Payment Problem
Arknights: Endfield players hit with extra PayPal charges at launch
Some players who made PayPal purchases were erroneously overcharged on launch day
Pgc London
PGC London's industry health check: Investment, AI, D2C, and advantages of the UK
PGC London pannelists discussed a range of topics checking in on the post-pandemic landscape
Portfolio Strategy
Inside SciPlay's long-term approach to live games and growth
SciPlay CEO Josh Wilson reflects on 2025 and what priorities are shaping the year ahead
Layoffs Imminent
Ubisoft proposes up to 200 job cuts at Paris headquarters
The company plans to use a voluntary collective termination process
Acqusitions
Mistplay to acquire Mobivity’s Connected Rewards platform
The deal is expected to close in early Q1 2026, pending standard regulatory and closing conditions
Speaker Opportunities
Inspire and help define the games industry agenda at Pocket Gamer Connects
Speaker applications to San Francisco, Dubai, and Malmö now open
Milestone
Roblox reports record 12.8m concurrent users for Bruno Mars virtual concert
Players collected more than 5.4m limited-edition “Brunito Marsito” brainrot collectables during the activation
Pgc Summit San Francisco
What to expect as Pocket Gamer Connects lands in San Francisco
Why Pocket Gamer Connects Summit San Francisco is the mobile industry’s must-attend event this March
New Partnerships
Savvy Games Group and NEOM sign MoU to fast-track Saudi gaming startups
The deal connects Savvy’s Nine66 Incubator directly to NEOM’s Level Up Accelerator, creating a clearer growth pathway for startups
Share Slump
Ubisoft shares fall almost 40% in five days as restructure plans unveiled
Shares have fallen from €6.63 on January 21st to €4.03 on January 26th
Pgc Summit San Francisco
Why the games industry needs a dedicated mobile-first event in 2026
PG Connects Summit San Francisco brings together industry professionals for business-driven networking on March 9th
D2c Moment
Inside mobile's DTC moment: Control, margins, and the user relationship
Digital Turbine EVP of global strategy and partnerships Matt Tubergen discusses a new era of direct-to-consumer that spans distribution, monetisation and marketing
Cloud Gaming
Netflix unveils new cloud-first direction for its games strategy
Netflix plans to expand cloud-based games on TV as it moves beyond mobile
Hot Five
Hot Five: PGC London talks, MoneyTime’s $3m seed round, and mobile’s $167bn year in IAP revenue
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Mentorship
Supercell opens applications for AI Innovation Lab programme
The nine-week programme is designed for top-tier AI and games founders turning early ideas into breakthrough products
Ai Workshop
Sign up for AI Basics: Thrills or Chills? free workshop with Martin Percy
Continue the conversation: free workshop with the award-winning director
Week In Views
Ubisoft's Creative House restructure, RuneScape's big milestone and industry optimism at PGC London | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
New Games
New release roundup: Crossplay, Dragon Traveler, Arknights: Endfield, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
New Partnerships
Court reveals secret $800m deal between Google and Epic Games amid antitrust case
The deal was revealed during a court hearing in San Francisco, with a judge questioning its impact on Epic’s legal demands
Company Restructure
Ubisoft moves mobile studios and IP into new Creative House under wide-ranging restructure
The reset is built around a new operating model, a refocused content roadmap and accelerated cost-reduction measures
Pgc London
Around 60% of Snapchat ads are for games
Snapchat’s Sara Antonelli spoke at PGC London about "impressive" Playables results
Investment News
ZBD lands $40m Series C financing to accelerate growth in games and app payments
The funding will support the company's expansion as a licensed, vertically integrated payments provider built for games
Charity Campaign
Aviagames raises over $136,000 through Wonderland Wishes charity campaign
Funds raised will support toys, care kits, bicycles and educational resources for children in foster care
Pgc Summit San Francisco
Stay ahead of the curve at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit San Francisco on March 9th
A high-impact summit connecting you with the right contacts to drive partnerships and momentum at the start of a crucial industry week
Funding For Games
Anka Ventures launches early-stage VC fund targeting mobile games and apps
The fund was established by VLMedia to help founders scale internationally through network access and follow-on funding
Funding News
UK government opens bids for £27m creative industries cluster funding
The move forms part of the next phase of the creative industries sector plan under the Industrial Strategy
Expansions
Outfit7 launches PlayValley to expand into PC and mobile game development
The new studio is developing original new IPs aimed at expanding Outfit7’s portfolio beyond its existing franchises
Accelerator Program
Ukie and Tencent expand Games Growth Programme with 30 UK studios in new cohort
The programme combines an Accelerator track for emerging studios with a Scale-up track for high-growth companies
Developer Support
Arcade launches data-first publishing model for casual and hybrid-casual studios
The publisher’s model centres on analytics-driven decision-making and hands-on product execution
Market Report
Global mobile in-app purchase revenue hit $167bn in 2025
Over 280,000 apps were downloaded per minute, reaching 149 billion downloads in 2025 according to a new report from Sensor Tower
Live Ops
Live ops in 2026: What 2025 revealed and how studios should prepare
Balancy's leaders speak on the evolution of live ops and what comes next for studios
Aurora Award
Aurora celebrates women in the UK games industry
Ten women recognised for leadership, creativity, sustainability and long-term industry impact live at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026
Esports World Cup
Esports World Cup 2026 to feature a $75m total prize pool
The winning Club will earn $7m as part of the expanded Club Championship payouts
Pgc Summit San Francisco
Save up to $300 on PGC Summit San Francisco
Super Early Bird prices end at midnight Thursday, January 22nd
New Partnerships
Coda partners with Unity to integrate in-app purchasing into web store platforms
Developers can manage digital catalogues across mobile, web, and PC through Unity’s existing IAP workflow
Milestone
RuneScape surpasses $3bn in lifetime revenue as Jagex marks 25th anniversary
The RS25 programme is positioned as the most ambitious evolution in RuneScape’s history
Talent Development
Belfast XR Festival launches £200,000 immersive development programme
Teams will receive stipends, mentoring, masterclasses, and hands-on prototyping support
Growth Strategies
How developers can build games for the long haul and why not every project is cut out for it
Sergey Martinkevich talks on long-term growth in a mobile market dominated by legacy hits
Vision 2030
Scotland targets £1bn games sector by 2030 with new national action plan
The plan reframes games as a driver of economic growth, skills development and cross-sector innovation
Regulations
Italy watchdog opens probes into Activision Blizzard over mobile game monetisation
Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile are under scrutiny for allegedly misleading free-to-play practices
Funding News
Turborilla secures $5m non-dilutive user acquisition funding to accelerate growth
The studio reported its strongest financial performance in more than three years in December
Pgc London
Thanks to the sponsors of Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026
The fantastic companies that make this week's two-day event possible
New Offerings
Orbital expands to PC after surpassing 200,000 downloads on mobile
The mobile title recorded more than 180,000 hours of player engagement since its 2022 launch
Industry Insights
When should a mobile games studio hire a CFO?
Martin Macmillan explores why finance leadership in mobile games is driven by complexity not just revenue
Week In Views
Legal pressure in the Warner Bros. deal and Umamusume expands to US cinemas | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Strategic Move
Spry Fox founders take substantial pay cuts following Netflix buyback
The founders reduced their salaries to $20,000 per year during the "extremely fast" sale
New Games
New release roundup: A Webbing Journey, MU: Dark Awakening, Motto Immortal, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
Milestone
Game District surpasses 2.2 billion downloads in 2025
The mobile developer reached a peak of 22m daily active users last year
Next Steps
Krafton enters execution phase of long-term franchise IP strategy
The publisher plans to increase first-party investment while expanding its publishing output and tightening resource allocation
Subway Surfers City
Subway Surfers City opens pre-registrations ahead of February launch
The "next chapter" for the Subway Surfers IP will release on February 26th, 2026