Hot Five
Hot Five: Squad Busters launches globally, AFK Journey gets innovative, and Juicy Button Games has big plans for 4X strategy genre
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 14
Supercell's Squad Busters goes global and why Steam does discoverability better than mobile | 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 and what's inside this week's episode 14...
Week That Was
Week in Views - Squad Busters goes global, broken app stores, and Hill Climb Racing gets the LEGO treatment
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
New Markets
Azur Games moves into real money gaming with new iGaming spin-off
The new brand will be a separate division focusing on the development and publication of real money and skill-based games
Crossover
Stumble Guys welcomes Looney Tunes characters in latest high-profile crossover
Two entertainment behemoths collide as Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, Daffy Duck and more become part of the Stumbleverse
New Partnership
Kinetix and Krafton partner to empower gamers with generative AI technology
Kinetix CEO Yassine Tahi says the deal produces "more than just an innovative feature. It’s a transformative approach to gaming."
Nomination Knowhow
Your guide to the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2024
How you can help celebrate the best of the global mobile games industry
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from Supercell’s Squad Busters to Hill Climb’s Lego evolution
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Place Search Ad Here
Mobile's broken app store discoverability
How Steam, Google Play and Apple's App Store compare and how platform holders prioritise ads over useful recommendations for users
Rpg Reversal
Reverse: 1999 celebrates one year in China with $74 million and "semi-anniversary" in the West
Bluepoch’s launch title is celebrating its "semi-anniversary" with Version 1.6 and up to 90 free summons
Jobs In Games
Devin Radford joins Homa as new VP of business development
In his new role, Radford will enhance Homa’s game developer ecosystem with his extensive expertise
Launching With Lego
Lego Hill Climb Adventures launches today, jumping 3D hurdles in Lego worlds
Fingersoft and The Lego Group partner to release the latest installment in the popular Hill Climb Racing series
Growth Strategy
Game analysis: How Brawl Stars achieved its incredible comeback
Claire Rozain of RZAIN Consulting explains how Supercell’s Brawl Stars turnaround is the perfect case study for a data-driven growth strategy
Funding News
GEM Capital commits $5 million investment to Weappy, VEA Games, and Game Garden
All three game development studios are based in Cyprus
Sprouting Seeds
Juicy Button Games raises $3 million in seed round led by The Games Fund
Total Battle, Pixel Gun 3D and Mighty Party creators co-found new studio developing a 4X strategy game
Platform Playables
YouTube Playables are out now with over 75 games available
YouTube has released a large collection of casual games within its video platform, Angry Birds Showdown and Cut the Rope included
Profit Power
Ten Square Games' Q1 profits beat the whole of 2023 as it powers up with AI
Its TSG Store is proving to be a financial winner even through its top games slump
Mobile Mavens
Mobile Mavens: The industry has its say on Squad Busters ability to draw in “untapped audiences” with its “influence from a range of genres”
With Squad Busters set for a global release at the end of the month we asked the industry what it thinks of the Supercell's soft-launched sixth game
Hyper-casual Growth
Hyper casual games lead ad media buys at 34% share, with US at the forefront of ad spend
Mintegral's latest casual gaming report reveals that video ads lead the casual market with 70% market share
Super Squad
Squad Busters is out now! Supercell finally launches a new game
Squad Busters marks Supercell’s first game in over five years to reach global release
Missing Millions
Supercell's big Squad Busters mistake and how they're missing out on millions
Božo Janković explains how Squad Busters lack of ads could add up to a mountain of lost revenue
Mobile Mavens
Mobile Mavens: The industry wades in on Squad Busters from its “transformative impact” to being “corporate box ticking”
We asked the industry what it thinks of the sixth Supercell game to get a global launch
Podcast
ustwo games’ María Sayans on the sustainable strategy behind Monument Valley | 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…
Super Squad
Squad Busters releases globally tomorrow… But is it REALLY the next big thing?
Supercell’s sixth mobile game is almost here but as it gears for launch, how's the future hit performing?
Release Date Revealed
Zenless Zone Zero July 4th release date confirmed as pre-registrations surpass Honkai: Star Rail’s
When HoYoverse has a new game, everyone takes notice, and a July 4th release date for its latest RPG is sooner than we thought
New Partnerships
Odeeo and Evolution Media Group team up to bring in-game audio ads across MENA
Games account for 50% of app downloads in MENA, which is 10% higher than the global average
Masterclass
PocketGamer.biz MasterClass 2024 survey - what do you want covered?
From liveops to monetisation - which subjects would you like covered - and in what format?
Next Level Marketing
Squad Busters ad calls in big-name talent for its global launch
The game's live-action ad features Chris Hemsworth, Christina Ricci and more as real-world depictions of their in-game heroes
Funding News
Anomaly's AI-powered gaming platform attracts $1.45 million in funding
The latest round of funding has amped up Anomaly's value to $11.4 million
Deconstruction
Game Analysis: The evolution of idle RPG systems
Jakub Remiar goes under the hood of Lilith Games AFK journey to share the improvements it makes in the idle RPG genre
Hot Five
Hot Five: Disney x Fortnite, Sega’s sonic speed, and a potential Keywords Studios buyout
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Milestone
Dream Games surpasses $3 billion in player spending
Nearly 100% of its revenue comes from tile-matching game Royal Match
Interview
“There has been an increase in funding opportunities for African developers with more exciting times to come"
Dash Studios CEO John Ikpeme on the future of the African gaming landscape, his current projects and the pursuit of funding in Africa
Game (still) On
Moonton not for sale as Bytedance stays in the game with new CEO
Rumours of Moonton being cut adrift following Bytedance's reversal out of the games biz seem to have been premature…
Market Insight
Case study: How Supercent’s games made it to the top in a stagnating hypercasual market
A closer look at Supercent’s games reveals some best practices to gain a competitive edge in today's challenging market
Podcast | Episode 13
ByteDance's $4bn Moonton plans, tips for working with the games media, and what devs think of Unity's runtime fee | 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 and what's inside this week's episode 13…
Week That Was
Week in Views - Bytedance's fancy footwork, Sega's soaring success and PlayStation's mobile mania
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Now Hear This
Google don't like Epic's proposals (and want everyone to know about it)
The next round of Epic Vs Google is in progress and Google want their side of the argument up front and out in advance
Format Failure
Fall Damage Studio declared bankrupt by parent company Fragbite Group
The Swedish studio was unable to pay debts and could not secure a publishing deal on their unreleased PC game
Lessons In Law
DMCA know-how: How to protect your rights and assets in 2024
Over 25 years after the introduction of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act it's still working to protect rights and ownership. Here's how to wield its power
New Partnerships
Saudi Arabia partners with Japan to create original anime and gaming content
The KSA aims to develop a local gaming industry that includes localizing Japanese games for the Saudi market
Earnings Report
Flexion reports strongest Q1 to date as revenue hits £18.3 million
The alternative storefronts company experienced a substantial 58% rise in total gross profit of £4 million
Mavens
Mobile Mavens: The Unity aftermath… Can it reignite the faith or are doubts only growing?
Our industry experts discuss the current industry sentiment toward Unity after last year's Runtime fee farrago
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from the potently papery to an RPG parody
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
People Power
Will your players earn you the Pocket Gamer People's Choice Award 2024?
Don't miss your chance to shine. Submissions close midnight on June 17th
Eager Experience
NetEase’s Once Human opens up mobile pre-registrations after 13 million on PC
Once Human will be a "seamless" cross-play experience on PC and mobile
Cloud Gaming Insights
Cloud gaming had just 6% of gamers in 2023 but will be worth $22 billion by 2030
Cloud gaming subs will grow from 184 million in 2023 to 687 million in 2030 according to a new report from GlobalData
Backend Burnout
Top mobile devs spend a "startling" $21 million on game backends
A Metaplay survey finds that deploying game developers to backend development leads to higher crunch rates and staff turnover
Super Sonic
Sega reaches financial targets one full year ahead of schedule in record fiscal year
Sega’s revenues and profits were the highest in 10 years in FY2023
Wanted: Help!
PlayStation's mobile aspirations are alive, well, and recruiting
A new job ad for a mobile platform architect not only reveals Sony's ambitious plans for mobile, but just how far they've got to catch up