Studio Closure
Stillfront shuts down Super Free Games as part of strategic portfolio review
Closures to mark first part of restructure, the company said
New Partnerships
Savvy Games Group and King Abdulaziz University partner to launch diplomas in games and esports
The new academic programmes aim to blend classroom learning with hands-on industry experience
Earnings Report
Stillfront Q2 revenue falls as Europe and North America underperform
Swedish firm aims to capitalise on the slow release of new mobile titles
Expansions
Apple launches online store and app in Saudi Arabia with Arabic support
Flagship Apple Stores also coming to Saudi Arabia in 2026
Pgc Aqaba
Don’t sleep on the MENA games market - Why Aqaba should be your next stop
Explore the MENA games industry at Pocket Gamer Connects Aqaba on November 8th to 9th
Hot Five
Hot Five: Rollic’s 1,000 ideations per month, Coin Master - Board Adventure soft launch, and Uma Musume: Pretty Derby’s post-expansion performance
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 61
Zynga's successes and failures, and Moon Active takes the fight to Scopely | 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 61...
Marvellous Mena
MENA-3 games market set to reach $2.8bn by 2029
A Niko Partners report found that the region had 72 million gamers at the end of 2024
Expansions
Side signs deal with Savvy Games Group to open Riyadh office
Firm plans to not only support Savvy’s initiatives but also launch its own training programmes in Saudi Arabia
Game Update
Steer Studios pulls Grunt Rush from app stores for planned updates
The studio’s debut title is currently unavailable to new players
Esports World Cup
Esports World Cup 2025 begins in Riyadh with record $70m prize pool
Of the prize pool, $27m will be spread across the top 16 clubs while this year’s winner will earn $7m
Marvellous Mena
How African game studios can compete globally
“We need to attract our diaspora back or collaborate with international partners to upskill and polish local talents"
Marvellous Mena
Gimzat Studios co-founders Khaled Mansour and Ahmed Khalaf talk hybridcasual strategy, platform priorities and MENA opportunities
"To reach Africa’s growing mobile audience, localisation and device optimisation are critical."
New Offerings
Savvy Games Group and PNU’s Applied College sign MoU to equip women for careers in games development
Training will cover areas like concept design, 3D modelling, animation and interactive storytelling
Marvellous Mena
Gamezop commits $4m to expand in the Middle East with a new office in Bahrain
The company plans to onboard 1,000 new apps and hit $6m revenue within 18 months
Studio Closure
Hypercasual game studio Yayy closes
Following Yayy's closure, CEO Ziad Talge co-founded MyLuigi with AI and cloud expert Sukhdeep Johar, securing $125,000 in funding
Developer Learning
Carry1st’s Dominion Ero partners with Udemy to launch game development programme for African youth
The Initiative aims to provide a structured learning path covering industry fundamentals
Annivasery
“We're not just building games, we're building habits”
UMX Studio CEO Ali Alharbi on the developer's 11th anniversary, studio growth, Jetapult funding and lessons learned
Expansions
True Gamers expands in Saudi Arabia with four new esports venues in Riyadh
The agreement marks the company’s first multi-location launch in Saudi Arabia
Lagos Games Week Takeaways
Five takeaways from Lagos Games Week 2025: Strong networking, weak panels, and 'one hit' debate returns
The two-day event had no major announcements, but there were still plenty of talking points around the state of the African games industry
Marvellous Mena
Maliyo Games founder Hugo Obi talks investing in talent, funding challenges and launching MaliyoCon
"Mobile gaming today is more like running a media company than launching a static product"
Lagos Games Week
“There's no big game that's made by just one studio"
Virtuos business development manager Soukayna Ennaji discusses industry outsourcing and growing Africa's games industry
Lagos Games Week
Lagos Games Week 2025 kicks off week of talks, exhibitions and showcases
The event will feature global players like Ubisoft, Ustwo Games and Nintendo’s Digital Schoolhouse
Training Camp
Khalifa Fund opens registration for 8th Venturist Summer Camp focused on game development
“The camp will also prepare students for freelance and future career opportunities in the gaming sector,” said Khalifa Fund acting CEO Mouza Al Nasri
Pocket Gamer Connects Aqaba
Tickets for Pocket Gamer Connects Aqaba 2025 now live
New name, new location - same unmissable two-day event coming to MENA
Marvellous Mena
Dubai’s games industry surges with 260 game developers and 16.6% growth rate
Data shows that 67% of game companies have their headquarters in Dubai
Marvellous Mena
Abu Dhabi University launches region’s first BA in Game Design
The program will offer a wide range of courses including genre-specific studies such as first-person shooters and mobile games
Esports World Cup
Esports World Cup Foundation partners with Amazon in three-year deal
“With Amazon, we are bringing esports into everyday digital lives for millions of people around the world,” said Esports World Cup Foundation COO Mike McCabe.
Market Report
Asia and MENA games markets hit $86.6 billion in 2024
Revenue is projected to reach $96bn by 2029
New Partnerships
Khalifa Fund and Inovartic partner to support UAE games startups
Support will come in form of incubation, specialised training, and financial aid
New Partnerships
Tencent’s Level Infinite and Invest Qatar sign MoU to boost the country's games industry
Both parties will collaborate on talent development initiatives to drive long-term growth
Earnings Report
Yalla Group records $83.9m revenue in Q1 2025 despite 8% decline in paying users
The company's game services generated $30.1m
New Offerings
Why investor Jetapult is building AI platform GamePac
“Our philosophy is that tools should adapt to the studio, not the other way around," said Jetapult CEO Sharan Tulsiani
New Offerings
Moonton has soft launched MLBB Lite in Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa
A streamlined version of the developer's popular Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Very Big Indie Pitch
Fideo's Adventure was full of confidence and won the Very Big Indie Pitch at Dubai GameExpo Summit
Find out who took the top three spot at Dubai GameExpo Summit's big indie pitching content
Mena
Kiro'o Games' lofty ambitions for the African games market
Madiba Guillaume Olivier discusses the studio's upcoming mobile game, $1m funding goal, and its vision for the future of games in Africa.
Event Report
Biggest ever Dubai GameExpo Summit draws over 1,400 game professionals from 70 countries to engage with the vibrant MENA games market
Third iteration of the region’s leading conference hosted as part of the Dubai Esports and Games Festival 2025 celebrated innovation, supported new talent and encouraged investment
Marvellous Mena
Kanessa Muluneh on Rise of Fearless, play-to-earn mechanics, and tapping into Africa’s mobile audience
"I want to unlock doors that have never been opened before."
Podcast | Episode 52
Tim Sweeney's epic App Store win and Tripledot's transformational AppLovin deal | 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 52...
Mena Games Awards 2025
Meet the MENA Games Industry Awards 2025 winners
Winners announced on Thursday, May 8th, as part of the Dubai GameExpo Summit 2025
New Offerings
Savvy Games Group launches Academy website to boost Saudi game development
The Academy includes a series of Savvy-funded initiatives to support the next generation of developers and creatives in the Kingdom
Investment News
Classy Games secures investment from Merak Capital
Funds will go towards accelerating game development and expanding its core team
New Game Launch
Starvania Studio to launch Bahamut and The Waqwaq Tree during Dubai GameExpo Summit
The game is inspired by Arabian mythologies from the One Thousand and One Nights book
Market Growth
Middle East fastest-growing market for game revenue and downloads in 2024
The region was the only games market to see downloads growth last year
Esports In Africa
Carry1st Africa Cup 2025 returns with $15,000 Call of Duty: Mobile prize pool
Over 200 teams and 1,000 players are expected to participate for a $15,000 prize pool
Marvellous Mena
GEM Capital MD and Jetapult CEO talk MENA investments and unlocking the region's potential
Roman Gurskiy and Sharan Tulsiani discuss what they look for in startups, common founder mistakes, and how MENA game studios can attract global capital
Pgc Jordan
Game incubators in MENA and the risks of "polishing the wrong thing"
GIGS co-founder Ashraf Abi-Said and LUDiMUS Inc CEO and co-founder Sho Sato discussed the value of incubators at PGC Jordan 2024
New Partnerships
Saudi Esports Federation partners with PUGB Mobile to expand competitive opportunities
The partnership will merge the Saudi eLeague with the PUBG Mobile National Championship
Expansions
Animoca Brands opens first Middle East office in Dubai
Omar Elassar will lead the new hub as managing director and head of global strategic partnerships
Cloud Gaming In Mena
The Game Company launches AI-Powered cloud gaming platform
Launch comes after it raised $10m in funding earlier this year