Monster Milestone
How Monster Hunter Now claimed $225m in its first year through innovation, inclusion and evolving monetisation
Capcom’s monster IP and Niantic’s location-based gaming know-how prove a winning formula
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from an Elder Scrolls spinoff to competitive cosplay
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Excecutive Fallout
Annapurna Interactive faces mass resignation over leadership dispute
Negotiations to spin off the video game division as an independent entity fell through when Ellison withdrew from further talks
Out Of Time
Unity charts a new path forward without the "catastrophic" Runtime Fee
Unity has killed off the Runtime Fee, but is it too late?
It's Over
Unity cancels infamous Runtime Fee
Unity backtracks on the Runtime Fee that sparked anger, confusion and a boycott
Job Cuts
Microsoft cuts 650 jobs in its Xbox games division
The cuts will largely impact corporate and support roles within Activision Blizzard
A New Entry
Sega’s Yakuza Wars is revealed to be a mobile game
The Facebook page appears to have leaked some information on the upcoming title
Job News
Homa appoints ex-BoomBit CTO Szymon Sirocki as new lead mobile architect
Sirocki joins Homa to strengthen its mobile tech stack
Investment News
InMobi lands $100 million for AI-driven expansion and acquisitions
InMobi will use the funds to propel its AI development and deployment efforts
Ai Integration
Kinetix launches its $1 million fund initiative to accelerate AI-UGC in games
The AI emote creators will offer selected developers up to $75,000 to bring its user-generated emote technology to their games
Podcast
Google lead shines a light on the games industry's top trends | Podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode…
India Insights
Why India's mobile gamers are more willing to spend in battle royale hits Battlegrounds Mobile and Free Fire
New report delves into player habits and market dynamics in the country
Portfolio Power Up
52 Entertainment welcomes "millions of new players" through Blackout acquisition
The casual games dev behind Word Search Quest and Bubble Shooter Rainbow joins 52 Entertainment’s portfolio
Jobs Roundup
September's Mobile Movers: Asmodee appoints CEO, Nintendo of Europe shake-up, 1Up's new venture partner, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
Philosophy Focused
Mother Games raises $5 million to fuel its games ambitions
Its debut title Le Zoo is veering away from "traditional mobile games that exploit the dopamine system to addict players"
India Games Industry
Nazara invests $2.2 million in gaming community platform STAN
Nazara secured the deal through its subsidiary Nazara Dubai FZ
Platform Power
Live ops platform Magify raises €1 million to enhance AI and reach new markets
Magify has raised further funds towards democratisation, product development and more
Mena Investments
MENA startup investment drops to 76% in August 2024
UAE-based startups led investment with $55.7 million raised across 13 deals
Esports Growth
Gosu Academy expands into the UAE to fuel esports growth
Esports coaching and education provider's existing presence in the Middle East will support the UAE's growing games community
Out Now
The Elder Scrolls: Castles is out now as a "spiritual successor" to Fallout Shelter
Bethesda’s latest game opts for simulation and in-app purchases over grand action RPGs
Deep Dissatisfaction
Ubisoft minority investor calls for new CEO, studio sales and company to go private
AJ Investments’ open letter to Ubisoft is concerned about Ubisoft’s reputation among gamers
Organic Opportunities
Empire Games will function as "new external team" after Huuuge Games investment
Huuuge sees potential in Empire to contribute to its organic growth
Game Regulations
Korea clears bill to regulate overseas gaming firms
The bill requires foreign game companies to appoint a domestic agent
Esports Growth
FPT Telecom and GAM Entertainment partner to elevate esports in Vietnam
The partnership will also pave the way for students to compete in local and international esports tournaments
Profit Plummet
Huuuge Games’ profits down 30.6% YoY but top games hit major milestones
Despite declines in revenue and profit this Q2 Huuuge Casino and Billionaire Casino both surpassed $2 billion in lifetime revenue
Ai Safety
SAG-AFTRA signs interim agreement with 80 games to ensure AI protections
By agreeing to the terms this will ensure that voice talent is appropriately protected
Mena Insight
"Awareness remains one of the biggest challenges in the MENA region"
Classy Games Studios founder Jamie McClenaghan discusses building a team in the UAE and the challenges of operating in an emerging games hub
Release Reveal
Tencent’s upcoming RPG Honor of Kings: World set for 2025 release date
Spin-off set to launch across multiple platforms
New Iphone
iPhone 16 packs ‘30% better’ gaming performance
Apple claims new A18 chip runs 30% faster and with 30% less power than last-gen
Real Revenue
Roblox developers to earn real currency on PC later this year
Developers will be able to earn real currency directly rather than save and convert Robux
Ambition Ahead
Roblox is on a mission towards one billion DAUs and "10% of all gaming revenue"
a party system plan has been revealed in an effort to drive player communication
Partnership Extension
Enthusiast Gaming extends NFL Tuesday Night Gaming partnership for third season
“The sports and gaming communities have become even more interconnected,” said chairman and interim CEO of Enthusiast Gaming Adrian Montgomery
Hot Five
Hot Five: Final Fantasy falls, Unity shares down to decade low, but Coin Master hits the jackpot
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Ai-powered Games
Jabali launches AI game engine Project Makina in closed Beta
Project Makina is a generative AI tool suite designed to simplify the creation and publishing of games
Leading Into 2025
Save the date: Pocket Gamer Connects London is back on January 20th to 21st 2025
As we return to Pocket Gamer Connects London 2025, after two decades, we're gearing up to make it more exciting than ever
Closure Imminent
Dutch Game Garden is closing after 17 years
"In the coming months, several regular activities, such as the successful Network Lunches, will continue as planned," said managing director JP van Seventer
Devs Fight Back
Mobile gaming’s secret and not so-secret new blockbusters
It's a tough market, but a number of mobile games, new and old, are making waves
Week That Was
Minecraft makes it to the movies and Microsoft strikes at Apple | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Fueling Expansion
In-game audio advertising platform Odeeo secures $5 million funding round for global expansion
The new funds will aid with expansion in key markets such as North America, Asia and the MENA region
Games Industry Service
Hub and Spoke Games launches to offer specialist games business development services
The new agency has been founded by industry veteran Chris Buckley and offers a range of services
New Game Launch
Card roguelike Balatro is coming to iOS and Android this month
For iOS users Balatro will be included as part of the Apple Arcade subscription
Tag Team
Brawl Stars teams up with WWE star John Cena to kick off its SpongeBob SquarePants collaboration
The collaboration sets in motion the celebration of SpongeBob SquarePants 25th anniversary with an in-game takeover of the hit Supercell game
New Trailer
FAU-G Domination pre-registrations go live on Android
The Dot9 Games developed title aims to meet the demand of Indian gamers who desire locally relevant content
Mena Region
Saudi Arabia's PIF to transfer gaming Stocks to Savvy Games Group
The PIF will remain a collaborative partner once the transfer is completed
Going Mobile
Behind the scenes: Bringing one of Africa’s oldest board games to life on mobile
MENA industry insider Stephen Sandmann discusses the development of Mancala Adventures with the Carry1st team
New Partnerships
AppsFlyer partners with Unity to launch privacy Sandbox on Android Solution for marketers
The platform introduces tools that enable personalised advertising without relying on user or device IDs
Industry Spotlight
Developer Stories: Trailmix’s Philippa Layburn on her career in games and playing a part in powering Love & Pies’ success
In our developer stories series, we highlight the talented team members currently working in the games industry
Podcast
TapNation’s tips for 1bn downloads in under five years with CMO, Vincent Février | Podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode…
New Partnerships
Nazara partners with government of Telangana to launch AI center of excellence
The AI Center will focus on games and digital entertainment to position the company as a leader in the AI-driven space
Tech Giants Feud
Microsoft claims App Store’s 30% fee “makes it impossible” to monetise its cloud gaming service
"The 30% fee imposed by Apple on IAPs is the result of a lack of competition in the distribution of native iOS apps"