Indie Support
Codfish Academy to host Playstack-led Game Clinic for indie studios in Portugal
Selected indie studios will receive direct feedback from Playstack's Aaron Ludlow
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 Studio
Jin Universe Studios unveils anime ARPG Aether Dawn
The project is being developed by former Genshin Impact and Arknights developers
Esports World Cup
Esports Foundation expands co-streaming program for EWC and ENC 2026
The Foundation is committing $2m in creator rewards
New Offerings
CodeDev Group launches The Performance Guys
The team focuses on performance support across Unreal Engine, Unity, and proprietary technology
Milestone
Asian Champions League records 380m views across three esports titles
The tournament featured Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang competitions
Studio Closure
Ubisoft closes Winnipeg and Belgrade studios as up to 380 roles impacted
Around 50 developers working on Rainbow Six Siege Mobile have reportedly been reassigned
Strategic Move
Xbox outlines platform overhaul in internal strategy memo
The company reported 1bn annual players across console, PC, mobile and streaming
Winners Revealed
Gather-2-Gether wins Roblox and Games for Change challenge focused on positive play
Developer Magic The Dog will receive a $15,000 first-place prize
Layoffs Imminent
Report: Xbox plans major layoffs as new CEO pushes restructuring effort
The cuts would mark the first major restructuring under CEO Asha Sharma
Child Safety
Russia lifts ban on Roblox
The decision follows consultations between Roblox and Russian authorities on protecting underage users
Funding News
Two Desperados secures $20m in user acquisition financing from PvX Partners
The funding will be used to scale growth and expand the studio’s global player base
Industry Outlook
ESA warns California games bill would burden developers and players
“This bill may sound consumer-friendly, but it ultimately hurts both players and creators”
New Offerings
LinkedIn launches Wend as first new word game in two years
Wend combines word-finding gameplay with logic puzzle mechanics
Leadership Change
German Games Industry Association elects new executive board as Lars Janssen retains chair role
Maxi Graeff was elected deputy chair of the association
India On The Rise
IICT and GDAI launch faculty development program for game development educators
The programme is designed to help educators understand industry trends and prepare students for careers in games
Apple Ai
Apple unveils AI frameworks and agentic coding tools in Xcode 27
Developers can now access Apple Foundation Models alongside third-party models including Claude and Gemini
New Offerings
Apple expands App Store capabilities with new marketing, discovery and subscription features
Developers can now manage and reuse promotional materials through App Store Connect
Mario Milestone
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie surpasses $1bn worldwide
It is now the second-highest-grossing video game movie of all time at the box office, only behind 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Ai Acquisition
Roblox strengthens AI ambitions with Morpheus AI acquisition and founder hires
The company plans to integrate Morpheus AI technology into its Roblox Video Model
Milestone
App Store ecosystem drives $1.4 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2025
In-app advertising revenue reached $151 billion
In-game Event
Angry Birds 2 kicks off football-themed season with new events and rewards
The limited-time update introduces football-themed challenges, rewards and events
Expansions
Apple to open Europe’s first Developer Centre in Berlin
Developers across Europe will gain direct access to Apple experts, events and resources
In-game Event
FIFA and Gamefam launch FIFA World Cup 2026 event across Roblox
The event includes live score updates and tournament standings tied to real-world matches
New Offerings
PR veteran Sam Forrest launches GunDog Communications consultancy
The company is based in Kent and serves clients across London and the South East
New Offerings
Paramount launches unified games division to expand franchise ambitions
Tony Driscoll will lead the new division while retaining his role as EVP of corporate strategy and development
Milestone
WeChat Mini Games crosses 500m monthly active users as Tencent shifts focus to retention
The platform's developer base grew to 500,000, up from 400,000 in 2024
New Partnerships
Qiddiya City signs five-year partnership with MPL MENA
The partnership will focus on fan engagement, community initiatives, and youth-focused activations
Online Safety
SuperAwesome partners with Roblox as under-13 advertising partner
The partnership focuses on delivering brand-safe and COPPA-compliant advertising experiences
New Studio
Poncle to open Japan studio led by El Shaddai creator Sawaki Takeyasu
The studio plans to continue working with relatively small development teams
Going Public
Liftoff Mobile prices IPO at $3.83bn valuation
IPO proceeds will primarily be used to repay outstanding debt
Layoff News
Team17 confirms layoffs in marketing and communications team
Two former staff members have been made redundant
Game Jam
Green Game Jam 2026 launches with 70 games and environmental activations
Additional games are expected to join the campaign in September
Market Report
Mobile dominates US gaming as weekly player base reaches 212 million
Gen Z leads in-game spending, with 78% having made a purchase and a median monthly spend of $20
New Offerings
Mexican Football Federation launches FIFA Super Soccer activation on Roblox ahead of World Cup 2026
The event lets players use Mexico’s official adidas 2026 kit before it is worn at the tournament
New Offerings
Mattel Digital Studios releases Skeletor: Until Next Time mobile game
The title launched on iOS and arrives on Android next week
Market Report
Asia and MENA video game revenue set to surpass $100bn by 2030
Niko Partners' report shows China's mini games now account for nearly 20% of mobile game spending
Warhammer On Mobile
Nitro Games' Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun Boom to launch on mobile in 2026
Pre-registration is now open on the Apple App Store and Google Play
Winners Revealed
Apple names 2026 Design Awards winners
Eight of this year's 12 winning titles are available on iPhone
Preserving Games
California State Assembly passes landmark game preservation bill
The bill next needs to go through the California State Senate
Settlement Reached
Stillfront divests OFM Studios and cuts $26.5m Gameberry settlement
The proceeds will support Stillfront’s continued deleveraging efforts
New Office
Sheba Joy opens new office in Beijing
The move is part of its efforts to accelerate social gaming innovation for the Middle East
Market Growth
New Zealand games industry surpasses $1bn revenue milestone ahead of schedule
Industry revenue reached $758.9m last year, while workforce numbers grew 29%
Morocco Gaming Expo
Studio expansions and $3bn ambitions take centre stage at Morocco Gaming Expo
Morocco is targeting $3 billion in games revenue and 1% of the global market by 2030
Marvellous Mena
Dubai hosts first-ever DEF Education & Gaming Summit on June 4th
The summit covers gaming careers, esports, content creation and digital innovation
Acqusitions
Atari acquires Crossy Road creator Hipster Whale in deal worth up to $39.3m
The deal is expected to be completed in the coming days
Marvellous Mena
NJD Games creative director Baraa Odeh on building a racing franchise and taking Hajwala culture global
"One of the key factors behind KOH’s success has been understanding the community and building gameplay experiences that keep players socially engaged over time"
Content Incoming
Tencent reportedly preparing UGC initiative for Delta Force
Plans include creator tools, content distribution and monetisation systems
Strategic Moves
FIFA outlines multi-partner digital football strategy ahead of 2026 World Cup
FIFA said its Roblox experience attracts more than 10m monthly active users
Developer Training
Maliyo Games' GameUp Africa has trained 6,000 devs in five years
A new impact report tracks five years of building one of Africa's largest game development programmes
Game Approvals
China approves 158 games in May as licensing pace accelerates in 2026
Total game approvals in 2026 have reached 779, comprising 754 domestic and 25 imported games