Speaker Spotlight
Local payment methods "key to unlocking scale" in the MENA market
Tamatem Plus MD Faisal Al Bitar discusses the D2C revolution ahead of his talk at PGC London on January 19th to 20th
Opening Up
Japan cracks open the App Store and Google Play to rival payment providers and marketplaces
Top mobile platforms must now let developers use alternative payment providers and let users install rival marketplaces
Trends Roundup
The mobile games industry trends that shaped 2025
A look back at the top stories and trends of the year
Revenue Report
Google Play in-app purchases fall 29% in RPGs and 50% in casino games
Revenue from the strategy genre has grown by 21% on Google Play since October 2024
Unite 2025
Unite 2025: AI, partnerships, web stores, and "a higher standard of quality"
Unity’s 2025 conference has contained many announcements and updates, from a 2K Games partnership to Unity 6.3
Acqusitions
Stash acquires Galleon to expand global DTC footprint in games
The deal expands Stash’s footprint in EMEA and brings Galleon’s founders into senior leadership roles
Mobile Mavens
Epic-Google settlement sparks industry discussion on mobile game fees and distribution
The Mobile Mavens explore the implications of Epic and Google’s latest plans
New Office
Appcharge opens Helsinki office to strengthen ties with Finnish game studios
Finland’s leadership in DTC growth was a key driver behind the expansion
Podcast | Episode 72
Why is Google policing how the world's top mobile games monetise? | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 72...
Pgc London
Appcharge leads the charge at PG Connects London 2026 as Diamond sponsor
Direct-to-consumer platform set to connect with studios and publishers at the biggest PGC of the year
Solitaire Success
Playtika’s DTC revenue rises 20% as SuperPlay secures new Disney collab
Playtika generated $674.6m in Q3 2025, with $209.3m from DTC platforms
New Era
An Epic deal for Google?
Epic and Google propose new rules for how you monetise your games
Market Growth
Daily play dominates as 85% of mobile gamers return multiple times
Japan leads global mobile games spend with 38% of players making multiple monthly purchases
Major Shift
Google Play injunction can "transform Android game economics"
Tech giant forced to allow alternative payment systems in the US until 2027 under court ruling in Epic Games case
Week In Views
Unity enters the DTC race and HoYoverse's next big game | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Podcast | Episode 69
The big AWS crash and Google delays Android regulation | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 69...
Unity Dtc
Unity gets into DTC with cross-platform "unified digital stores"
The update streamlines monetisation and live operations across mobile, web and PC
New Offerings
Appcharge unveils new Android Payment Links solution
The payment solution is currently in beta and will roll out globally soon
Speaker Spotlight
Speaker Spotlight: Sam Gaglani
"Make the game fun, the rest will follow"
Web Shops
Epic Games launches global web shops for mobile and PC
As part of the rollout Epic has partnered with Codename Entertainment to showcase web shop functionality
Company Spotlight
Company Spotlight: FastSpring
Meet FastSpring, the Californian company transforming direct-to-consumer payments for developers and publishers
Swipe Right?
Skich hatches plan to be the "Steam for mobile gaming"
But can alternative mobile marketplaces really compete?
Pgc Helsinki
"Why your players hate your web store"
Appcharge’s Miikka Luotio discusses the four steps of a web store and which element might be "broken"
Key Hires
DTC platform Stash names ex-Homa president Henry Lowenfels as CEO
Company makes wave of senior hires as it plots mission to democratise direct-to-consumer for all studios
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
Changing Times
Navigating payment freedom: Gaining a lead in the new app store landscape
Ben Cousens shares on monetisation strategies in the new app store economy
Podcast | Episode 65
Gamescom insights and India's shock real-money gaming ban | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 65...
Gamescom Insights
4 takeaways from Devcom and Gamescom 2025: The DTC revolution, Asian publishers make a splash, and room for optimism
We analyse some of the big stories and trends coming out of Europe's largest games expo
Play Policy
Google Play policy update restricts pre-registrations, discovery and more to higher-tier fee payers
Changes also allow developers to more flexibly link to payments outside of an app
Dtc Future
“Direct-to-consumer isn’t optional anymore”
Xsolla VP of monetisation products Artem Liubutov discusses the future of monetisation and getting players to your web shop
Dtc Revolution
FunPlus "forced to chase DTC” after IDFA deprecation
4X strategy specialist opted in to Apple's alternative business terms in the EU
Podcast | Episode 64
ChinaJoy insights and DTC earnings uncovered | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 64...
Pgc Barcelona
"100% of IAP is up for hijacking" in DTC 2.0
Appcharge chief marketing officer Gil Tov-Ly spoke at PGC Barcelona about web shops, web games, alternative app stores and more
Series Support
Appcharge raises $58m to scale up with growing DTC demands
The direct-to-consumer platform has raised $89m to date, currently powering stores for more than 100 games
Money Makers
How much direct-to-consumer revenue are mobile games publishers making?
All the major mobile games companies are talking about it. And the results are in
Financials
Playtika eyes bullish 40% direct-to-consumer revenue
DTC sales were up 1.3% year-over-year to $175.9m in Q2
Epic Vs. Everyone: Linkouts
In the face of ongoing legal change, what are the opportunities for mobile games companies?
"Don’t be surprised if pretty soon players in any part of the world can start making off-platform purchases in-app with zero friction"
New Offerings
Stash and Adyen partner to power scalable D2C monetisation for game developers
“Partnering with a company as exceptional and selective as Adyen strengthens every pillar of that mission,” said Stash co-founder Justin Kan.
New Partnerships
Appcharge and Dots.eco partner to bring real-world environmental Impact to In-game purchases
Players can now support tree planting, plastic removal, and wildlife protection through in-game spending.
Five Ways To Optimise Webshops
Five proven in-game linkout strategies to drive iOS players to your webshop
"The best way to minimise friction and boost conversions is by using an in-game web popup that lets players complete their purchase without ever leaving the game"
Conference Roundup
6 takeaways from PGC Barcelona: A bustling industry hub, DTC hits overdrive, and AI hype continues
A look at some of the trends and key talks from our debut conference in the Catalonia capital
Mobile Mavens
Mobile Mavens: Direct-to-consumer strategies for an open App Store
We asked our Mobile Mavens how the latest policy shift could reshape the app economy and what developers should do to get ahead
Crunch Time
Apple’s big moment
Will the tech giant make a big statement at WWDC or pretend the world hasn't changed?
Podcast | Episode 55
Apple faces further EU fines and Trump tariffs chaos continues | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 55...
Dynamic Dtc
DTC evolving fast after App Store ruling as web shops alone leave "a lot of untapped potential on the table"
Appcharge chief marketing officer Gil Tov-Ly talks Epic vs Apple, the implications for DTC and the latest tools bolstering conversion
Buy Button
Xsolla launches external payment option Buy Button for Mobile Games after Apple court ruling
A US court ruling on April 30th has dictated that Apple must allow external payment links in-app without taking a commission
Direct-to-consumer
Epic Games will launch web shops next month
Fortnite developer will also offer 0% commission on a game's first $1 million on the Epic Games Store
Pgc San Francisco
How to steer players to your web shop
Stash head of product Archie Stonehill offers a guide on getting players to use your direct-to-consumer platform
Speaker Spotlight
Web shops, DTC experiences and creating value for players: Stash's Archie Stonehill talks top tips ahead of PGC San Francisco
Stonehill is set to give a talk titled How to Steer Players to Your Web Shop (Without Breaking the Rules!)
Expansions
Appcharge expands into North America and Korea with new leadership hires
Sean Megaw will drive North American growth while Jin Woo Hong is set to lead its South Korea operations