Candy Crush Maker King on AI Use, Layoffs, Workplace Culture – and the Competition
King’s live‑operations VP Eva Ryott explained how AI assists level design for Candy Crush Saga, automating testing of its 21,000 levels while keeping designers in the loop. She clarified that AI is a support tool, not a replacement, even after the company’s recent reduction of roughly 200 staff. Ryott also defended King’s workplace culture amid past toxicity allegations and noted the rising competition from titles like Royal Match and Gossip Harbor, prompting new features such as a two‑by‑two matching mechanic. The interview underscores King’s strategy to blend human creativity with technology to stay competitive.
Is SchoolGirl House the Next Game From Royal Match Maker Dream Games? (Probably Not)
Dream Games, the creator of the hit match‑3 title Royal Match, now has an unexpected early‑access listing on Google Play for a game called SchoolGirl House: Runaway Game. The app is riddled with ads, rough graphics and AI‑generated screenshots, suggesting...
Destiny: Rising Is Fighting Back with Its Latest Update
Destiny: Rising, NetEase's mobile spin‑off of the Destiny franchise, received a sweeping March update that overhauls its most criticized monetization mechanics. The game now offers a crystal‑based system that guarantees character unlocks without spending real money, supplementing the existing gacha...
Critics’ Week: The Simple, Low Intensity Pleasures of NYT Games
Lewis Gordon praises NYT Games for delivering simple, low‑intensity puzzles that fit into a morning routine. The daily Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections challenges encourage brief, mindful play without the aggressive monetization of typical mobile titles. Gordon notes that the...
Critics’ Week: Pocket Card Jockey’s Inevitable Hurtle Towards the Abyss
Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On, a Game Freak title, revives the delisted 3DS horse‑racing solitaire for Apple Arcade. The game pairs Golf‑style solitaire rounds with horse positioning, creating a strategic loop where card skill directly impacts race outcomes. A breeding mechanic...
Critics’ Week: Why Brawl Stars Is My Favourite Battle Royale
Christian Donlan praises Supercell’s Brawl Stars as his preferred battle‑royale, highlighting its ultra‑compact Showdown mode that pits up to ten players on a shrinking map with matches typically under ninety seconds. He contrasts this friction‑free experience with the longer matchmaking...
Jobs Digest: Moves at Scopely, Google Play, CrazyLabs, Small Giant, Griffin and More
The mobile‑gaming job market is buzzing with senior hires and promotions across leading publishers. Scopely added ex‑Rovio product manager Anastasia Kuprina and former Gameloft manager Aravind Iyengar, while Google Play brought in former Netflix producer John Faciane and appointed Jamie...
Goat Simulator Maker Coffee Stain to Close Its Mobile Studio
Coffee Stain announced the closure of its Malmö mobile development studio, which was founded in 2021 and housed about 17 staff members. The unit was responsible for bringing Goat Simulator to mobile in 2023, as well as supporting Song of...
Savvy Set for $6bn Moonton Deal
Savvy Games Group, the gaming arm of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is set to acquire Moonton, the creator of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, for an estimated $6 billion. The deal, reported by Bloomberg, follows Savvy’s $4.9 bn purchase of Scopely and...
New Game Digest: Fortnite, New Coin Master, Mattel Match, Parseword, Dragon Quest, Another Bacon Game and More
Fortnite re‑entered Google Play worldwide, marking its first Android presence in six years, alongside a new showdown‑themed season. Moon Active launched Coin Master Board Adventure globally after a year‑long soft launch, while Mattel teamed with Uken to release Mattel Match,...
How to Seize the $50bn China Opportunity
Western mobile game makers see China as a $50 bn opportunity with roughly 700 m players. Regulatory approval, limited ISBN licenses and a fragmented Android ecosystem raise entry costs. Success stories such as Nexon’s Dungeon & Fighter Mobile illustrate upside, yet discoverability...
Fortnite Returns to Google Play Worldwide This Week
Fortnite will return to Google Play on March 19, ending a six‑year absence after its removal for breaching app‑store rules. The comeback follows Epic Games' settlement with Google that reduces the standard 30% in‑app purchase commission to 20%, with an...
The Making of Love and Deepspace
At GDC, Infold Games director Lizi Cheng detailed how Love and Deepspace transformed the otome genre by marrying real‑time combat with romance storytelling. After a rocky 2020 playtest that flagged unappealing love interests, the team upgraded character fidelity and linked...
Squid Game: Unleashed Studio Bossfight Returns After Netflix Closure
Bossfight Entertainment has re‑emerged as an independent studio after Netflix shuttered its operations in October 2025, leaving roughly 80 employees unemployed. The original founders—CEO David Rippy, CPO Bill Jackson and COO Scott Winsett—have re‑established the company in Dallas, Texas. Bossfight...
Epic and Google’s New Play Store Deal Is Not the Decisive Victory They Claim It Is
Epic Games and Google have settled their long‑running dispute, introducing a flat 20% commission for new game installs on the Play Store and uncoupling Google Play billing from the store. Existing titles, however, still incur an additional 5% billing fee,...
