Pgc Dubai
MENA region is open to global IPs but players want games "made for them"
Niko Partners analyst Mohamed Zaher spoke at the PGC Dubai GameExpo Summit 2025 about trends, stats and investment outlooks in the MENA region
Jobs Roundup
October 2025’s Movers and Shakers: Unity's latest leadership shift, new Kokku execs, InnoGames names CEO, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
Deadline Extension
US judge grants Google one-week extension to comply with Epic Games injunction
Both Google and Epic jointly requested the deadline extension from October 22nd to 29th, 2025
Online Safety
Update: Iraq bans Roblox over child safety concerns
The government said Roblox’s chat features exposed children to exploitation and cyber-extortion
New Offerings
MSquared launches global Partner Programme to help brands build virtual experiences
The programme lets brands create and own interactive 3D worlds that can evolve over time
Game Closure
EA to shut down The Sims Mobile after seven years
The game will become unplayable from January 20th, 2026
Service Disruption
Amazon Web Services outage impacts Clash Royale, Pokémon Go, Fortnite, Roblox and more
Some of the world's biggest games and web services face downtime as Amazon scrambles to fix issues
New Partnerships
Mattel expands Roblox partnership with Monster High debut
Monster High debuts on Roblox October 24th, marking Mattel’s first self-published title on the platform
Industry Outlook
Survey: One in four game professionals laid off in the past year
39% of junior-level professionals exited the industry between 2024 and 2025
Week In Views
The Digital Fairness Act explained and Final Fantasy's mobile return | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Closure Announcement
AppLovin shuts down Array software amid allegations of unauthorised app installs
The company said the product was discontinued last quarter due to poor economic viability
Job News
2K Games appoints Ben Brinkman as new studio head of 31st Union
Brinkman to lead development of upcoming free-to-play shooter Project Ethos
Legal Proceedings
Sony opposes Tencent's legal defence over alleged Horizon inspired game lawsuit
The company called Tencent’s defence “nonsense,” saying the damage from copying Horizon has already been done
Milestone
Where Winds Meet surpasses 5m global pre-registrations ahead of launch
The game has already surpassed 30m players in China since its 2024 launch
New Game Launch
Sonic Rumble set to launch this November
The game marks the franchise’s first-ever multiplayer Sonic game
Investment News
General Intuition raises $134m to train AI agents using gameplay videos
Khosla Ventures and General Catalyst led the seed round with participation from Raine
New Games
New release roundup: Legend of Element, Maze Mice, Hirozz and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Funding News
Tilting Point pumps $30m into two non-gaming apps
The deal builds on Tilting Point’s $150m UA fund launched in March
Unionisation
Over 400 Blizzard employees have voted to unionise under the Communications Workers of America
Organisers cite layoffs, low pay, and return-to-office policies as key reasons for unionising
Buyout Concerns
US senators raise national security concerns over $55bn Electronic Arts buyout
Open letters cite the PIF’s history of using investments to expand Saudi cultural influence
Rivrs And Roblox
Rivrs launches $1m Creator Fund to back Roblox developers in Southeast Asia
The fund will help scale promising games and support Southeast Asian teams
Funding News
Character platform ego AI raises $6.7m to make in-game characters more human-like
Funds will go towards expanding research and training its proprietary foundation model
Case Study
“Sometimes feelings matter more than metrics”: Flexus's unconventional approach to hybrid projects
Flexus founder Semyon Kozyura uses Train Miner as a case study to show the studios approach to its projects
Marvellous Mena
Copa Fantasy CEO Abdullah Eid on building MENA’s football super-app for global fans
“We’ve created a platform that feels culturally relevant while also appealing to global audiences”
Crossovers
SYBO teams up with Innersloth to bring Among Us into Subway Surfers for the first time
The crossover launches October 20th and runs for three weeks, ending November 3rd, 2025
New Offerings
Owlcat Games launches free resource hub for developers named GameDev Learning Drop
The directory features over 350 curated resources across game design, coding, narrative, and production
Tiga And Ukie
TIGA, Ukie and Video Games Council call on UK Government to change Video Games Expenditure Credit
The UK government's next budget is on November 26th, 2025
Ban Looming
Experts warn online video games could fall under Australia’s under-16 social media ban
The current policy excludes platforms built primarily for multiplayer gaming
New Offerings
Roblox is now available on the Samsung Galaxy Store
The move strengthens Samsung’s growing focus on mobile gaming and player rewards
Swiss Stakes
KPIT Technologies acquires nearly 90% of Swiss in-car gaming company N-Dream AG
N-Dream will remain independent, retaining its full leadership and team structure
Market Growth
Global app installs rose 11% in H1 2025 as APAC led growth
Adjust’s 2025 Mobile App Growth Report highlights the impact of AI-driven marketing strategies
Behind The Scenes
From a hybridcasual hit to an indie PC title: The story of My Little Universe part two
Davis Toliasvili, CEO of Estoty Riga shares on taking My Little Universe beyond mobile and into a multi-platform hit
Pgc Barcelona
AI as a "brainstorming partner" or a junior member of the team
Panellists discussed applications of AI and tips to get the most out of this tech at PGC Barcelona 2025
Mena Market
UAE launches The Emirates campaign to become ‘Startup Capital of the World’
The initiative aims to cement the UAE’s position as a global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation
Made For Mobile
Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy to launch on mobile in 2026
A closed beta test of up to 20,000 players will take place on Android next month
Esports Education
British Esports partners with ASCL to bring esports opportunities to UK students
The MoU aims to help schools integrate competitive gaming responsibly
Digital Fairness Act
The Digital Fairness Act consultation, but for actual human beings
Celia Pontin combats misinformation around the Digital Fairness Act, with an overview of the coming regulatory initiative
Premium Puzzles
Airoclip raises $2.75m in seed round to make AI-powered puzzle games
The round was led by T-Accelerate Capital and co-led by Centre Court Capital and Bitkraft Ventures
Strategic Move
Tencent eyes global shooter dominance after Delta Force success
The shooter genre represents around 9% of the $189bn games industry
Avia Anniversary
Avia Games talks charity, controversy, and ninth anniversary: "We think we have always been compliant to the law"
"It was very unfortunate that we had that litigation," says founder and CEO Vickie Chen
Africa Is Mobile
Android Port Challenge backs African developers in bringing PC and console games to mobile
Three standout indie studios were selected for the prototype grant
Pgc Korea
Save up to $100! PGC Summit Korea 2025 Mid Term rate ends this week!
Mid Term prices end at midnight this Thursday, October 16th
Event Report
Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2025: Raises the bar for the Nordic Games Industry
A vibrant mix of topics, voices, and networking made the 12th Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki a true celebration of global games industry collaboration
Dragon Ball Data
Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra earns $2.1m in first month, just 8% of Dragon Ball Legends
Bandai Namco’s previous Dragon Ball games Dokkan Battle and Legends picked up $3m and $26.3m in their first months
Industry Outlook
UK games industry leaders urge government to introduce a new “Games Growth Relief"
The proposal seeks targeted tax support for game projects up to £15m
Job News
Appcharge names former Xsolla president David Stelzer as chief strategy officer
He will guide Appcharge’s strategy and push into new global markets
A New Era
Outfit7 on the Talking Tom Cat Remaster and the evolution of the IP
Jernej Česen, COO of Outfit7 discusses the evolution of the Talking Tom franchise and rebuilding the game that started it all
Job News
Aristocrat appoints Amy White as VP of communications for EMEA
She will oversee communications across Aristocrat Interactive and Product Madness
Crafting And Configuring
Genshin Impact to introduce UGC system Miliastra Wonderland on October 22nd
Editing tool Miliastra Sandbox will allow players to edit terrains, skills, game modes and more
Hackathon
Supercell launches global AI Game Hackathon for creators worldwide
Three challenge tracks explore AI-powered games, remakes, and new tools