M&a Advice
Acquiring and selling games: Trends and strategies in 2024
ZiMAD’s M&A manager Yana Vesnina shares on M&A strategies that have shaped 2024
Revamped Return
Rainbow Six Mobile returns with Season Ice Storm ending a near eight-month hiatus
Ubisoft’s latest mobile adaptation is now in Phase 1 of its roadmap to full release
Investment News
Nazara continues M&A push with Funky Monkeys and LearnTube investments
The firm has also pumped $17.74m into subsidiaries to boost ownership
Difference Of Direction
MY.GAMES sells hybridcasual publisher Mamboo to better focus on midcore
The decision comes despite Mamboo’s "stable year-over-year growth in revenue and EBITDA"
New Game
SuperPlay secures licence to launch Disney Solitaire
The game is currently soft launched in Columbia and the Philippines
Spending Success
Dungeon & Fighter: Mobile smashes $1bn in six months in China
Nexon’s beat 'em up has hit the mighty $1 billion mark solely in iOS player spending in China
Expansion
Apple set to open new Dublin office
Apple plans to take up roughly 60,000 square feet at its new space in the city centre
Job Losses
Report: Lilith Games cuts 40 staff as Project Party undergoes changes
Title has not been cancelled, according to reports
Seven Billion Downloads
CrazyLabs celebrates seven billion downloads
CrazyLabs has hit a historic moment in mobile games, with the hypercasual pioneer hitting a huge seven billion downloads
Special Offer
Cyber Monday offer - double discount on Pocket Gamer Connects London 2025
Take advantage of huge savings for our upcoming event with this exclusive Cyber Monday deal
Spending Sensation
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket skyrockets to $200m in first month
The collectible card game is already the third most successful Pokémon title on mobile
Marvellous Mena
"Cultural authenticity is at the core of our design process"
Chroma Pixel CEO and founder Edwin Kapesa discusses the company’s shift away from traditional storefronts and game-based learning programmes
Acqusitions
Tencent acquires majority stake in Wuthering Waves developer Kuro Games
Studio claims it will remain independent following the deal
Hot Five
Hot Five: Balatro's player spending surge, Supercell’s cultural shift, and Reverse: 1999’s "creative freedom"
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 38
Xbox and Adjust mishandle their PR and Supercell's culture revolution | 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 38...
Week That Was
Adjust's PR vacuum, Balatro's premium success, and a $100m anime hit | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Acqusitions
Nazara subsidiary Nodwin Gaming acquires Trinity Gaming for $2.8 million
Games and esports firm plans to strengthen Trinity’s portfolio in emerging markets like Southeast Asia, Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East
Gaming Trends
India's competition watchdog launches probe into Google's real-money gaming policies
The investigation is expected to conclude in next two months
Regulations
Vietnam issues Decree 147/2024 to regulate online games and internet services
The decree enforces stricter regulations on unlicensed games and gambling apps
What Is Happening?
What is Microsoft doing on mobile?
Xbox's messy mobile plans stumble again
New Games
New release roundup: After Inc, King Arthur: Legends Rise, Mister Antonio, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
Public Spat
Singular CEO launches tirade against rival Adjust following layoffs
Eliashiv attacks rival follow new Adjust CEO's claims the MMP industry has "stagnated in recent years"
Top 30
Nominations open for the first Top 30 UK Game Makers 2025
Let us know who you think should be included and why
Seasonal Surge
Monster Hunter Now surpasses $250m in time for Season 4 monsters and a new AR feature
The addition of customisable Palicos promises new opportunities to "get creative with AR"
A New Record
Pokémon Company breaks Guinness World Record in 24-hour unboxing marathon
The company said 20,000 cards from the publicity stunt will be donated to charities around Europe
An Unreal Recognition
Epic Games recognises Expa and Digi & Game Center as Finland's first Unreal Training hubs
Groups aim to make Unreal Engine education accessible to a global audience
Accelerator Program
Bahrain's Riyada Business Accelerator Program is now accepting applications for tech start-ups
The program is offering entrepreneurs six months of guidance and support with funding opportunities
Very Big Indie Pitch
The Big Indie Interviews: Danar Dev on the award-winning resource management game Cat's Vote
The Very Big Indie Pitch winner talks up the charming resource management game and plans to bring it to mobile
Still Waiting
Microsoft delays Xbox Android store after US court temporarily pauses Google Play remedies
Tech giant claims mobile store is "ready to go"
Investment News
Nazara nets $100m to accelerate strategic acquisitions and expansion plans
“We have our work cut out in front of us to deploy the capital diligently to create significant shareholder values,” said CEO Nitish Mittersain
Funding News
Codecks secures €1 million to drive growth and expand project management tool
The funds will help the firm expand its features and enhance accessibility for teams of all sizes
Industry Insights
Lessons from scaling AppQuantum: Learning from mistakes, maintaining focus, and team motivation
AppQuantum founder Evgeny Maurus provides deep insights into the company's journey and the lessons learned along the way
Robux Ready
Tim Sweeney praises Roblox "fighting the Apple tax" as it gives up to 25% more Robux for web purchases
The biggest deal nets 1,500 extra Robux for purchasing on Roblox’s website
Barcelona Battle
Unions reportedly file lawsuit against Ubisoft’s return-to-office mandate, backing Barcelona studios
The unions are working in association with Spanish trade body Confederación General del Trabajo
Ramping Up Revenue
"Unconventional characters" and "respect for creative freedom" drive Reverse: 1999’s $100m success
We sit down with Bluepoch’s development team on building a successful gacha with a brand-new IP
New Studio
Monopoly Go developer Scopely opens new studio in Saudi Arabia
The new division, called Mirai, is led by industry veteran Charity Joy
Jobs In Games
Jobs in Games: Belka Games lead game designer Kate Shtirts on making it in the games industry
Shtirts offers advice on getting a job in game design and working as part of a team
Investigation
CMA Investigates Apple and Google’s dominance in UK mobile market
The CMA expects to make a final decision in March 2025
Milestone
Matchingham Games celebrates reaching 750 million downloads worldwide
“A huge thank you to everyone who’s been part of this journey.”
Investment News
Stillfront secures $78 million in successful bond issuance
The new bond framework positions Stillfront for future growth
Premium Power
Balatro nears $4.4m on mobile amid a sudden spending surge
LocalThunk’s premium game had been on the decline throughout October
New Offerings
Sony is developing a handheld console to run PlayStation 5 games
The company could be eyeing a return to portable gaming after discontinuing the PS Vita and PSP
Rewarded Ua
The rise of rewarded user acquisition platforms
Almedia CEO and founder Moritz Holländer delves into one of the industry's hottest trends in 2024
Podcast | Episode 37
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket's blockbuster launch and Royal Kingdom hype | 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 37...
Earnings Report
Flexion profit rises by 54% to £3.9m as it rides direct-to-consumer wave
The company is working on a new service set to launch in 2025 that will feature an SDK for non-Google/Apple distribution
Resource Ready
LEGO and UNICEF release eight key frameworks to promote child wellbeing in games
The pair’s Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children Design Toolbox includes resources and practical tools to promote children’s wellbeing
Cloud Gaming
Samsung releases mobile cloud gaming platform for Galaxy devices in North America
The platform lets users play Android-native games without a download
Funding News
Appcharge lands $26 million to boost direct-to-consumer platform for mobile games
Backers include Supercell, Creandum, Play Ventures and Gillot Capital
New Offerings
My.Games launches MGVC Publishing with $100m marketing budget to scale mobile games
The new division is on the hunt for games in soft launch and released titles ready to scale
Royal Revenue
Royal Kingdom records $450k in first four days to beat Royal Match’s debut
The UK remains on top for player spending after a head start through soft launch