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Strategy games studio Hypemasters secures $1m investment
Capturing A Crossover
Duolingo taps Genshin Impact players with crossover rewards
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Mobile Mavens
Mobile Mavens on the biggest games industry trends of 2025 and 2026 predictions: AI maturation, UA disruption, and the shift beyond gaming
Our Mobile Mavens share the trends that are shaping the industry and any predictions for the year to come
New Games
New release roundup: Subway Surfers+, Monument Valley 3, Hello Kitty and Friends World, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
Ramping Up Revenue
Kingshot catapults past $500m with nine months of consecutive growth
Century Games’ latest 4X strategy hit made $96.7m this November
Game Jam
Thatgamecompany launches first independently organised game jam
The developer invites creators to build accessible, emotionally driven experiences
Market Growth
Asia and MENA games revenue set to hit $88.97bn in 2025
The regional gamer population is also set to reach o 1.7bn this year
Recognition
IGDA Foundation Names Margaret Gathoni 2025 Eric Dybsand AI Scholar
The program supports one AI student each year to advance the next wave of engineering talent
New Offerings
Social platform Stan launches Photon to reward users for their online attention
Users can now earn rewards for watching videos, scrolling feeds, interacting with creators or playing games
New Offerings
Gamez Quest launches to deliver premium Arabic localisation for global publishers
The studio provides localisation services across PC, console, mobile and VR
Applovin Accelerates
Apple and Google continue to lead in mobile game ads, but AppLovin wins over select genres
The AppsFlyer Performance Index - 2025 Edition highlights "sharper competition" and "maturing ecosystems"
Regulations
Apple pushes back against India’s "sledgehammer" mandatory cyber app plans
Insider sources say Apple sees the mandate as a major privacy and security risk for iOS
Acqusitions
Saudi Arabia’s PIF set to own 93.4% of EA in proposed takeover
The transaction is expected to close within six to nine months
Marketing Over Innovation?
Marketing is the tail that wags the dog of mobile gaming, not innovation
Marketing budgets outstrip development and it's the key driver of success, say industry experts
Regulations
India orders all new smartphones to ship with a mandatory cybersecurity app
Smartphone brands have 90 days to ship devices with the Sanchar Saathi app installed
Revenue Report
Google Play in-app purchases fall 29% in RPGs and 50% in casino games
Revenue from the strategy genre has grown by 21% on Google Play since October 2024
Valorant Victory
Valorant Mobile is China’s most successful mobile launch of 2025 with 50m MAUs
Tencent highlights the successes of Valorant, Honor of Kings, Delta Force, Clash Royale and more
New Partnerships
Savvy Games Group and King Saud University team up to develop future talent for Saudi Arabia's games and esports sector
The MoU creates a framework for joint initiatives in skill development, knowledge exchange, and industry exposure
Milestone
Resident Evil Survival Unit surpasses two million downloads in under two weeks
The game has maintained strong momentum after crossing one million downloads last month
Hot Five
Hot Five: Roblox CEO's heated debate, Gear Games' $5m funding, and Infinity Nikki’s big update
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 74
Roblox's car crash interview on child safety and Ubisoft's curious Tencent deal | 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 what's inside this week's episode 74...
The Ip Game
The big IPs flooding mobile
Minecraft Blast, Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble, Tom and Jerry Blast, The Sims Labs, Subway Surfers City, and more are all making their way through soft launch
New Games
New release roundup: Netflix Puzzled, Hello Yoshi, Fruit Ninja Adventures, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
Acqusitions
Nintendo to acquire Bandai Namco Studios Singapore
The Switch maker will take an initial 80% stake in BNSS from April 2026
New Partnerships
Make-A-Wish teams up with IGG to launch Thanksgiving charity challenge in Lords Mobile
IGG will donate $50,000 to Make-A-Wish once 50,000 players claim the event decoration
Champions Compete
Pokémon Unite Asia Champions League returns with $20,000 prize pool in India League
Winners will advance to the Offline Finals against other teams from across Asia
Anniversary Approaching
Infinity Nikki’s version 2.0 update arrives as title hits $70m on mobile ahead of its first anniversary
The stylish open-world title has generated $69.9m across the App Store and Google Play to date, according to estimates
Possible Acqusition
Report: ByteDance is exploring the sale of Moonton to Savvy Games Group
The talks revive a previously paused plan to offload the Mobile Legends maker
Esports Tournament
Chess.com, Moonton and SNK join publisher lineup for Esports Nations Cup
Seven major publishers now shape the ENC’s structure, formats and qualification paths
New Offerings
Tencent rolls out Hunyuan 3D engine for AI-driven asset creation
The tool is designed to generate 3D assets from text, images, or sketches in minutes
Networking
Why successful CEOs need global games industry events
Broaden your views and gain deeper insight to keep an edge in the industry
Funding For Games
Gear Games secures $5m to scale its new card battler Arcane Rush
Metica is providing non-dilutive financing alongside UA and monetisation support
Job News
TikTok names former Boeing executive Ziad Ojakli as head of public policy for the Americas
The appointment comes as the video-sharing platform accelerates plans to separate its US operations from ByteDance
Expansions
Supercell to open new AI Innovation Lab in Tokyo next year
Opening in March 2026, the Lab expands a global network already operating in San Francisco and Helsinki
Hackathon
Tamatem Games launches new Content Creator Hackathon for emerging talent
All winners secure a guaranteed three-month internship or contract alongside cash prizes
In The Shadows
Fire Emblem Shadows makes just $353,000 in two months
Fire Emblem Heroes generated $77.6m in its first two months in 2017
Ambition Check
Saudi Arabia’s PIF reportedly short on fresh capital for new investments
Insiders say much of the fund’s wealth is tied up in illiquid megaprojects like Neom
Funding News
SuperGears Games raises $2.1m to power its next growth phase
Funding fuels expansion of the Racing Kingdom mobile racing universe
Regulations
Junglee Games parent Flutter records $556m impairment over real-money gaming ban in India
Junglee shifts fully to free-to-play while assessing future options
New Games
New release roundup: Resident Evil Survival Unit, Besiege, The Sims Labs: Life Together and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
Accelerator Program
Maliyo Games launches Creator Academy Accelerator to help aspiring creators in games
The 4-week programme includes curated learning materials, weekly challenges, and peer feedback
Arabic Games Conference
The Arabic Games Conference 2025 is just days away: Here's what’s in store for game makers
The Arabic Games Conference showcases games and interactive projects created by Arab developers across the region, and it returns online on November 29th
Pgc Aqaba
MENA’s games industry and global leaders forge trailblazing connections at Pocket Gamer Connects Aqaba
Local, regional and global games industry delegates gathered to explore the world’s fastest growing games market at PG Connects Aqaba 2025
Investment News
Stan secures new Series A investment from Sony Innovation Fund
The funding will fuel AI-driven personalisation and creator monetisation tools
Podcast | Episode 72
Why is Google policing how the world's top mobile games monetise? | 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 what's inside this week's episode 72...
Networking
Don't wait for next year - get a head start on 2026's business goals now
Make your move before everyone logs off
Week In Views
Krafton's AI shake-up, NCsoft's Horizon MMO reveal, and Candy Crush Saga Adventures | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Company Restructure
Krafton is offering voluntary resignations to employees amid AI-first shift
The company says it aims to help employees shape new career paths during its AI transition
New Offerings
NCsoft reveals new global MMORPG Horizon Steel Frontiers for mobile and PC
The game is set in the Horizon World universe and is co-developed with Sony’s Guerrilla