AFK Arena Celebrates Seventh Anniversary and over $1.5bn in Lifetime Earnings
Mobile idle RPG AFK Arena celebrated its seventh anniversary by crossing $1.5 billion in lifetime player spending, according to AppMagic. The game generated $469.8 million in its first year and peaked with $105.4 million in a single month in January 2020, while annual revenue hit $528.3 million during the pandemic year two. China, the home market, accounted for 32% of total spend, with a brief surge to 81% of monthly revenue after its local launch in January 2020. A new update introduces the five‑star ranger Serennia and an Otherworld Fishing mode, but revenue has been declining, and Lilith’s sequel AFK Journey now eclipses the original.
Exel Gaming Accelerator Reopens with up to $300,000 in Funding for Third Cohort
Exel Gaming Accelerator has reopened for its third cohort, offering up to $300,000 in combined cash and in‑kind support. Startups can receive up to $150,000 in cash plus $150,000 worth of services, weekly mentorship, and an AI‑focused curriculum. The program...
PocketGamer.biz Podcast: Skillz, Beamable and the Live Ops Shift
Skillz announced the acquisition of Beamable, aiming to transform its competitive‑gaming platform into a full‑service business operating system for game studios. The deal will combine Skillz's tournament infrastructure with Beamable's live‑ops and backend tools, enabling developers to focus on gameplay...
UK Games Sector Loses 1,537 Jobs as 14-Year Growth Streak Ends
The UK video‑games industry shed a net 1,537 development jobs between April 2024 and September 2025, marking a 4.5% annualised decline and ending a 14‑year growth streak. Medium‑sized studios (16‑40 staff) bore the brunt, losing 21.6% of their workforce, while very large...
Tickets Now Live for Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics on October 20th to 21st
Pocket Gamer Connects rebrands as Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics and will run October 20‑21, 2026 in Helsinki, aligning with Finnish Games Week. Tickets are now on sale, with Super Early Bird discounts saving up to €425 (≈$460). The two‑day event expects over...
Sony Interactive Entertainment Acquires UK-Based Machine Learning Firm Cinemersive Labs
Sony Interactive Entertainment has acquired UK‑based machine‑learning and computer‑vision specialist Cinemersive Labs to strengthen PlayStation’s visual computing capabilities. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, places the Cinemersive team within SIE’s Visual Computing Group. Sony says the acquisition will...
Maysalward Launches Golden Agers Workshop for 65+ Gamers
Jordanian game studio Maysalward has unveiled the Golden Agers workshop, a full‑day program aimed at adults 65 and older. The initiative teaches seniors how to use digital devices, play memory‑ and movement‑focused games, and record personal stories and cultural heritage....
AppLovin Announces Leadership Succession Plans and Appoints New Independent Chairperson
AppLovin disclosed a comprehensive leadership succession plan, appointing Craig Billings as independent chairperson of its board. CEO Adam Foroughi will stay in his role while senior executives are promoted from within, including Gio Ge moving into the chief technology officer position and...
Ilkka Paananen to Be Awarded BAFTA Fellowship
Supercell co‑founder and CEO Ilkka Paananen will receive the BAFTA Fellowship at the BAFTA Games Awards on April 17. The honor places him alongside industry legends such as Hideo Kojima, Shigeru Miyamoto and Gabe Newell. Paananen’s 25‑year career includes building Supercell into a mobile‑gaming powerhouse...
Direct-to-Consumer Sales Hit Record Levels Again in Q4
Direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) sales continued to set new records in Q4 2025, with Playtika reporting $250.1 million, representing 36.8% of its quarterly revenue and a 43.2% year‑over‑year increase. Modern Times Group saw its D2C contribution rise to 32% of total revenue, up...
Rec Room Runs Out of Road and Fire Emblem Shadows' Paltry Earnings | Week in Views
Social‑gaming platform Rec Room announced its shutdown after failing to turn its 150 million‑user base into profit, citing soaring costs and a shifting VR market. Meta’s recent $80 billion loss in Reality Labs and the layoff of 1,500 VR staff underscore the...
Quantic Lab Exits Embracer Group to Operate as an Independent Company Under Founder Ownership
Quantic Lab has exited the Embracer Group and is now an independent studio owned by its founder and CEO, Stefan Seicarescu, effective April 1 2026. The spin‑out gives the outsourcing specialist greater operational flexibility and the ability to respond more quickly to...
PlayDucky Rolls Out Volcano and Lava Pool Maps in New Melon Sandbox Update
PlayDucky has released two new lava‑themed maps—a volcano and a lava‑pool—for its mobile‑first sandbox game Melon Sandbox. The update adds lava tiles to the in‑game editor, letting creators design hazardous environments and sell them on the storefront using the virtual...
Discover Barcelona's Thriving Games Ecosystem on June 15th to 16th
Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2026 will take place on June 15‑16, gathering over 1,200 games professionals for two days of networking, deals and insight. The event builds on a successful 2025 debut and features a multitrack agenda with speakers from...
New Release Roundup: The Division Resurgence, Dredge+, Toy Command, and More
A wave of new mobile titles hit the market this week, highlighted by Ubisoft’s free‑to‑play *The Division Resurgence* launching globally on iOS and Android. Apple Arcade adds *Dredge+*, bundling all DLC for its fishing‑horror sequel, while indie releases like *Mochi‑O*,...
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Surpasses 160m Downloads Eight Years After Launch
Jam City’s Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery has topped 160 million lifetime downloads as it celebrates its eighth anniversary. Players have collectively logged more than 100.7 billion minutes, with over 14% advancing to the post‑graduation *Beyond Hogwarts* storyline. The anniversary brings new quests,...
LY Corp Acquires Majority Stake in Kakao Games with $198m Investment
LY Corporation, the former LINE Yahoo, is investing roughly ₩300 billion (about $198 million) to become the largest shareholder of Kakao Games. The deal, executed through the LAAA Investment vehicle, combines a stake purchase, new share issuance, and convertible bonds, and is slated...
Sonic Rumble Rebranded to Sonic Rumble Party as It Adds New Features and Removes Game Modes
Sega has rebranded its mobile party‑royale Sonic Rumble as Sonic Rumble Party, rolling out version 1.5 on March 16, 2026. The update introduces a new Party Rumble mode, starter missions, and Toy Capsules while retiring Quick Rumble, Special Rumbles, Amy’s Requests, and...
11 Essential Tips for Maximising Your Time During ChinaJoy
ChinaJoy and the Pocket Gamer Connects Summit are set for late July and early August in Shanghai, drawing professionals from over 50 countries. Recent visa‑free policies let citizens from most European nations, the UK, Canada, Oceania and select Asian and...
April Fool's Day 2026: Voodoo Acquisition, Slush Raises $4 Trillion, a Warhammer 40,000 Musical and KitKats
On April 1, 2026 a wave of gaming‑industry April Fool’s hoaxes went viral, including 52 Entertainment’s claim it bought mobile‑game publisher Voodoo for €880 million (≈$960 million) and Helsinki’s Slush conference announcing a fictitious $4 trillion funding round. Other spoof announcements ranged from a Moon‑based Pocket...
From Helix Jump to Little Farm Story: How H8games Reinvented Itself
h8games, after early premium failures and a costly lawsuit, pivoted to hyper‑casual development and scored a breakout hit with Helix Jump, amassing over 800 million downloads. Leveraging that momentum, the studio partnered with SayGames to transition into hybrid‑casual, launching Little Farm...
PocketGamer.biz Podcast: Data Doesn't Solve Problems - Decisions Do
In a PocketGamer.biz podcast, GameAnalytics’ Falko Boecker argues that data alone won’t solve studio challenges; decision‑making does. He distinguishes data maturity from sophistication and highlights how many developers get stuck when trying to adopt a full‑funnel view. Boecker stresses that...
Tetris and Space Invaders Team up for First-Ever In-Game Crossover Event
Playstudios has launched a limited‑time crossover between its Tetris game and the classic Space Invaders franchise, running from April 1 to April 30. The event features three phases: a 12‑day login reward series, an environmentally‑focused donation campaign with Dots.eco, and a competitive...
Ninth Circuit Denies Apple Rehearing Request in Epic Games App Store Dispute
The Ninth Circuit unanimously rejected Apple’s requests for both a panel rehearing and an en banc rehearing in its ongoing dispute with Epic Games. The denial upholds a lower‑court order that forces Apple to allow developers to direct users to alternative...
Fire Emblem Shadows Earns Just $578,000 in First Six Months, Less than 1% of Fire Emblem Heroes
Nintendo’s latest mobile title, *Fire Emblem Shadows*, has earned only $578,000 in its first six months after launching on September 25 2025. By contrast, the decade‑old *Fire Emblem Heroes* posted $20.6 million in the same window and $150 million during its initial half‑year in...
Sett Raises $30m to Scale AI-Driven Marketing Automation Platform
Sett, a 2023 startup, raised $30 million in a Series B round to expand its AI‑driven marketing automation platform. The platform automatically generates playable and video ads while optimizing campaign performance across the user‑acquisition funnel for game publishers. The funding, led by...
Asmodee Acquires ATM Gaming in €180m Deal to Expand Social Board Game Portfolio
Board game giant Asmodee announced a €180 million ($206.3 million) acquisition of French publisher ATM Gaming SAS. The deal includes €120 million cash, €30 million cash deferred to 2027, €30 million in new class B shares, and a performance‑based earn‑out that could add up to €70 million...
The True Cost of Google's Level Up: What the Fee Table Doesn't Show
Google Play’s March 4 update lowers headline fees but adds a 5% billing surcharge in the US, UK and EEA and reduces subscription fees to 10%. The change is bundled with the Games Level Up program, which requires deeper integration with Google...
Metasports Appoints Head of Marketing to Scale Hitwicket Globally
Metasports has appointed Manoj Kadarla as head of marketing to drive the global expansion of its flagship cricket strategy game, Hitwicket. Kadarla will oversee user acquisition, brand development, partnerships, and social strategy across Metasports’ portfolio. The hire leverages his eight‑year...
Unity Follows AppLovin, Roblox Brand Deal Controversy and Wuthering Waves' Live Ops Success | Week in Views
Unity announced it will shut down the ironSource ads network and is exploring a sale of Supersonic as its latest earnings beat guidance. Roblox revealed that starting in January 2027 it will take a cut of in‑game brand partnership revenue,...
Unity to Shut Down IronSource Ads Network and Explore Supersonic Sale as Revenue Beats Guidance
Unity reported first‑quarter revenue of $505‑$508 million, comfortably beating its $480‑$490 million guidance, and forecast adjusted EBITDA up to $135 million, a 58% year‑over‑year increase. The company announced it will shut down the IronSource Ads Network by April 30 2026 and is actively seeking a...
LVL Zero Receives over 240 Applications as New Wave of Indian Game Studios Takes Shape
LVL Zero, an Indian gaming incubator backed by MIXI Global, Nazara Technologies and Chimera VC, received over 240 applications for its first cohort. Almost two‑thirds of the teams were founded in 2024 or later, highlighting a surge of early‑stage studios....
Iwot Studios Partners with Initiate Entertainment to Expand The Wheel of Time Across Games and Animation
iWot Studios has teamed up with Initiate Entertainment to broaden the Wheel of Time franchise across games, animation, and television. The partnership will see a new PC and mobile game alongside an existing triple‑AA role‑playing title in development at iWot...
Why TapNation Is Banking on Rewarded Play
TapNation and payments platform ZBD are championing rewarded play as a growth engine for mobile games. TapNation’s data shows real‑world rewards can lift day‑7 and day‑30 retention, while ZBD reports that allocating 10‑20% of ad revenue to players yields 80‑200%...
How Monopoly Go's Pets Season Sparked 12,000 Fan Submissions and Community Engagement
Scopely launched Monopoly Go’s Pets Season on Feb 4, running through Apr 7, featuring pet‑themed tokens and a community‑driven sticker collection. The contest attracted 12,000 fan submissions, with nine pets turned into in‑game stickers and additional pets highlighted on social media. The...
AviaGames Opens Global Trust Centre in Singapore to Boost Real-Money Game Security
AviaGames has opened a Global Trust Centre in Singapore to centralise cybersecurity and data‑protection for its real‑money games. The facility will be overseen by former AWS security leader Dr. Jan Wang, who will drive compliance strategy across multiple jurisdictions. AviaGames...
Sybo Adds Permanent Competitive Race Mode to Subway Surfers After Player Demand
Sybo is rolling out Showdown, a permanent competitive race mode for Subway Surfers, launching globally on March 30. The real‑time multiplayer feature lets up to six players race for points, power‑ups and progression rewards. Showdown expands on a limited‑time test...
Reforged Studios Acquires Headup to Expand Global Publishing Footprint
Reforged Studios has completed the acquisition of German indie publisher Headup for an undisclosed sum, expanding its global publishing platform. The deal brings Headup’s curated portfolio under Reforged’s infrastructure while preserving its operational independence. Founder Dieter Schoeller will become group...
Epic Games to Retire Three Fortnite Modes After Failing to Attract and Retain Players
Epic Games announced that three Fortnite modes—Ballistic, Festival Battle Stage, and Rocket Racing—will be discontinued, with the first two shutting down on April 16, 2026 and Rocket Racing following in October 2026. The retirements come after the modes failed to...
Duolingo Experiments with Tool to Lock Other Apps Until Daily Lessons Are Complete
Duolingo is piloting a "focus" feature that blocks selected distracting apps until users finish a set number of daily language lessons. The tool integrates with a device's screen‑time settings, letting learners choose which apps to lock and how many lessons...
What Our Data Reveals About Ad Quality and Player Churn in Mobile Games
A November 2025 analysis using Unity’s AdQuality tool examined how ad quality affects player churn across Android and iOS mobile games. The study compared rewarded video and interstitial formats from multiple networks, finding that interstitials consistently generate higher churn than...
The Final Word on GDC | Week in Mobile Games Podcast
The 86th episode of the Week in Mobile Games podcast recaps the key takeaways from GDC, highlighting how the conference is shaping mobile development roadmaps. It breaks down the new Google‑Epic partnership and its implications for cross‑platform publishing, including Fortnite’s...
Supercell Partners with Taika Waititi to Launch New Character in Brawl Stars
Supercell has teamed up with filmmaker Taika Waititi to debut Najia, the 101st playable character in Brawl Stars. Waititi authored the animated launch trailer, infusing his comedic style into the game’s theme‑park setting. The partnership follows Supercell’s history of high‑profile collaborations and...
Hot Five: GDC 2026, ByteDance to Sell Moonton, and Candy Crush’s "Incredibly Valuable" Feedback Loop
The Game Developers Conference 2026 rebranded as the Festival of Gaming but saw attendance plunge to 20,000, a one‑third drop from the previous year. ByteDance is set to sell Moonton to Savvy Games Group for roughly $6 billion, a sizable gain...
Matthew Ball Interview: Can New Stores and D2C Turn the Tide on High UA Costs?
User acquisition costs for mobile‑game publishers are approaching $25 billion in 2025, excluding China, and now represent roughly 32% of net revenue. While the figure has slipped from its 2021 peak, ad‑exchange fees are set to overtake traditional UA spend by...
Supercent and Sumo Digital Sign Strategic MOU to Co-Develop Next-Generation Mobile Titles
South Korean mobile publisher Supercent and UK developer Sumo Digital have signed a memorandum of understanding to co‑develop next‑generation mobile games, with development slated to begin in early 2026. The partnership blends Supercent’s mobile‑first, data‑driven publishing platform with Sumo’s two‑decade...
How Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai Is Your Gateway to the World’s Largest Games Market
Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai returns on July 29, 2026, positioned just before ChinaJoy to link global developers, publishers, investors and service providers with China’s massive games market. The event offers curated matchmaking, expert panels and market insights, helping attendees...
New Release Roundup: Fortnite, Taimanin Squad, Goritaire, and More
A fresh wave of mobile titles is reshaping the app store landscape, highlighted by Fortnite’s long‑awaited return to Google Play alongside a new Battle Royale season. The lineup also includes Clover Games’ anime‑styled Heavenhells, Kong Software’s historically‑inspired Three Kingdoms: Grand...
How MeetToMatch Will Maximise Deal-Making at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Malmö
Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Malmö, held May 27‑28 during Nordic Game week, will use MeetToMatch to power 1:1 matchmaking between publishers, investors, service providers and developers. The two‑day event features a dedicated business lounge, curated matchmaking sessions, an indie pitch...
PlanetPlay Rallies Games Industry for Global “Battle for the Habitats” Campaign
PlanetPlay has unveiled the "Battle for the Habitats" biodiversity campaign, running from Earth Day (April 22) to World Environment Day (June 5). Partnering with the Rainforest Alliance and Oceana, the initiative targets over 100 PC, console and mobile titles and aims to...
