10th Anniversary
Fallout Shelter surpasses 230m downloads
The news comes as the title turns ten years old
Phoney Pledges
Moshi Monsters’ comeback Kickstarter sabotaged by "malicious actor" who made multiple fake pledges
It was previously believed that the campaign reached its £250,000 goal in less than 24 hours, before fake pledges with "clear intent" to mislead were discovered
Developers On Monetisation
Game on: Turning points, player power, and the future of monetisation
The moment everything changed! Hear from four developers about the revelation which helped them tackle monetisation and put players first
Expansions
Unico Studio surpasses 100 employees amid global expansion and hiring push
The company claims to have achieved over one billion installs across its portfolio of 50+ games
Prize Pool
Dunk City Dynasty’s first competition Community Bash has $10,000 prize pool
Winning teams in Southeast Asia and North America will net $2,300 each
Crossovers
Sonic races into Squad Busters as Supercell and SEGA launch crossover event
Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Dr. Eggman will be featured in the game
Crowdfunding
Clash of Clans Tabletop Game surpasses $50,000 Kickstarter goal in 30 minutes
Game is set to release in 2026
Call For Speakers
How you can make an impact by speaking at Pocket Gamer Connects
Grow your brand before an audience of games industry professionals
Mobile Royale
Mobile-first Fortnite Blitz Royale mode launches on June 18th
Move comes shortly after Fortnite's return to mobile on the US App Store
Solitaire's Secret Sauce
Why are the world's top games publishers making solitaire games and has Playtika already won?
As solitaire installs rise for seven consecutive years to a record-breaking 347m, we ask game design consultant Jakub Remiar for further insight
Funding For Games
Bigger Games raises $25m to fuel global expansion
Studio set to scale its currently soft-launched mobile game Kitchen Masters
Making Playtime More Rewarding
MAF’s Play2Earn launches on iOS, outperforming multi-reward by +80% ROAS
MAF’s Play2Earn for iOS is outperforming traditional multi-reward setups. Discover how it delivers +80% ROAS and redefines what rewarded ads can do on iOS
New Partnerships
NBA, NBPA, and 2K strike new multiyear deal to expand global partnership
All parties involved are also launching a new NBA Take-Two Media as part of the deal
Moshi Monsters Mobile
Moshi Monsters to make mobile comeback after £250,000 Kickstarter target reached in one day
The 2000s web browser game is getting a follow-up on mobile, expected in 2027
Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki
Big Screen Gaming Summit and AI Gamechangers Summit coming to Helsinki
PC & Console, AI Advances, and Future Formats tracks part of Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki on October 7th to 8th
Anzu And Amex
Amex Ventures invests in in-game ads firm Anzu
The investment will help Anzu scale faster in key segments
Trade War
Shenzhen targets 55% digital service trade by 2035 in new growth strategy
The strategy focuses on industrial support, IP development, infrastructure and more
New Offerings
HoYoverse to open its first ever themed café in Berlin this June
The café will launch with a Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero event from June 20th to July 13th
Funding News
Candy Crush veterans secure $4.6m for Studio555’s interior design game app
Developer plans to launch the app next year
Agreement Reached
SAG-AFTRA board approves tentative deal to end strikes
Members have until July 9th, 2025 to vote on ratification
Hot Five
Hot Five: New Apple Games app, SAG-AFTRA strikes ending, and Zynga founder forms Playful.AI
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 56
The Apple Games verdict | 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 56...
Randomstuff.biz
Scopely's debut single, Liquid Glass, and that incredible Qualcomm CES keynote
Just trust us
Week In Views
Games veterans launch Playful.AI, Apple's Games app and the Nintendo Switch 2 breaks records | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Direct-to-consumer
Xsolla and Second Dinner launch new Marvel Snap Web Shop
Players Can Redeem the Global ‘WEBLAUNCH’ Code at Launch to Access Special Offers and Exclusive Rewards
What Do Developers Want?
Apple Games and the future of iOS gaming
Apple's big moment wasn't quite to be. Developers react with their wish list for the App Store and iOS gaming
New Partnerships
Xsolla partners with Defold to simplify in-game purchases for web developers
“This is a huge win for our developers heading into the Game Jam,” said Defold product owner Björn Ritzl
Earnings Report
Ten Square Games records $7.4m profit despite drop in bookings
The company plans to double its efforts on scaling live games amidst ‘market evolution’
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
Wwdc 2025
Apple expands iOS features with new social tools and player overlays
The iPhone maker also showcased new additions to developer tools such as Metal 4 and Xcode 26
New Games
New release roundup: 10 Second Ninja X, Sonic Blitz, Lost in Play+ and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Mobile Mavens
Mobile Mavens: Apple Games reaction and a feature wish list for the App Store
Industry experts give their opinions on this week's announcements and what the iPhone giant can do to win over developers
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
The Birds Are Back
Angry Birds Bounce launches in July as series’ first game developed under Sega’s ownership
Sega completed its acquisition of Rovio in August 2023, 18 months after the last mobile Angry Birds game released
New Offerings
Unity launches Audience Hub to help marketers bring privacy-first targeting to games
The tool is currently available to marketers in the US and Canada
Acqusitions
Nazara acquires Smaaash for $14.7m aiming to revamp the brand with digital IPs
“Smaaash was a bold idea once. It's time to build on that idea with sharper execution and a clearer lens,” said Nazara CEO Nitish Mittersain
Building Brands
Supercell hiring in multiple roles to grow brands outside of games
A "whole slate of unannounced projects" are already in development
Why Shanghai
Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai 2025 offers key insights into China's bustling market for international studios
Here’s why China’s games industry deserves a closer look and why we’re heading to Shanghai on July 30th
Industry Insights
Win or lose: Mastering the art of mobile game balance and monetisation
Supersonic's Guy Agiv dives into the delicate balance between win and lose conditions and how they can create better monetisation opportunities
Strike Over
SAG-AFTRA ends strike against video game companies after reaching tentative AI protections deal
All members have been instructed to return to work
New Company
Ex-Netflix VP Mike Verdu and Zynga founder Mark Pincus form AI games startup Playful.AI
Company aims to “reinvent game development and game experiences with AI”
Funding News
Team Angels launches to back early-stage startups in Mumbai
The initiative offers equity funding between ₹40 lakhs ($45,000) and ₹1.5 crore ($175,000)
Game Ban
Hong Kong bans mobile game promoting anti-communist content
The game has now been removed from both the Google Play and Apple’s App Store in Hong Kong
Jobs Roundup
June 2025’s Movers and Shakers: Unity CTO exits, Embracer appoints new CEO, Roblox gets a CFO, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
Price Adjustments
Supercell adjusts in-game prices in multiple countries due to tax and exchange rate changes
Price increase impact titles in Brazil, Peru, Azerbaijan and others
Studio Closure
Dundee game studio Cobra Mobile shuts down after 20 years
The liquidation has resulted in eight employees being made redundant
Leadership Overhaul
Phil Rogers named CEO of Embracer as Lars Wingefors shifts focus to M&A
Wingefors will leave the executive management team from August 1st, but stay on as a board member until the annual general meeting
Summer Camp
Zynga to host Girls Make Games 2025 summer camp at San Mateo HQ
Participants will learn the fundamentals of game development and design while working in teams
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
Pgc Summit Shanghai
3 key trends in focus at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai
Highlighting Asian games market growth, global trends, and monetisation models