Gamescom Latam Takeaways
Brazil dreams big at Gamescom LATAM
We highlight some key takeaways at the big consumer and B2B games expo
Top 30
Xsolla partners with PocketGamer.biz for regional Top Game Maker reports
We’ll be celebrating the top developers and publishers across the UK, Nordics, Europe, China, Southeast Asia, MENA and more
Hot Five
Hot Five: Papaya ordered to pay Skillz $420m, Epic Games Store launches in Japan, PlaySimple IPO, and more
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Latest
Week In Views
Behaviour Interactive layoffs and Pokémon TCG Pocket’s staying power | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Epic Release
Epic Games Store launches on iPhone in Japan
Japanese iPhone users can now download Fortnite directly from Epic
Acqusitions
Pearl Abyss sells EVE Online studio CCP Games to management in $120m deal
The company acquired CCP Games for $425m in 2018
Partnership Extension
Star Wars expands in Fortnite with official creator tools and new experiences
Fortnite players can access new Star Wars PvP, co-op and tycoon games
Awards
What The Clash? wins Best Mobile Game at Gamescom LATAM BIG Festival Awards
Poti Poti Studio’s Is This Seat Taken? takes home the Best Casual Game accolade
Ho Chi Minh Mixer
EnJoyPay and Pocketgamer announce global game developer mixer in Ho Chi Minh City
The event is designed for teams expanding into Southeast Asia, those navigating global payment policy changes, or developers exploring official web-shop integrations
Editor's Picks
Brazil Games
How Brazil is accelerating games as a cultural export
Brazil Games' Patrícia Sato discusses why the organisation set up an accelerator program and the importance of games as a cultural export
Us Best Of 2026
The Top 30 US Mobile Game Makers of 2026
The US movers and shakers of the last 12 months revealed!
Mobile Mavens
“Burnout is essentially design failure”: The Mobile Mavens weigh in on player burnout
The Mobile Mavens discuss how studios manage player burnout and build long lasting player relationships
Opinion
Studios are born around talent, so the fact that international talent is permanently relocating here tells you everything.
Aïda Figuerola on why Spain and Barcelona are becoming key gaming hubs
The residual value in your cohorts is effectively collateral.
Martin Macmillan looks at how studios can better understand long-term player value
#Pocket Gamer Connects
Pgc Summit Shanghai
Make your China market move this May Day
Secure your spot at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai with our time-limited offer
Pgc Summit MalmÖ
Sony, Embark, Landfall Games, Raw Fury and more bring expert insight to PG Connects Summit Malmö
Learn from the brightest minds in Sweden’s games industry, funding experts and game makers
Aurora Awards Uk
“I've seen inconsistent availability of computer science subjects and low take-up for girls”
Nicky Ormrod on the need to go back to school to fix the gender imbalance in games
Pgc Barcelona 2026
Bigger than ever Big Indie Zone and Career Zone coming to Barcelona with support from Gameloft
Find your next big industry opportunity on June 15th-16th
Industry Voices
Hypercasual Evolution
What happened to hypercasual? The market’s evolution over the past year
Eugene Tatonkin explores how hypercasual games have changed over the past year and what the latest market data reveals
Global Ambition
Afrime Studios founders on funding Unyverse and building for 670m players of colour
“We've been in rooms where the vision is clear, the opportunity is clear, and you still feel the weight of scepticism that isn't evenly distributed"
Africa Is Mobile
"If players are not consistently returning and genuinely enjoying the experience, no payment model will succeed"
Maliyo Games’ founder Hugo Obi on mobile monetisation in Africa, execution gaps and why retention matters more than pricing
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
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
#MENA
Funding News
Soloband Games raises Series A led by Zubr Capital to scale flagship title
Funding will accelerate user acquisition and global market reach
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
Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions
Acqusitions
Atari acquires Implicit Conversions to expand retro game preservation efforts
The deal expands emulation capabilities particularly for 32-bit era games
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
Jobs News
Leadership Change
Jam City co-founder Joshua Yguado steps down as CEO after 16 years
Kabam CEO Chul-min Sim will serve as chief executive of both companies following his appointment
Jobs Roundup
April 2026's Movers and Shakers: Jam City's new CEO, Roblox's GM for Europe, Apple's Tim Cook stepping down, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
Market Growth
UK studios face heavier workloads as 62% report pressure from skill shortages
TIGA calls for stronger education and policy alignment in new report
Industry Outlook
European studios increased freelance spending 63% in 2025 as hiring shifts toward contract work
New study from Mellow shows remote talent demand is rising across every major role category
Apple Attitudes
What a new era could bring for Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down, shifting to the role of executive chairman
#Regulation
Dma Review
EU's Digital Markets Act has "not yet reached its full potential"
Cloud and AI markets are next in the Commission's enforcement crosshairs
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
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
All-in
Direct-to-consumer sales hit record levels again in Q4
Mobile games publishers continue to go all-in on D2C amid regulatory and court-led upheaval
More News
New Offerings
Roblox reveals hybrid architecture for photorealistic multiplayer worlds
“This architecture will empower creators of all sizes”
Pocket Performance
Pokémon TCG Pocket makes $1.6bn in 1.5 years
Pokémon’s fastest billion-dollar maker on mobile celebrates 1.5 years today
Pokemon Partnership
Pokémon Go teams up with LEGO for Go Fest 2026 in Copenhagen
The partnership ties into Pokémon Go’s 10-year anniversary celebrations
New Offerings
GameMaker launches new runtime to enable larger-scale development workflows
Source access and 3D upgrades expand the engine’s capabilities
Game Closure
Kakao Games to shut down Eversoul after three years of service
Shutdown process underway with purchases already disabled
New Offerings
Ares Interactive and AMC reveal free-to-play Walking Dead roguelite for mobile
Swift Games, the studio behind Heroes vs Hordes is handling development
Pocket Gamer Mixer
Get insight on the growing Vietnam game scene at our networking Mixer
Join us in Ho Chi Minh City for the Pocket Gamer Mixer in association with EnJoyPay on May 8th
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Podcasts
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...
Podcast
Podcast: The state of the UK games industry with UKIE CEO Nick Poole
We discuss the challenges facing the UK's games industry and what developers need in the coming years to boost their success
Podcast | Episode 89
Week in Mobile Games podcast: Episode 89
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 89...
Podcast
PocketGamer.biz Podcast: Skillz, Beamable and the live ops shift
We unpack Skillz's acquisition of Beamable, what the future looks like for the two companies, and more