Podcast | Episode 90
Week in Mobile Games podcast: Episode 90
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 90...
Hot Five
Hot Five: Arknights: Endfield approaches $100m, Xbox mobile store still in development, and government support becomes a priority
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Funding News
Soloband Games raises Series A led by Zubr Capital to scale flagship title
Funding will accelerate user acquisition and global market reach
Latest
New Offerings
Finland confirms stock option tax reform aimed at strengthening startup talent competition
Tax now applies only when shares are sold, not when options are exercised
Pgc Ticket Offers
Unbeatable ticket discounts to Pocket Gamer Connects Malmö and Nordics
Start in Malmö, close in Helsinki, at the lowest rates you can get
Week In Views
Game Pass price cuts and Super Mario Galaxy’s box office dominance | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Strategic Move
Microsoft says Xbox mobile store “not dead” despite stalled rollout
Xbox also outlined a new strategy in a recent blog post
New Games
New release roundup: Dragon Quest Smash/Grow, Dicero, MapleStory R- Evolution, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
Pgc Nordics
How Finland is reshaping its games industry
Explore the evolving Finnish games market at PG Connects Nordics, October 20th to 21st
Editor's Picks
Studio Strategy
Supercell president: "If we want to be one of the very best mobile game companies in the world, great live ops isn't enough"
We speak with Sara Bach about Supercell's new and live game challenges, lessons from China and how it's restructuring to adapt to the modern mobile market
Us Best Of 2026
The Top 30 US Mobile Game Makers of 2026
The US movers and shakers of the last 12 months revealed!
Tech Insights
"Put your own stamp on the game, not on the plumbing"
Developers, Skillz and Beamable discuss the pros and cons of building your own infrastructure or licensing tech to power your game
Opinion
We view direct-to-consumer as a meaningful growth driver.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick eyes a further push into D2C alongside other top games publishers
Ads remain the most common and viable monetisation model across Africa's gaming markets today.
Africacomicade founder Michael Oscar Esio debates Africa's monetisation landscape
#Pocket Gamer Connects
Pgc Summit Shanghai
Why great games need the right partnerships to succeed in China
Take the leap into the world's biggest games market on July 29th
Pgc Summit Malmo
PGC Summit Malmö Mid Term prices end this week
Save now on new super-focused, networking-centric summit designed to boost your Nordic Game week
Pgc Barcelona 2026
Explore how 2026 growth engines impact games at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona
Less hype, more action, as the games industry meets on June 15th and 16th
Pgc Summit MalmÖ
Who you will meet in Malmö this May
Business-first summit will gather leading game companies on May 27th and 28th
Industry Voices
Competing In Casual
King president Todd Green talks new game development, competition and "doubling down" on the casual market
As part of our tour of the London studio, we speak to Green about how King operates what its relationship with parent company Microsoft is like
Ai Gamechangers
"AI writes the code, but a human has to care"
Jonathan Bjerk of Curve Clash on how AI helped a non-coder publish a multiplayer game in under seven months
Mobile Mavens
“Government support has moved from a nice-to-have benefit to a priority”: The Mobile Mavens on where games studios choose to build
Our Mobile Mavens discuss whether government support has become essential for studios competing in the global games market
Government Backing
The UK's games hub gets a boost in the face of global competition
A look at UK and global incentives for the games industry and their impact
Week In Views
Xbox Game Pass’ value debate and Doki Doki Literature Club’s policy clash | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
#MENA
Regulations
Türkiye passes sweeping digital law restricting social media access for under 15s
Meanwhile, foreign gaming platforms with over 100,000 daily Turkish users must now appoint a local representative
Africa Is Mobile
Deluxe Creation Studios’ Shola Edu on monetisation in Africa, global audiences and what actually drives revenue
“The goal is to build something that feels genuinely African and is good enough that the rest of the world wants in”
Acqusitions
Tamatem acquires ad tech firm Playable Factory in AI-first shift
The publisher recently raised $10 million in a new funding round, bringing total investment to $25m
Anniversary
Starvania Studios CEO reflects on four years of growth, Bahamut breakthrough and what comes next
“We once nearly lost hope of getting Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree to the finish line, and now it is an award-winning success across multiple platforms”
Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions
Funding News
PvX raises $10.5m as user acquisition financing scales
The firm has now committed over $750m in user acquisition financing
Funding News
Spill Games raises $3.1m seed round to scale systems-driven mobile games studio
The studio plans to expand its team and test over 20 prototypes in the next 18 months
New Partnerships
Playtika expands into microdrama with Bingo Blitz and Shortical collaboration
An original short-form drama series will integrate Bingo Blitz directly into its narrative
New Offerings
VGW launches Monopoly Match as it enters match-3 puzzle market
The title is currently in phased rollout across North America
Investment Shift
Firstpoint VC launches $58m fund to back AI-driven gaming startups in emerging markets
The fund’s strategy is built on replicating Türkiye’s capital-efficient gaming success across Europe and Asia
New Partnerships
Sega and Rovio expand Angry Birds licensing with WildBrain
The expansion comes ahead of The Angry Birds Movie 3, set to drive a new wave of consumer products
Smash Out Of Stealth
Smash Games secures $2m UA financing to scale Animal Suika
PvX Partners led the round, supporting UA on mobile
Jobs News
Roblox Revs Up
Roblox hires Joost Hagesteijn as first general manager for Europe
The newly created position has been established following significant growth in Europe
Staff Surge
Roblox workforce grows 24% to over 3,000 full-time staff
The platform had a "banner year" in 2025 with hits like Steal a Brainrot and Grow a Garden
New Era
Apple CEO Tim Cook to step down
Apple senior VP of hardware engineering John Ternus will replace him in the top job from September 1st, 2026
Settlement Reached
Ubisoft Halifax workers approve settlement following sudden studio closure
Terms of the deal remain confidential but mark a key outcome for affected workers
Job News
Imperia Online taps Mario Vasilev as new chief operating officer
New COO role targets improved efficiency and collaboration across teams
#Regulation
Regulations
India launches Online Gaming Authority with strict compliance mandates from May 2026
Online money games are explicitly barred from recognition as esports under Indian law
Mobile Mavens
"This is a fundamental shift in the way that games are rated": The Mobile Mavens on PEGI's new rules
Our Mobile Mavens share their insights on PEGI's updated age rating criteria and what it means for the wider games industry
Apple Troubles
German publishers urge antitrust fine against Apple ATT
Industry groups say Apple’s proposed ATT changes fail to resolve competition concerns
Security Review
Report: Trump administration reviews Tencent gaming investments over security concerns
Officials are assessing whether the company’s investments pose potential national security risks.
More News
Game Closure
Niantic Spatial to shut down Peridot mobile as AR ambitions shift beyond smartphones
The game will be removed from app stores on May 14th
Acqusitions
Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approve Paramount Skydance merger
The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2026
Layoff News
Meta to reportedly cut 8,000 jobs as AI spending surges to $135bn
Hiring freezes will leave thousands of roles unfilled
Origin Spending
The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin nears $10m in one month on mobile
Netmarble’s gacha RPG is expected to launch new content updates every three weeks
Arknights In Action
Arknights: Endfield approaches $100m on mobile in three months
Japan currently leads player spending at 41% of the global mobile total
Mario Milestone
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie races past $755m to become highest-grossing film of 2026
The film earned $34.5m in the US on opening day, beating the original's $31.7m debut record
New Partnerships
Amanotes partners with Balancy to scale live ops across music game portfolio
Amanotes' 4bn downloads portfolio now managed through unified system
Latest Videos
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Rewarded Marketplaces & How Surprise Equals Engagement
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How D2C lets you 'take the power back' from app stores
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