New Offerings
Appcharge unveils new Android Payment Links solution
The payment solution is currently in beta and will roll out globally soon
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
New Offerings
MSquared launches global Partner Programme to help brands build virtual experiences
The programme lets brands create and own interactive 3D worlds that can evolve over time
New Partnerships
Sports Interactive signs multi-year Football Manager partnership with FIFA
FM26 will now feature the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup
Game Closure
EA to shut down The Sims Mobile after seven years
The game will become unplayable from January 20th, 2026
Service Disruption
Amazon Web Services outage impacts Clash Royale, Pokémon Go, Fortnite, Roblox and more
Some of the world's biggest games and web services face downtime as Amazon scrambles to fix issues
New Partnerships
Mattel expands Roblox partnership with Monster High debut
Monster High debuts on Roblox October 24th, marking Mattel’s first self-published title on the platform
Funding For Games
Esports Global launches $50m fund to back companies shaping the future of games and esports
The fund is backed by Kuwait’s Alshaya family, known for major investments across multiple industries
New Partnerships
Saudi Esports Federation signs MoU with Riot Games to boost Saudi Arabia’s games and esports ecosystem
The collaboration focuses on empowering young gamers and fostering new opportunities for creators and fans
Industry Outlook
Survey: One in four game professionals laid off in the past year
39% of junior-level professionals exited the industry between 2024 and 2025
Closure Announcement
AppLovin shuts down Array software amid allegations of unauthorised app installs
The company said the product was discontinued last quarter due to poor economic viability
Job News
2K Games appoints Ben Brinkman as new studio head of 31st Union
Brinkman to lead development of upcoming free-to-play shooter Project Ethos
Legal Proceedings
Sony opposes Tencent's legal defence over alleged Horizon inspired game lawsuit
The company called Tencent’s defence “nonsense,” saying the damage from copying Horizon has already been done
Milestone
Where Winds Meet surpasses 5m global pre-registrations ahead of launch
The game has already surpassed 30m players in China since its 2024 launch
New Game Launch
Sonic Rumble set to launch this November
The game marks the franchise’s first-ever multiplayer Sonic game
Investment News
General Intuition raises $134m to train AI agents using gameplay videos
Khosla Ventures and General Catalyst led the seed round with participation from Raine
Funding News
Tilting Point pumps $30m into two non-gaming apps
The deal builds on Tilting Point’s $150m UA fund launched in March
Unionisation
Over 400 Blizzard employees have voted to unionise under the Communications Workers of America
Organisers cite layoffs, low pay, and return-to-office policies as key reasons for unionising
Buyout Concerns
US senators raise national security concerns over $55bn Electronic Arts buyout
Open letters cite the PIF’s history of using investments to expand Saudi cultural influence
Rivrs And Roblox
Rivrs launches $1m Creator Fund to back Roblox developers in Southeast Asia
The fund will help scale promising games and support Southeast Asian teams
Funding News
Character platform ego AI raises $6.7m to make in-game characters more human-like
Funds will go towards expanding research and training its proprietary foundation model
Marvellous Mena
Copa Fantasy CEO Abdullah Eid on building MENA’s football super-app for global fans
“We’ve created a platform that feels culturally relevant while also appealing to global audiences”
Crossovers
SYBO teams up with Innersloth to bring Among Us into Subway Surfers for the first time
The crossover launches October 20th and runs for three weeks, ending November 3rd, 2025
New Offerings
Owlcat Games launches free resource hub for developers named GameDev Learning Drop
The directory features over 350 curated resources across game design, coding, narrative, and production
Ban Looming
Experts warn online video games could fall under Australia’s under-16 social media ban
The current policy excludes platforms built primarily for multiplayer gaming
New Offerings
Roblox is now available on the Samsung Galaxy Store
The move strengthens Samsung’s growing focus on mobile gaming and player rewards
Swiss Stakes
KPIT Technologies acquires nearly 90% of Swiss in-car gaming company N-Dream AG
N-Dream will remain independent, retaining its full leadership and team structure
Market Growth
Global app installs rose 11% in H1 2025 as APAC led growth
Adjust’s 2025 Mobile App Growth Report highlights the impact of AI-driven marketing strategies
Mena Market
UAE launches The Emirates campaign to become ‘Startup Capital of the World’
The initiative aims to cement the UAE’s position as a global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation
Esports Education
British Esports partners with ASCL to bring esports opportunities to UK students
The MoU aims to help schools integrate competitive gaming responsibly
Strategic Move
Tencent eyes global shooter dominance after Delta Force success
The shooter genre represents around 9% of the $189bn games industry
Africa Is Mobile
Android Port Challenge backs African developers in bringing PC and console games to mobile
Three standout indie studios were selected for the prototype grant
Industry Outlook
UK games industry leaders urge government to introduce a new “Games Growth Relief"
The proposal seeks targeted tax support for game projects up to £15m
Job News
Appcharge names former Xsolla president David Stelzer as chief strategy officer
He will guide Appcharge’s strategy and push into new global markets
Job News
Aristocrat appoints Amy White as VP of communications for EMEA
She will oversee communications across Aristocrat Interactive and Product Madness
Hackathon
Supercell launches global AI Game Hackathon for creators worldwide
Three challenge tracks explore AI-powered games, remakes, and new tools
New On Netflix
Netflix allows subscribers to play games directly on smart TVs
The feature has been in development since early 2023
Market Report
Games industry investment and M&A ticks up in Q3
Drake Star Partners report shows first quarter for investment growth since Q1 2024
New Offerings
App developer Xibbon launches mobile-optimised Godot editor Xogot
The tool lets users run the Godot game engine on iPhone and iPad
Market Report
ESA survey claim just two-thirds of people primarily play games for fun
Mobile devices are the most popular gaming platform, used by 55% of players globally
Industry Outlook
Games industry M&A activity held steady at 49 deals in Q3 2025
Mobile in-app purchase spending climbed to $21bn, led by Asian publishers
Funding News
PolyDream Studio raises $500,000 to accelerate development of White Desert
The upcoming FPS game is set in post-war Egypt amid a battle between rival factions
Age Verification
Texas enforces new age verification law for app stores and developers
Developers must update their apps to meet the new compliance requirements
Regulations
Supercell CEO warns crippling EU regulations could kill Europe's games sector
Paananen says proposed rules risk dismantling the foundation of the €27bn European games industry
Online Safety
Roblox launches Parent Council to promote safety and positivity on the platform
The council will unite up to 40 parents and caregivers from North America and Europe
Developer Support
Unity urges developers to patch games after discovery of major security vulnerability
The vulnerability affects Unity projects across Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux
Acqusitions
Fragbite Group sells subsidiary Playdigious to Griffin Gaming Partners for €10.5m
The deal is cash and debt-free, with Fragbite retaining 90% of future revenue from Playdigious Originals’ PC titles
New Offerings
Swiss-based Sbarter is raising €40m to “redefine” skill-based games with blockchain technology
Funds will fuel user growth, publisher partnerships, and product innovation ahead of its 2026 launch
App Store Changes
US Supreme Court rejects Google’s bid to block Play Store overhaul
The decision stems from Epic Games’ antitrust lawsuit accusing Google of monopolising app distribution and payments
Investigations
SEC launches investigation into AppLovin’s data collection practices
The probe focuses on claims that AppLovin breached partner agreements to deliver targeted ads
Job News
Venture studio ELO appoints games economist Joost van Dreunen as strategic advisor
He will advance the studios' mission of empowering global games communities