New Partnership
S8UL partners with Krafton to launch Road to Valor: Empires in India
The new partnership aims to boost India’s gaming ecosystem
Acquisitions
Plug In Digital acquires FTP developers Celsius Online
The free-to-play mobile and web pioneers were acquired by the French publisher
Celebrating Success
Supersonic passes 3.4 billion downloads in three years
The publisher is celebrating its third anniversary this month with a massive milestone
Chinese Gaming Industry
Chinese games industry publishes draft of rules for self-regulation
The rules aim to address problems in the industry such as copyright disputes and gaming addiction without the need for government interaction
Adaptations
Raid: Shadow Legends is set to become an animated series
The billion-dollar mobile franchise is set to become a television series
Flexion X Netease
Flexion launches Vikingard on alternative app stores
The company has partnered with NetEase games for the launch
Google
Google Play Games for PC comes to Europe and Japan as service expands
Google’s cross-platform service will no longer require developers to optimise before submitting
Will Of The Industry
VOTE NOW: The Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2023 Finalists are live
Inaugural industry-wide vote now open until April 6th
See You Next Week
Attending GDC 2023 next week? Connect with the Steel Media team!
Book a meeting with the Steel Media team ahead of GDC next week. We will be in San Francisco for GDC, let's discuss how we can best support your business in 2023!
Regulations
Call of Duty: Mobile team attempt to clarify Warzone confusion: “We are committed.”
The team behind CoD Mobile clarifies their position and reiterates their commitment to the title
Gdc 2023
Brazil Games delegation announced for GDC 2023
More than 43 companies will showcase Latin American innovation at the conference
Unity Report
Unity Report: More players are turning to mobile, but paying less
The median game saw an 8% increase in daily active users worldwide in 2022
Unity Gaming Report
Marc Whitten of Unity: "There are more players… But payers are in decline."
Released today, the 2023 Unity Gaming Report serves up both solutions and challenges for developers both big and small
Appointments
Sybo appoints new CMO Philip Hickey
The Seriously veteran will take on the role of chief marketing officer
Startups
App Radar wants to use AI to make advertising easier
The startup wants their AI tool to make analysing reviews and understanding player sentiment easier
Cryptotheft
FBI warns that fake games are stealing cryptocurrency
The agency has issued a PSA to address the issue
Appsflyer Report
RPG ad spend surged in 2022 amid massive rise across platforms
The genre saw a 177% increase on iOS and 101% on Android in the USA
Appsflyer Report
India saw a 32% rise in hypercasual installs in 2022
Google’s ban on interstitial ads caused ripples in the market, while India surged ahead
Creatives
Pedro Pascal joins the Merge Mansion creative campaign
Following on from other major Hollywood stars, the Last of Us star has joined the Metacore creative campaign
Web 3 Ip
Brazilian Web3 dev Jungle raises $6 million in funding round
Web3 mobile shooter expected to launch later this year
Finance
Silicon Valley Bank - What happened and how does it affect mobile?
One of America’s biggest venture capital and startup banks failed over the weekend. Here’s what it could mean for mobile
Tech Trends Talks
Eight fireside chat interviews with the industry’s best and brightest at PGC London 2023
Hear from the creators, leaders, movers and shakers from across the mobile games world about the tools, trends and tech at Pocket Gamer Connects, with the team from HyprMX
Second Wind
Second Life is coming to mobile
The world’s first and best-known metaverse platform makes the leap to iOS and Android
Roblox Reveals
Stefano Corazza: AI will enable new Roblox users to create much faster
Roblox Studios head Stefano Corazza discusses the future of AI on Roblox
Back On Track
Genshin Impact revenue reached an 11-month high in February as Chinese devs flourish again
Sensor Tower data found 40 of the top 100 revenue earners last month were in China
Appointments
Vancouver studio A Thinking Ape appoints new CEO
Founder and former CEO Kenshi Arasaki will move to role of chair
Join The Webinar
Retargeting Masterclass: How to retain and retarget players
How can developers and publishers keep their users, reduce churn and increase retention?
find out more in this expert webinar from Adikteev and PocketGamer.biz
Views Week
Week in Views - What caught our editorial eyes in the last seven days
The Pocketgamer.biz team take their pick of this weeks big news and discuss loot boxes, mobile moves and giant slaying…
Acquivision Blizzard
Microsoft, Activision, and Sony: The story so far
As the deal inches towards a conclusion Microsoft still face opposition in both the mobile and console spaces
Alternative App Stores
Epic has apps for iOS and Android ready to go
The Epic Games Store may see an appearance on mobile sooner than we think if Tim Sweeney’s predictions come true
Next-level Inclusivity
Scrapping stereotypes in the metaverse with Dubit's Regine Weiner and Steph Whitley
The face of gaming is changing and if the metaverse really is to take hold we need to work together to make it a great place for everyone
All About Indies
Seven reasons why you, as an indie developer, need to be at Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle!
Don’t miss your chance to sign up for an exclusive competition for indie developers! You can win free tickets to PG Connects Seattle and demo
Women In Games
"What we used to think of as a gamer - a bored teenager with a console - is no longer correct" - Liat Barer of Odeeo
We get the real state of play and showcase a world of talent around the changing face of games for International Women's Day
Developer Insights
Why player-driven economies are a powerful tool for developers
Building an economy that keeps players engaged creates long-term fans that will keep coming back so that they can achieve more
Ai Game Creation
Anything World partners with Unreal Engine to expand animation and 3D modelling
The new deal follows partnerships with Ubisoft and Coheed and Cambria
Gamer's Voice
Has your game made the Pocket Gamer People's Choice Award 2023 finalists?
Get your players to vote for you by April 6th if so
Podcast
Finding and growing your niche | Podcast
Gold Town Games' Thomas Jonasson speaks to the PocketGamer.biz podcast team about the studio's work on sports management games
Playing For The Planet
2.5 million trees were planted as part of 2022’s Green Game Jam
2022 was a breakthrough year for sustainability efforts in gaming
Trade Bodies
TIGA calls on UK government for new video game investment fund
They predict a new investment fund for the UK video game industry would provide an economic boost
Spreading Sustainability
10 Weeks To Save The Games Industry – Week 7
Matchmade CEO Jiri Kupiainen and GamesForest.Club's Maria Wagner's quest reaches Prague
Wemade At Gdc 2023
Wemade – diamond sponsor at GDC 2023 – shares valuable blockchain gaming knowledge and experience
Join in the conversations with company experts on trending industry topics, wins and challenges in open sessions during the event
Esports
PUBG Mobile Super League reveals first teams and the importance of SEA region
The new league's teams include notable esports names from all around the world
Women In Games
"This is not only a viable career path, but one of the most welcoming industries in the world" - Jacki Vause of Dimoso
We get the real state of play and showcase a world of talent around International Women's Day
Gamerefinery Report
February was a huge month for crossovers and events
Marvel Snap introduced PVP mechanics, while Uma Musume: Pretty Derby raced to the number one spot
2023 Predictions
"Apple don't care about games" - Eric Kress takes a bite out of the mobile giant
Is it time to change course away from 'Deep', 'Core' games? Deconstructor of Fun's Kress maps out the road ahead
Creatives
Playtika takes potshots at Candy Crush with new Best Fiends ad campaign
“Download free, play sugar free”
Women In Games
"Having more women in the gaming industry brings diverse perspectives, experiences, and ideas" - Barbara Lee of Kinetix
We get the real state of play and showcase a world of talent around International Women's Day 2023
2023 Predictions
"We're going to see declines of 5-10% in the mobile games market for two more years", claims Eric Kress
It's grim news from the keynote opener of the Google Istanbul Games Summit
Regulations
Microsoft: Acquiring mobile portion of Activision Blizzard is “key strategic objective”
The comments were made in the response to key CMA remedies for the merger
Monetisation Masterclass
Monetisation via in-game ads: why hypercasual studio Balzo works with Growzee
Balzo co-founder Giuseppe Lapenta talks to PocketGamer.biz about the studio's journey in the hypercasual genre and why it works with mobile ad expert Growzee