Legal Proceedings
Google wins temporary reprieve in legal showdown with Epic Games
Epic says Google is using “fearmongering" and “unsubstantiated security threats" to maintain control over Android devices
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
Free Fire to introduce baby hippo Moo Deng as in-game collectible next month
The move is a partnership with the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand
Industry Strike
France-based Ubisoft employees strike following return-to-office mandate
The union said it was forced to embark on a strike after getting no response from Ubisoft's management over its concerns
New Partnerships
Hitseeker partners with ByteBrew to help game developers make data-driven decisions
Game studios and developers can get insights into player engagement and monetisation
Under Redevelopment
Plants vs. Zombies 3 undergoing "major overhaul" as it goes offline
Players have one month to play the game before the servers go down completely in mid November
New Offerings
FunPlus opens Lisbon studio to take its IP to film, TV and comics
Developer aims to create more than 50 jobs over the next three years at its new branch
Funding News
AI-powered player feedback platform Live Aware Labs lands $4.8 million investment
The platform helps game developers capture, analyse, and act on player experiences in real-time
New Offerings
NetEase and Marvel Games to launch new RPG mobile Game Marvel Mystic Mayhem
Prepare to peek into the “deepest fears" of Captain America, Moon Knight, Scarlet Witch
Mena Market Growth
UAE games market revenue could reach $492 million by 2027
Sector forecast to hit $421m by the end of 2024
Industry Spotlight
Jobs in Games: UMX Studio's Ammar Yasser Alrashoudi on how to get a career as game director
In our Jobs in Games series we highlight the talented team members currently working in the games industry
New Partnerships
Xsolla and Uzbekistan's IT Park sign deal to open game development academy in 2025
The academy will focus on training local talent and fostering new opportunities for game production
Massive Breach
Game Freak hack exposes employee information and source code in major security breach
Over 2,600 items containing the names and email addresses of current, former and contract employees were accessed
Mobile Growth
Southeast Asia's mobile game downloads hit 4.2 billion in 2024
Simulation games became the most downloaded mobile game genre in Southeast Asia this year
Mena Market
MENA investments recovers after 63 startups raised $282 million in September
This marked a 234% increase month-on-month and a 607% rise year-on-year
Funding News
Krafton leads investment round in India studio Deftouch to scale King and develop new games
Krafton India co-led the round alongside T-accelerate Capital and Lumikai Fund
Investment News
UMX Studio secures $4.5 million investment from Jetapult to expand portfolio
Funding will "accelerate" developer's expansion in Saudi Arabia
Layoff News
Zynga subsidiary NaturalMotion facing layoffs in the UK and US
NaturalMotion does not expect any service disruptions for players during the transition and will support affected employees
Funding News
UAE-based Web3 gaming startup PiP World lands $10 million in seed funding
The startup is combining video games, education, and Web3 technology to provide a platform for improving financial literacy
Developers Contest
Curve Games and Unity launch $10,000 Human Fall Flat design challenge in China
Participants are invited to design new levels for the Human Fall Flat franchise
Global Expansion
OpenAI expands globally with new offices in Paris, NYC and Singapore
This is in addition to the company's existing offices in London, Tokyo, San Francisco and Dublin
Big Tech Breakup?
US mulls Google breakup in antitrust case
Tech giant labels DOJ proposals as "radical" and "government overreach"
No Longer Welcome
Turkey blocks Discord in latest social platform ban
"We are determined to protect our youth and children from the harmful publications of social media"
Funding News
Queensland indie studios secure $1.3 million in latest Games Grants funding round
This latest funding will support 12 games and an additional 40 positions for local developers
Road To Jordan
Rababa Games CEO talks being self-funded, exploring new platforms and expansion opportunities
"Mobile games, especially in the MENA region, have a high demand, so they remain a primary focus"
Big Plans Ahead
Scopely plans major acquisition next year
“I hope that we announce at least one megadeal," said Scopely's chief revenue officer Tim O’Brien
Africa Is Mobile
Africa's video games market projected to rise from $2.14 billion to $3.72 billion by 2029
Mobile penetration in Sub-Saharan Africa is set to reach 50% by 2030, with an expected 475 million connections by 2025
Layoffs
Antstream makes redundancies in company's retro gaming division
The company attributed the reductions to a "strategic shift in focus internally"
Funding News
OpenAI gets $4 billion credit line just days after $6.6 billion funding round
The company now has the flexibility to invest in new initiatives
Gamathon Takeaways
5 takeaways from Gamathon 24: Africa's youthful game makers shine, big tech takes notice, but monetisation struggles persist
The six day event highlighted the games industry in Africa through video game showcases and insightful panel sessions
Industry Spotlight
Jobs in Games: Carry1st's Spencer Ma on how to get a career in games growth
In our Jobs in Games series we highlight the talented team members currently working in the games industry
Games In Africa
Gamathon 24 begins with exclusive launch for game developers and industry delegates
The press conference paved a clear roadmap for what attendees can expect throughout the week
Interview
"Africa is overlooked due to misconceptions about the purchasing power in the region"
Lanterns Studios CEO Jihed Jaouabi discusses leveraging motion capture technology, expanding beyond the MENA region and funding challenges
New Offerings
Discord Activities opens up to all developers to make games on the platform
The Embedded App SDK lets developers create, distribute, and monetise interactive experiences
Tapped Out
EA shutting down The Simpsons: Tapped Out after more than 12 years
Successful partnership ends after 12 years as EA focuses on owned-IP
Cause For Strike
Ubisoft faces strike next month as French union protests over return-to-office mandate
Ubisoft has faced challenges recently with the company's shares in decline and a call for change in leadership
Esports In Mena
Diagnal and Intigral partner to elevate esports in the MENA region
The collaboration will support the company's aim of enhancing entertainment in the MENA region
Esports Integrity
Moonton Games teams up with Esports Integrity Commission to promote fair play
The partnership aims to enhance esports integrity through information sharing, education, policy development, and risk management
Funding News
EdVentures invests in Egyptian education and interactive games startup Saikoro
VC arm provides funding to eight Egyptian startups as it seeks to support country's education system
Industry Spotlight
Jobs in Games: Chickmania’s Jamil Alsakran on how to get a career in QA
In our Jobs in Games series, we highlight the talented team members currently working in the games industry
Esports In Mena
Emirates Esports Federation and ITW Universe to launch new esports league
This new league will debut in March 2025 as part of an effort to transform competitive gaming in MENA
Lawsuit Triumph
Plaintiff drops game addiction lawsuits against industry giants
The lawsuits were filed against Epic, Activision Blizzard, Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games, Roblox, Microsoft, and Sony
New Game Launch
FIFA-licensed Matchday Champions launches globally in early access
The game will allow players to collect, craft, and manage their dream squads
Partnership Extension
Nitro Games expands Warframe mobile partnership with €5 million deal
The agreement expands the ongoing order between the two companies
New Offerings
Netflix shares new look at Squid Game, Street Fighter IV and Rebel Moon mobile games
Squid Game: Unleashed is a competitive mobile game based on the popular TV series
Crossovers
Monopoly Go assembles the Avengers in Marvel crossover event
Players can immerse themselves in the event from Thursday, September 26th
Imminent Launch
Unity 6 global launch set for October with preview now available
“Developers have been telling us for a long time that they want more stability and more performance, which we are addressing with Unity 6"
Investment News
Nazara secures $108m to fuel further M&A
Nazara has also acquired an additional 19.35% share in Sportskeeda parent company Absolute Sports
Milestone
Electric Blue: Gecko Dash mobile game surpasses 500,000 downloads
The game was created to stop endangered gecko species from going extinct in Tanzania
Funding News
Patron's $100 million Fund II gets backing from investors to support founders
Fund II will build on Patron's $90M Fund I success which backed 21 companies
Strict Laws
Australia sets new rules for games with loot boxes and gambling-like content
Games with interactive simulated gambling will automatically receive an R18+ rating