Job Cuts
Playtika eliminates CRO and COO positions in new job cuts
CEO Robert Antokol will now oversee all former COO and CRO direct reports
Resignation
Marc Whitten is out at Unity
His resignation is on the table and he'll be paid off at the end of the year with, as yet, no plans for his replacement
Layoffs
Square Enix braces for layoffs in US and Europe
IT, publishing and Square Enix Collective teams set to be hit by redundancies
Job Losses
Australian dev Mighty Kingdom layoffs of 28% of staff
Studio expects annualised cost savings of $2.1 million
Ad Strategy
Why diversified revenue streams are the key to maximising monetisation
As the monetisation landscape shifts, mixing up your ad strategies can ensure that no money gets left on the table
Adaptations
Free Fire Japanese anime spin-off on the way from Garena
The Garena anime will air in Japan and will also be distributed globally
Web3 Wonders
"Web3’s promise of decentralisation offers a fresh perspective on how games can be developed, played, and valued"
READYgg’s Christina Macedo tells us about creating new standards in the gaming industry through the evolution of web3
Acqusitions
Trophy Games snaps up 20 titles from Tivola Games in acquisition deal
With 20 new games in its locker, the company are moving beyond their portfolio of real-world sims and interests
Ads Growth
AppLovin revenue surges 48% Y/Y to $1bn in Q1 as it eyes non-gaming growth
“There is nothing that limits our models to just gaming,” says CEO Adam Foroughi
Hot Five
Hot Five: Dubai's new Gaming Visa, April's mobile game charts, and Xbox studio closures
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 11
Xbox in turmoil, Krafton champions AI development, and Apple's iPad challenge | 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 11…
Unity Financials
Unity says restructure that saw mass layoffs is now complete as it posts Q1 2024 revenue decline
Outgoing CEO Jim Whitehurst claims there is now more positivity around the controversial runtime fee
Week That Was
Week in Views - Xbox's mobile games store is doomed to fail, Sonic meets the Angry Birds, and Apple's iPad problem
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
New Partnerships
Netflix brings new "digital theme park" Nextworld to Roblox
The early access launch of Nexworld is available now on console, mobile and PC/Mac.
Funding News
Yellow raises $5 million to fuel AI-powered 3D modeling tool
The start-up believes YellowSculpt “is a testament to what modern AI can achieve"
Xbox Mobile
Xbox mobile games store launches on web in July
New marketplace to launch with Microsoft's own-IP first, including Candy Crush Saga and Minecraft
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from a round of roguelikes to a Sonic surprise
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Ios Upgrades
Apple's iPad problem isn't new hardware - it's new software
This week we got a new iPad with a new M4 processor… And it's precisely what nobody wanted. But a solution could be coming soon…
Blast From The Past
Subway Surfers Classic update set to take players back to the game's origins
The new update will bring new playable characters to the game as paying homage to its dedicated community
Dma Survey
A third of developers implementing new payment options in face of Digital Markets Act’s $18 billion opportunity
Aghanim co-CEO Constantin Andry discusses the results of a new survey into DMA awareness, and how it can significantly boost revenue and end layoffs
Loads Of Layoffs
More Xbox cutbacks hit ZeniMax with only Microsoft’s mobile ventures now unscathed
Microsoft’s Alpha Dog, Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and ZeniMax have all been impacted this week
Battle Royale
Creating the next Battle Royale hit with NetEase’s Blood Strike
We speak with the game's lead game designer and operation planning executive to discuss the development of Blood Strike and what comes next
Super Sonic
"Rovio x Sega" is real as Sonic Rumble enters closed beta May 24th
The first title from Sega and Rovio is appropriately on mobile and the latest in the on-going Sonic series
Sporting Score
Q4 FY24 was EA’s strongest for mobile, but it still only earned them $307 million
EA released 11 titles and over 600 content updates in its 2024 fiscal year but their big bucks are being made outside of mobile
Artificial Artistry
Krafton teases AI-developed games as "limited" voice actors, writers, and level designers get the boot
At least four new AI-derived games are on the way as Krafton seeks greater affordability and efficiency
Tiktok Troubles
TikTok files appeal over "unconstitutional" US divest-or-ban law
TikTok claims it cannot separate from ByteDance and any concerns could be addressed less restrictively
Ad Incentive
AdInMo: "Developers must diversify monetisation to survive"
CEO Kristan Rivers shares all on the company's latest SDK
Brand Boost
New Angry Birds animated series arrives on Amazon Prime on May 21st
Angry Birds Mystery Island is the latest piece in Rovio's soaring multimedia strategy
Nintendo's Next
Nintendo releases first official statement on "the successor to Nintendo Switch"
The next console has finally been acknowledged, but details aren’t coming until later this fiscal year
Job Losses
Microsoft closes Mighty Doom dev Alpha Dog, Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks and more
Bethesda the latest in the firing line following 1,900+ layoffs at Activision and Xbox earlier this year
Nintendo Numbers
Nintendo made $10.8 billion in FY24 with mobile and IP income up 81.6%
It’s been another successful year for Nintendo, but mobile victories are harder to find
Vibrant Victory
Goddess of Victory: Nikke reaches $750 million in 1.5 years
Shift Up is celebrating Goddess of Victory: Nikke’s latest milestone with new characters and free gacha pulls
Gaming Trends
Brazil passes new bill to bolster its video games industry
The new legal framework updates the definition of electronic games to include formats such as mobile apps, web pages, and VR
Hot Five
Hot Five: Supercell’s Squad Busters supremacy, Brawl Stars bounces back, and a games industry journey at King
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Top Charts
April 2024 mobile game charts: Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile loses launch momentum and Brawl Stars’ astronomical rise
Our monthly look at the global mobile game rankings across the App Store and Google Play
Esports Summit
The Esports Future Summit: 7 things we learned
Jordan’s five-year plan: lessons from industry experts at last week’s conference in Aqaba
Podcast | Episode 10
Brawl Stars smashes 2023 revenue, Square Enix’s extraordinary losses, and Haaland signs for Clash of Clans | 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 10…
Week That Was
Week in Views - Apple back themselves bigstyle, Clash bags Haaland and dreams come true at King
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Emulation Sensation
Apple and Nintendo's Delta blues: A legal timebomb or just the new normal?
Changes to EU law have placed an app able to grant free access to Nintendo games at number one on Apple's own store. So what the 'hack' is going on?
Soft Launch Success
Squad Busters has 20 million pre registrations with 30 million in its sights
Supercell's on-going countdown to the games global release just celebrated its first major landmark
Esports In Africa
Carry1st's African Cup to feature Call of Duty: Mobile tournament with $15,000 prize pool
The competition will feature esports teams from Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa
Merging And Moving
Q1 2024 saw $2.4 billion in games industry investments, while M&As are up for the first time since 2022
Disney’s investment in Epic Games is responsible for $1.5 billion of that $2.4 billion total
Studio Closure
Paladin Studios closes its doors after 19 years
Over the years, co-developer Paladin has collaborated with giants such as Nintendo, Apple Arcade, Netflix, Zeptolab, and Bandai Namco
Earnings Report
Apple's AI plans trigger $110 billion stock buyback despite declining sales
While the company's latest results show a 10% decline in iPhone sales worldwide, Apple are bullish on what's coming next
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from the morality of AI to Dadish’s 3D journey
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Podcast
Sandsoft’s Miikka Lindgren on the opportunities within the MENA market | 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…
Starting Strong
China’s game licence approvals are falling again, but don’t panic…
While month on month numbers are down, April 2024 saw 95 new domestic game licence approvals, more than the 86 granted in April 2023
Squad Busters Science
Game Analysis: The evolution of Squad Busters
Game design expert Jakub Remiar takes a closer look at the tweaks Squad Busters has undertaken as it preps for its global launch
Job News
Ex-Zynga COO Matthew Bromberg is Unity's new CEO
Games veteran Bromberg will step into the role of CEO at Unity from Wednesday, May 15th 2024
Adding Ads
Roblox launches video ads, partnering with IAS to deliver transparent metrics
Advertisers can now use immersive video to promote to anyone over 13 in Roblox, with clear indicators from IAS coming soon