Job News
Blizzard names Walter Kong as SVP and head of live games and mobile development
Before rejoining Blizzard, Kong led product management and operations at Epic Games
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 Partnerships
Bundesliga joins Top Eleven in first full league partnership
Fans can expect limited-time Bundesliga events, rewards, and offers throughout the 2025/26 season
New Offerings
Blueberry Stage launches on Roblox to host virtual performances with K-pop group aespa
aespa to headline the debut show on September 12th with an exclusive live performance
Marvellous Mena
Merak Capital on investor expectations and taking MENA game studios global
"A common mistake we see is founders focusing entirely on the game’s creative vision without tying it to the commercial side"
Market Growth
Newzoo: Global games market set to hit $188.8bn in 2025
Mobile remains the largest segment at $103bn, holding a 55% market share
Milestone
Kokku recognised as official Unreal Engine Service Partner
Kokku also gained access to exclusive Epic training programs and partner communities
New Offerings
Jam City launches WikiGameJam to create games inspired by Wikipedia
Projects will range from edit-feed browser games to Wikidata-powered trivia apps
Job News
Appcharge appoints ex-StreamElements and Appush execs as CRO and CFO
Appcharge said the hires strengthen its role in the mobile DTC era
Funding News
HYS Games raises $300k to accelerate development on upcoming flagship title
The project is described as a daring double-A game with triple-A ambition
Developer Support
Ukie partners with Tencent for second year of the Video Games Growth Programme
Last year’s inaugural programme supported 27 graduating studios
Esports Growth
Fortnite crowns new Global Champions as Epic unveils major competitive updates
A $1m Fortnite Competitive mobile series launches later this year
Winners Revealed
Roblox reveals 2025 Innovation Awards winners
Steal a Brainrot was honoured for Best Creative Direction and recently surpassed 20m concurrent players
New Offerings
Nazara brings popular PC title Bodycam to Fortnite
The launch will feature two new modes, including Gun Game and Team Deathmatch
Milestone
SuperGaming’s MaskGun surpasses 100m players across Android and iOS
To celebrate, the publisher is running a two-week in-game event with rewards and recognition for players
New Offerings
Roblox creators will now earn 8.5% more from Developer Exchange
UGC platform reveals swathe of new tools including 4D object creation, real-time voice translation and speech-to-text APIs
Funding News
Evolite Studio secures $300k to accelerate development of its next game Noor
Noor is a top-down action game rooted in Arabian mythology
New Offerings
Azur Games launches open version of internal analytics platform
Early adopters of Azur Games Analytics are receiving free access during the onboarding phase
New Offerings
Code Maestro Launches in public beta as AI copilot for Unity developers
“Developers often spend more time fixing issues than making games,” said Code Maestro CEO Alexander Goldybin
Layoff News
Firaxis confirms layoffs as part of a development restructuring plan
The number of affected staff was not disclosed
Crossovers
Scopely partners with Nickelodeon for a Stumble Guys and Avatar crossover event
Aang, Zuko, Toph, Sokka, and Appa all become playable characters
Accelerator Program
a16z Speedrun opens applications for its sixth accelerator program
The 12-week program starts January 2026 with up to $1m in funding
Adaptations
Amazon’s live-action Tomb Raider series to begin filming in January 2026
Sophie Turner confirmed to star as Lara Croft
Funding News
Symmetric Studio secures $300k to grow debut title Valley of Fog
The game blends dungeon crawling with city building in a hybrid casual experience
Investment News
GDEV increases stake in Zombie Miner developer Royal Ark to 57%
The move strengthens Gdev’s strategic partnership while keeping studio independence
Crossovers
SYBO teams up with Supercell for Subway Surfers and Brawl Stars crossover event
The four-week event brings themed unlockables, new modes, and exclusive content to both games
Investment News
Bitkraft Ventures says it will double down on India investments despite real-money gaming ban
The firm will double down on gaming studios, esports, and interactive media
Acqusitions
Aonic acquires Prime Insights in $250m deal to build global rewards platform
Prime Insights CEO Benjamin Ritzka stays on and reinvests to become a top Aonic shareholder
New Offerings
Activision partners with Paramount to develop Call of Duty movie
Paramount will produce and distribute the live-action film, expanding the franchise to new audiences
Strategic Move
Savvy eyes multibillion-dollar deals in China and Asia amid US-China tensions
Currently ranked 8th globally, Savvy is pushing to climb the publishing charts
Acqusitions
Qiddiya acquires Evo operator RTS to expand its role in global esports
The acquisition supports Evo’s vision for original content and deeper live event experiences
Job News
Microsoft names Rare's Louise O’Connor as chief of staff at Xbox Game Studios
She will focus on driving collaboration across Xbox Game Studios while supporting its leaders and teams
Strategic Move
Nintendo rebrands Warpstar as Nintendo Stars to spearhead its transmedia strategy
Nintendo Stars will oversee merchandising, licensing, and events tied to the company’s film projects
New Offerings
Rooter launches AI-powered adtech tool rStream to allow creators monetise content
“For brands, it’s a matter of keeping that attention and not jolting gamers out of it,” said Rooter founder and CEO Piyush
Market Growth
Player spending on games in China grew to $49.2bn in 2024
Revenue is forecast to reach $54.8bn by 2029
Funding News
Classy Games raises $300k to fuel growth and accelerate development of SillySuspects
Funding will also support team expansion and community-building initiatives
Leadership Change
Coffee Stain Group prepares for Embracer spin-off with new board
Coffee Stain co-founder and CEO Anton Westbergh exits Embracer’s management team amid restructuring
Layoff News
MPL to lay off 60% of its India staff after government ban on paid games
About 300 of 500 employees will be cut
Marvellous Mena
Saudi Arabia’s games market projected to reach $1.64bn by 2028
Savvy Games Group's 2024 annual report shows the MENA region generated $5.62bn in 2024 and is estimated to reach $6.94bn in 2027
New Offerings
Duet Night Abyss removes all gacha elements just weeks before its October launch
The upcoming RGP has amassed nearly seven million pre-registrations across all platforms
Funding News
Copa Fantasy raises $300k to scale football gaming platform in MENA
“We aim to become the region’s first true football super-app”
New Partnerships
Merak Capital signs MoU with HP to boost Saudi Arabia’s games and esports economy
Partnership to deliver events, workshops, and mentorship to build a sustainable talent pipeline
New Game Launch
NetEase Games launches Destiny: Rising globally on iOS and Android
Pre-registrations topped 10 million ahead of launch
Regulations
Apple warns UK’s proposed “EU-style rules” will harm both users and developers
The iPhone maker cites delayed features in Europe under similar laws as a cautionary example
New Partnerships
Saudi Esports Federation and Merak Capital sign MoU to accelerate Saudi Arabia’s games and esports sector
Partnership expands training, certification, and global collaboration while attracting international studios
Industry Outlook
India launches Game Publishers and Developers Association to drive its gaming and esports ambitions
Backed by the Online Gaming Bill, IGPDA champions Made-in-India IP, skills development, and game production
App Store Changes
Google to require identity verification for all Android app developers from next year
Developers in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand face new verification rules from September 2026
Marvellous Mena
17 MENA game studios graduate from the first Exel by Merak accelerator cohort
Each startup secured $300,000 in funding plus access to global mentorship
Funding News
FitNot Games secures $300k to expand development on culturally-inspired titles
Funding will accelerate work on ALI, a story-driven 2D isometric stealth game set in Egyptian folklore
New Offerings
Unity launches Ad Quality as a free standalone SDK for all publishers
The tool gives developers transparency and control over in-game ads across 25 networks
Funding News
Superbullet Studios secures $300k to scale Roblox game development
Funding will fuel marketing for flagship title SuperbulletAI, production scaling, and team expansion