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
Staff
Isa Muhammad
Job Title
MENA Reporter
About Isa Muhammad is the Lead MENA Reporter at PocketGamer.biz, spearheading the team's Middle East & Africa games coverage. He's been in games media for over seven years and is steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism. If he's not reading, playing games or catching up on his favorite TV shows, he's probably writing about them.
Articles by Isa Muhammad
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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
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”
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
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
Marvellous Mena
WOLF Qanawat on cutting churn with games, the three-persona system and building for a majlis-first audience
"In the MENA region, gaming is intensely communal. It's a digital extension of gathering in a physical ‘majlis’ meeting place or cafe"
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
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
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
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
Job News
Supercell head of investments Jaakko Harlas departs
Harlas said he has no new role planned and will spend time with his family
Acqusitions
Kepler Interactive acquires minority stake in Oro Interactive
The investment gives Oro additional resources and expertise to support its growth.
New Policies
Godot to ban AI-generated code contributions and tighten contributor policies
New contributors will need approval before submitting major features or refactoring
Pley Partnership
Xsolla partners with Pley to expand browser game monetisation for mobile studios
The partnership targets monetisation gaps in markets with limited app store payment support
New Offerings
NBCUniversal explores video game expansion after Comcast split
No gaming acquisitions or partnerships have been discussed yet
Staff Strike
Ubisoft Barcelona staff strike over proposed layoffs
Workers are seeking guarantees that all 51 affected staff will retain their jobs
Sprite Set
Ludo AI updates Sprite Generator with new animation and export tools
The update introduces a revamped Pose Generator and new animation tools
Investment Incoming
PvX Partners secures $5m investment from MIT to expand user acquisition financing
The investment will expand PvX's user acquisition financing platform
Marvellous Mena
iBloxx Studios on building StrayShot for mobile, seven-figure backing and the road to console
"We fully understand the scepticism around web3 gaming and that's exactly why our philosophy has always been 'game-first"
New Partnerships
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha signs deal with UFL mobile game after World Cup heroics
The deal follows Vozinha's rapid rise in global popularity
In-game Tournament
Once Human: RaidZone to host $50,000 Raid for Glory tournament in July
$40,000 will be awarded through leaderboard placements based on eliminations
New Offerings
nDreams co-founder Patrick O'Luanaigh launches new games and music studio Atmospheric
The studio aims to combine storytelling, music and gameplay into unified creative experiences
Acqusitions
Griffin Gaming Partners acquires 3.24% stake in TinyBuild
The investment backs TinyBuild's strategy of building and growing wholly owned game IP
New Partnerships
Savvy Games Group partners with Genvid and Massive Studios to expand AI access for Saudi developers
The agreement includes training, mentorship and educational programmes to develop local talent
Applovin Advertising
AppLovin opens self-serve advertising platform to all advertisers
The company has renamed platform Axon to AppLovin Ads
New Game Launch
Netflix and Night School Studio to launch immersive horror game Unhinged
The game stars Zoë Kravitz, Sadie Sink and Troy Baker in its voice cast
Funding News
Spill Games raises $3.1m seed round to scale mobile games portfolio
The funding will support portfolio growth, technology development and selective team expansion
New Offerings
Fortnite adds Olivia Rodrigo to Icon Series alongside mobile karaoke launch
The collaboration includes three new jam tracks, themed emotes and back bling items