Ubisoft's Creative House restructure, RuneScape's big milestone and industry optimism at PGC London | Week in Views
The games industry moves quickly and while stories may come and go there are some that we just can't let go of…
So, to give those particularly thorny topics a further going over we've created a weekly digest where the members of the PocketGamer.biz team share their thoughts and go that little bit deeper on some of the more interesting things that have happened in mobile gaming in the past week.
Craig Chapple
Ubisoft moves mobile studios and IP into new Creative House under wide-ranging restructure
Ubisoft has finally given some details about its restructuring efforts that puts the various parts of its business into new ‘Creative Houses’.
The idea, the company said, is that each Creative House is organised around distinct creative genres and each division will be granted full creative, brand and financial ownership. The move sees the publishers mobile studios like Kolibri and Ketchapp, as well as its mobile IPs, collated into Creative House 5.
Notably, only one of these divisions actually has a name - Vantage Studios. That Creative House, which is the result of a €1.16 billion investment from Tencent, is actually its own subsidiary which gives a royalty back to Ubisoft. Vantage holds Ubisoft’s most treasured and lucrative IPs: Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six.
It’s tough to see how Ubisoft’s focus can really be anywhere but in its core franchises. The pressure is on to find substantial success from these titles. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said himself that further layoffs are expected as part of plans to “refocus our portfolio” and accelerate cost reduction initiatives to “rightsize the organisation”.
“We will also selectively close several studios and continue restructurings throughout the Group,” he said.
Ubisoft already closed Hungry Shark developer Future Games of London and recently shut down its Halifax studio, which worked on mobile. If the company is focusing its efforts on its core, triple-A IP, will there be room left for its mobile endeavours?
Paige Cook
RuneScape surpasses $3bn in lifetime revenue as Jagex marks 25th anniversary
Seeing RuneScape pass such a huge milestone and approach its 25th anniversary really puts its longevity into perspective for me. Not many games start how this one did and are still going today.
When I was in school, RuneScape didn't have a mobile version and was still played in the browser. It was so popular among my year group that many of us would sneak into the school IT rooms and play it when we could.
RuneScape feels like one of those games that landed at the right time and captured the right audience. I know people who never stopped playing it and have remained very loyal, and then others have joined along the way as the game evolved and new versions increased accessibility.
Building and maintaining a game over so many years is no easy feat, but RuneScape has shown it can continue to do so and keeps adapting to the ever-changing market. Jagex just released a roadmap for 2026, so here's to a good year for the games' 25th anniversary.
Aaron Astle
This week I’ve been firmly fixed on Pocket Gamer Connects London over the news cycle - but then again, I wouldn’t disagree if you argued PGC is this week’s news.
I spent the days darting from talk to talk, taking notes on panels and even getting on stage myself, with plenty of articles soon to follow. Overall the atmosphere was much more positive this year. There was no ‘survive to 2027’ or similar slogan, just people excited about the games, brands, or strategies they’re working on.
And, of course, the stage was full of people with good things to say about DTC, growth opportunities, and the talent in the UK games industry. Even UK minister Chris Bryant made an appearance.
Other interesting talks ranged from Snapchat’s advertising strategy, to AI, to overly homogenous leadership, and Unity’s support for studios expanding into China.
For my full thoughts on the event and its trends, make sure to listen to the Week in Mobile Games podcast!
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