segments

The publisher’s games revenue increased by 95% year-over-year in Q4

Stillfront taps Warhammer IP with Supremacy: Warhammer 40,000

Waging Warhammer

Stillfront taps Warhammer IP with Supremacy: Warhammer 40,000

The PC and mobile game is open for pre-registration on iOS and Android

Hot Five: Pokémon TCG Pocket surpasses $1bn, Delta Force Mobile hits $100m, and Fortnite's comeback

Hot Five: Pokémon TCG Pocket surpasses $1bn, Delta Force Mobile hits $100m, and Fortnite's comeback

Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz

New release roundup: Fortnite, Dunk City Dynasty, Game of Thrones: Dragonfire, Mutants: Genesis and more

New release roundup: Fortnite, Dunk City Dynasty, Game of Thrones: Dragonfire, Mutants: Genesis and more

We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week

Pokémon TCG Pocket surpasses $1bn in just over 200 days

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

Game of Thrones: Dragonfire soft launches in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines

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

May 2025’s Movers and Shakers: New King president, Scopely appoints CBO, Roblox exec exits, and more

May 2025’s Movers and Shakers: New King president, Scopely appoints CBO, Roblox exec exits, and more

Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers

Destiny: Rising opens pre-registrations on App Store

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 president Tjodolf Sommestad to step down as Todd Green takes the reins

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

Final Fantasy XIV Mobile launching this June in China

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

Dungeon & Fighter Mobile surpasses $1.3bn in first year on Chinese App Store

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

CLASH: A Clash of Clans Netflix show is now in pre-production

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

Delta Force surpasses $100m on mobile

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

Nazara acquires UK publisher Curve Games for $28.9m

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

NetEase Games revenue rises 12% Y/Y to $3.3bn in Q1

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

Playrix, Tripledot and King founders make The Sunday Times 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

Square Enix claims

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

Hot Five: Squad Busters 2.0, Tencent’s game sales up 24%, and Sonic Rumble’s tentative 2025 release

Hot Five: Squad Busters 2.0, Tencent’s game sales up 24%, and Sonic Rumble’s tentative 2025 release

Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz

New release roundup: Shogun Showdown, Astronaut Joe: Magnetic Rush, Lego Friends Heartlake Rush+, and more

New release roundup: Shogun Showdown, Astronaut Joe: Magnetic Rush, Lego Friends Heartlake Rush+, and more

We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week

Tencent game sales up 24% Y/Y to $25bn in Q1 with Honor of Kings, Delta Force and Brawl Stars pulling their weight

Tencent game sales up 24% Y/Y to $25bn in Q1 with Honor of Kings, Delta Force and Brawl Stars pulling their weight

Games accounted for nearly $6bn in Q1 revenue, or 24% of total earnings

Nexon’s revenue surpasses $780m this Q1 as Dungeon & Fighter Mobile China drives 60% franchise growth

Nexon’s revenue surpasses $780m this Q1 as Dungeon & Fighter Mobile China drives 60% franchise growth

The developer’s operating income increased by 43% YoY, though quarterly profit fell by 27%

Layer AI closes $6.5m seed round with generative AI tools geared to mobile devs

Seed Round Secured

Layer AI closes $6.5m seed round with generative AI tools geared to mobile devs

The funding will be used to further develop features and scale up team size

Seven years of Zoo 2: Animal Park: Longevity, season passes, and the importance of new content

Seven years of Zoo 2: Animal Park: Longevity, season passes, and the importance of new content

We speak with Zoo 2: Animal Park’s project manager Bernd Willuhn about the game’s long-term appeal, remaining accessible to newcomers and more

Square Enix cancels geolocation game Kingdom Hearts Missing Link

Square Enix cancels geolocation game Kingdom Hearts Missing Link

The title was announced in April 2022 and has had multiple beta tests, but details have remained sparse

Sega still aiming for Sonic Rumble 2025 release after last-minute delay

Sega still aiming for Sonic Rumble 2025 release after last-minute delay

Net revenue was down by 9% in FY2025, though Entertainment Contents grew marginally

Microsoft to lay off 3% of global staff

Microsoft Management

Microsoft to lay off 3% of global staff

The move could impact thousands, expected to be felt across all teams, levels and locales

Squad Busters 2.0:

Squad Busters 2.0: "I’d say this is the biggest change to a game of this scale from Supercell and possibly ever"

Supercell head of marketing Rob Lowe and head of Squad Busters Johnathan Rowlands share insights on the latest update, reflecting on the game’s performance in its first year

Royal Kingdom surpasses $100m after record month

Royal Kingdom surpasses $100m after record month

Dream Games’ Royal Match sequel has seen 12 consecutive months of player spending growth, when including soft launch results

Nintendo’s net sales down 30% in the final stretch before Switch 2

Nintendo Numbers

Nintendo’s net sales down 30% in the final stretch before Switch 2

Operating profit is down 47% YoY, net profit is down 43%

MLC Studio’s Global Games Alliance aims to curate deals, funding calls, job postings and more into one central hub

MLC Studio’s Global Games Alliance aims to curate deals, funding calls, job postings and more into one central hub

Workshops, exclusive events and more are planned for later down the line

Squad Busters to overhaul victory conditions, progression systems and remove many modes in tomorrow’s update

Overhaul Overload

Squad Busters to overhaul victory conditions, progression systems and remove many modes in tomorrow’s update

Doppelgangers, Double Trouble, Epic Overload, Loot Machines and Hatchling Herder are all being removed

Hot Five: Golden Week 2025, web shop advancements, and Tripledot to acquire AppLovin’s games business

Hot Five: Golden Week 2025, web shop advancements, and Tripledot to acquire AppLovin’s games business

Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz

New release roundup: Chronomon, Cornhole Hero, Witchy Workshop: Cozy Idle and more

New release roundup: Chronomon, Cornhole Hero, Witchy Workshop: Cozy Idle and more

We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business

Golden Week 2025: Pokémon TCG Pocket dominates, Fate/Grand Order falls, and a 2012 title makes a surprising rise

Golden Week Glory

Golden Week 2025: Pokémon TCG Pocket dominates, Fate/Grand Order falls, and a 2012 title makes a surprising rise

The 10 best-performing mobile games in Japan generated $81m this Golden Week, up from $44.9m in 2024

Subway Surfers is entering its

Subway Surfers is entering its "teenage years" with 200th World Tour destination for 13th anniversary

Starting in an in-game Copenhagen, players will be able to unlock 21 other cities during the event

Unity Vector AI platform launches with 15-20% lift in iOS app installs and IAP value

Unity Vector AI platform launches with 15-20% lift in iOS app installs and IAP value

iOS and Android traffic has been fully migrated to the new AI platform ahead of schedule

DeNA and Alconost partner to localise international games for Japanese market

Translation Teamup

DeNA and Alconost partner to localise international games for Japanese market

The partnership will see DeNA’s AndApp platform leverage Alconost’s localisation experience

Xsolla launches external payment option Buy Button for Mobile Games after Apple court ruling

Xsolla launches external payment option Buy Button for Mobile Games after Apple court ruling

A US court ruling on April 30th has dictated that Apple must allow external payment links in-app without taking a commission

Epic Games spent over $100m in legal fees in battle against Apple

Epic Games spent over $100m in legal fees in battle against Apple

Tim Sweeney revealed the cost of the legal battle and speculated on the "hundreds of millions of dollars" missed out on during Fortnite’s App Store ban

Mobile accounts for 15% of EA’s FY25 net revenue, but net income falls 12% YoY

Mobile accounts for 15% of EA’s FY25 net revenue, but net income falls 12% YoY

EA generated $1.1bn from mobile games in its latest fiscal year

Trump’s film industry tariffs: Will game movie adaptations be sentenced or spared?

Trump’s film industry tariffs: Will game movie adaptations be sentenced or spared?

The US president calls incentives drawing US filmmakers to other countries a "national security threat"

Hot Five: Game over for

Hot Five: Game over for "Apple tax", Overwatch Mobile distribution plans, and Pokémon TCG Pocket beats Go in first six months

Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz

New release roundup: Sleepy Stork, Odin: Valhalla Rising, The Mr. Rabbit Magic Show and more

New release roundup: Sleepy Stork, Odin: Valhalla Rising, The Mr. Rabbit Magic Show and more

We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business

Delta Force Mobile surpasses 10m downloads in first four days

Mobile Milestone

Delta Force Mobile surpasses 10m downloads in first four days

Tencent’s Team Jade is adding celebratory Burst Fest content including 21 free vehicle appearances

Sonic Rumble delayed indefinitely one week before expected launch

Sonic Rumble delayed indefinitely one week before expected launch

"We at Sega share that disappointment, especially because we're making this call so close to the launch"

Game incubators in MENA and the risks of

Game incubators in MENA and the risks of "polishing the wrong thing"

GIGS co-founder Ashraf Abi-Said and LUDiMUS Inc CEO and co-founder Sho Sato discussed the value of incubators at PGC Jordan 2024

Marvel Contest of Champions to launch on PC after making $2bn on mobile

Marvel Contest of Champions to launch on PC after making $2bn on mobile

Pre-registrations are open now, but the exact release date hasn’t yet been confirmed

Pokémon TCG Pocket usurps Pokémon Go launch as it closes in on $1bn after six months

Pokémon TCG Pocket usurps Pokémon Go launch as it closes in on $1bn after six months

Pocket made $915.3m in its first half-year, beating Go’s $800.7m by 14%

Jam City talks Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery’s seventh anniversary and the power of storytelling

Magic And Mysteries

Jam City talks Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery’s seventh anniversary and the power of storytelling

General manager Bryan Shaw and product lead Nicole Adams discuss immersion, loveable characters and bespoke brand alignment