Job News
Pocket Worlds recruits ex-TikTok leader as new head of trust and safety
Sean will enhance moderation policies and expand the team with specialised roles
Staff
Isa Muhammad
Job Title
MENA Reporter
About Isa Muhammad is the MENA Reporter at PocketGamer.biz, spearheading the team's Middle East & Africa games coverage. He's been in games media for over six years and is steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism. If he's not reading, playing games or catching up on his favorite TV shows, he's probably writing about them.
Articles by Isa Muhammad
New Offerings
Quicksave launches no-code solution to transform web design
QSApp aims to help businesses stand out by turning static websites into dynamic and engaging experiences
Investment News
WTFund and Nazara Technologies back Norian Games and Xigma Games with $240,000 investment
“This fund is a small step in supporting companies that have made a mark with their innovative games”
A New Focus
Hasbro aims to invest up to $150m a year in games
The company has already invested $1 billion to its gaming division
Cloud Gaming
MTN and Telecoming partnership brings cloud gaming to mobile in South Africa
Players in the region can now stream Steam titles directly to their smartphones
Funding News
KGeN secures $10 million for web3-powered ‘gamer controlled’ economies
The latest raise brings the company's valuation to $500 million
New Offerings
Minecraft set for real-world attractions with $110m Merlin Entertainments deal
The strategic partnership will see themed rides, attractions, hotel rooms and retail outlets from 2026 to 2027
Job News
Almedia goes on recruitment drive with 17 new hires
Hires form part of Almedia's growth plans across Europe and North America over the next year
Market Growth
Xsolla signs MoU to help transform Busan into a global game development hub
Xsolla plans to open an Asia-Pacific HQ to support game developers
Acqusitions
Game District acquires majority stake in Türkiye’s Gleam Games
Gleam Games CEO is now chief strategy officer at Game District
Winners Revealed
Winners revealed for the first-ever Playing for the Planet awards
Gameloft’s Dragon Mania Legends and Trailmix’s Love & Pies each won two awards
Industry Spotlight
Jobs in Games: Game Hub Senegal's Marie Pierre Thiam on how to get a career as a game designer
In this series, we highlight the talented team members working in the games industry and how they got their break
Layoff News
Job cuts at Kwalee following layoffs made earlier this year
Some of those impacted took to LinkedIn to share that they are now looking for new opportunities
Ai Safety
SAG-AFTRA's newest agreement secures protections for game voice over localisation
The union hopes it will create more job opportunities for actors involved in video game localisation
Investment News
Play Ventures secures $140 million to support early-stage game studios
Since closing the funds in June 2023, Play Ventures has already made eight investments
Developers Contest
Supersonic launches hybridcasual competition for mobile game developers
Developers can receive up to $10,000 per month based on KPI
Partnership
Xsolla and Com2uS forge strategic partnership to offer payment and backend services to developers
Both companies are looking to expand their collaboration with new directions for cooperation
Parental Control
New Roblox safety features give parents more control
Some updates are launching today, with all changes expected to be fully implemented next year
Funding For Games
Merak Capital launches $80 million fund to support MENA games start-ups
The accelerator consists of a brief virtual bootcamp, followed by a 14 to 16 week core program
Layoff News
AMD cuts 1,000 staff as it pivots to AI
“As a part of aligning our resources with our largest growth opportunities, we are taking a number of targeted steps"
Legal Proceedings
Apple sued for £3 billion over 'anti-competitive' iCloud concerns
The tech giant is accused of charging excessive fees and locking 40 million UK customers into its iCloud service
Jobs News
Ubisoft recruits new chief people officer
Sébastien Froidefond will lead the company's global people strategy
C-level Drama
Report: Disney eyes EA's Andrew Wilson as potential CEO
Wilson is one of three external candidates that are being considered for the job
Investment News
Funstop Games secures $5 million to accelerate game development and expand globally
The studio will use the funds to accelerate its development efforts and expand its portfolio
Investment News
Starform secures $6 million to bolster shooter game Metalstorm
The studio plans to use the new funds to expand its team and reach new players
Jobs In Games
Jobs in Games: Dash Studios' James Ohia on how to get a career as a chief technology officer
In this series, we highlight the talented team members working in the games industry and how they got their break
Mena Market
MENA start-up investments decline 52% to $134 million in October
UAE start-ups raised $61.8m across 15 deals, while Saudi Arabia-based start-ups secured $50m from over 21 deals
New Studio
Tencent’s Lightspeed Studios opens new Japan studio
Experienced game director Hideaki Itsuno will helm Lightspeed's Japan studio
Investment News
Animoca Brands raises $10m to expand metaverse platform Mocaverse
This latest round follows previous funding totalling $31.88 million
New Partnerships
Angry Birds team up with Talking Tom to battle in new crossover event
The collaboration will run from November 7th to November 28th 2024
Breaking Free
Amplitude Studios becomes independent of SEGA
“We part on good terms and wish our friends at SEGA the best for all their future projects."
Milestone
Ludus: Merge Arena hits over £2 million in monthly revenue and secures 3 million installs
The game's daily active users grew by 50% in October
Industry Outlook
India’s games industry is projected to reach $7.5 billion by 2028
India has 568 million gamers, 25% of whom are paying users, showing a 17% YoY increase
Creating Content
NetEase launches Eggy Party creator program with cash rewards for top map designers
Each time a new user downloads a map via the creator's code they receive incentives
Financial Outlook
Netmarble CEO cites slowed growth in Q3 2024 as revenue hits $478.6 million
The company plans to launch nine new games next year for mobile and PC
New Offerings
Nintendo confirms Switch 2 backward-compatibility with original Switch games
The Japanese firm has now sold 146 million Switch units till date
Earnings Report
AppLovin's Q3 revenue hits $1.2 billion marking 39% year-over-year growth
Software platform revenue rose to $835 million a 66% increase year-over-year
Game Design
Ludo.ai evolves into complete game design hub with major update
Ludo says the new update supports “every stage of game design."
Job News
Unity appoints Jarrod Yahes as its new CFO
Jarrod joined Unity from Shutterstock where he served as CFO for five years
Earnings Report
Playtika reports Q3 revenue of $620 million as DTC platforms drive 8.3% growth
Revenue from the top three games grew 1.1% but decreased 0.8% year-over-year
Mystery To Solve
Clash of Clans launches true crime podcast to solve Hammer Jam heist
Fans are encouraged to follow the investigation and share their theories when new episodes drop
New Partnerships
ByteBrew teams up with Google Cloud to support developer community with analytics suite
Google wants to "push the boundaries of what's possible in game development."
Games Industry Survey
21% of game developers in Europe hit by layoffs with 54% now utilising AI in daily work
New employment survey shows that 39% of developers work on pet projects, but 10% have left game development for other industries
New Game
Garena and Tencent team up to publish tactical FPS Delta Force in MENA, Southeast Asia and South America
The game will feature cross-progression for PC and mobile when it launches next year
Esports In Mena
British International School Riyadh partners with NES to propel esports education in Saudi Arabia
The partnership is in line with the KSA's Vision 2030 initiative
Jobs In Games
Jobs in Games: Steer Studios' Jamil Dar on how to get a career as a lead artist
In this series, we highlight the talented team members working in the games industry and how they got their break
Acqusition Rumours
Take-Two in talks to sell adtech division Chartboost
AppLovin and LoopMe are potential buyers
Esports In Mena
YaLLa Esports invests $12.5 million to accelerate growth in the MENA region over the next two years
YaLLa Esports will host five major esports tournaments in Qatar and UAE by 2026
Marvellous Mena
"Africa needs an educated society, and EdTech is a vital tool for achieving that"
Enechawet Games’ CEO and co-founder Abiy Hailu talks opportunities in EdTech, leveraging emerging technologies in game development and publishing challenges
New Offerings
Kakao Games partners with Lionheart Studio for triple-A MMORPG game codenamed Project Q
The upcoming game will launch for PC and mobile next year