Mena's Best Of 2026
The Top 30 MENA Game Makers of 2026
The mobile movers and shakers of the last 12 months revealed!
Podcast | Episode 108
The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers of 2026, iPhone Duo games and Pokémon Unite ends service | 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 108...
Pgc Summit Montreal
“It was like playing whack-a-mole”: Hyper Hippo’s Alexandre Denault on burning down AdVenture Capitalist
Ahead of his session at PG Connects Summit Montréal, Alex Denault on why the studio rebuilt a nine-year-old hit from scratch and what it got wrong along the way
Latest
Snooker Surprise
Exclusive: Snooker champion Stephen Hendry becomes ambassador for 8 Ball Strike
AviaGames has teamed up with the snooker legend, planning to bring themed content this month
Pokemon Pocket
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket celebrates second anniversary with $233m
Player spending on the major stores declined by 68% in year two, but TCG Pocket remains among the 30 most lucrative mobile games this year
Ai Safety
Anthropic restricts Claude from recreating existing games amid AI cloning concerns
The restriction still allows users to build original games and projects using their own designs and assets
New Offerings
DMCC and Wild Unlimited team up to bring Dubai landmarks to Fortnite
The experience will be available globally from November 11th
Hot Five
Hot Five: Ludia CEO talks acquisitions, Mark Otero talks $50m bet on UnGodly, and more than 80% of top Roblox games now use AI
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
New Partnerships
Jordan Esports Federation signs partnership with King Hussein Business Park
The partnership will focus on tournaments, international events, training and community initiatives
Editor's Picks
Talking Tech
Azra Games CEO Mark Otero on betting $50m on UnGodly and building for iPhone Duo
UnGodly was one of two games shown off during the iPhone Duo reveal
The Best Of 2026
The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers of 2026
The mobile movers and shakers of the last 12 months revealed!
Pgc Jordan
Unreal Engine instructor Sandra Kawar on AI as a creative partner, ahead of PGC Jordan
What to expect from Sandra Kawar’s PGC Jordan talk on AI and game art
Opinion
The opportunity is that the region is young, online and huge. Players here are hungry for games that reflect them.
Istikan Studio manager Danar Kayfi on how MENA developers can reach regional and global audiences
Sometimes the best culturalisation solution isn't changing the content. It's asking why the content needs to be there in the first place.
Geogrify CEO Kate Edwards explains how teams can get culturalisation right
#Pocket Gamer Connects
Pgc Jordan
Join us for the PG Connects Jordan trip to Petra
Come for the conference, stay to see one of the wonders of the world
Pgc London
Don’t ghost this deal! Get 10% off your PG Connects London ticket
This Halloween, we’re brewing up a fang-tastic offer for the games industry - but it won’t broomstick around for long…
Pgc Nordics
How Next Games adapted to a new direction after the Netflix acquisition
Studio MD Saara Bergström reveals what the Finnish studio has been up to post-acquisition and its ambitious plans for the future
Pgc Jordan
Yalla Group's Saifi Ismail: "We're not exporting a MENA formula"
Yalla Group’s president on taking Turbo Match to the US and Europe, ahead of PGC Jordan
#MENA
Week In Views
Unravelling the corporate web of games companies, Xbox's $500m Netflix offer and Yalla's Western ambitions | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
New Partnerships
Nexus signs MoU with Dubai to support local game studios and global publishing
ONE Store will help Dubai-based developers distribute their games internationally
Funding For Games
Google Play selects 10 African studios for $1m Indie Games Fund
Studios plan to use the support to develop their games, reach more players and grow their businesses
Pgc Jordan
PG Connects Jordan schedule revealed
Save up to $185 before Mid Term prices end this week!
Studio Closure
Jordan-based Dimensions Games Studio closes after four years
The studio engaged thousands of young people through games, activities and learning opportunities
#The Nordics
Less Is More
Agree IP terms early, cut through AI hype, stop overloading players: Four lessons from PGC Nordics
Live ops, D2C, AI and IP deals. Four sessions at PGC Nordics covered four different topics. All four landed in the same place: doing more is not always a useful strategy
Keep Running
SYBO's Mathias Gredal Nørvig on Subway Surfers at 15: Zero UA, City’s pivot and what comes next
Fifteen years in, the SYBO CEO insists there'll never be another Subway Surfers - and reveals what Sybo is building next
Kill Switch
Ending well: The art of killing your game
Ahead of PGC Nordics next week, all four panellists from “Ending Well: The Art Of Killing Your Game” share how they decide when a game has run its course
Hidden Lessons
Wooga’s Holger Wurst on designing June’s Journey: Player research, AI and the UX rule you can’t break
Wooga’s UX lead on June’s Journey talks Wicked and Agatha Christie collabs, why older players outsmart developers and his hard line on AI
Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions
New Partnerships
Unity partners with PvX to offer funding for game developers
Eligible developers will receive Unity Ads credits, enhanced support and potential invoicing benefits
Transmedia
Report: Netflix fails with $500m offer to adapt Xbox gaming IP to film and TV
Xbox is now pursuing separate film and television adaptation deals with multiple partners
Art Acquisition
Side acquires art studio Roboto Entertainment to expand presence in China
Andrea Cordella has been appointed global head of art and Chengdu studio head
Funding For Games
Mika Games raises $10m to fund mobile game studios
The funding will support game development and paid user acquisition campaigns
Metacore Moves In
Supercell completes full acquisition of Metacore
Merge Mansion transitions to Supercell’s games portfolio
Investment
Flow Games confirms $49m in total funding from Tencent and VC investors
The Smash Fest developer plans to expand its team following the mobile game’s success
Funding Secured
India’s Spill Games raises $10.5m in Series A funding
The round was led by Elevation Capital
Jobs News
Jobs Roundup
October 2026's Movers and Shakers: Appcharge, Stash, Zynga, Xbox, Scopely, Rollic, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
Job News
Atari taps Crossy Road creator to lead mobile business
He will lead the company's mobile business and cross-platform strategy
Company Restructure
Auroch Digital cuts quarter of staff
The studio cited difficult market conditions despite positive reception for its recent games
Job News
Xbox COO Helen Chiang exits after three months in role, 21 years at Microsoft
She became Xbox's first COO in July after leading Minecraft
Leadership Change
Stillfront names former King executive Marcus Jacobs as CEO
Alexis Bonte will continue as CEO until Jacobs takes over
#China
Growth Plans
MTG wants to double its size while leveraging AI
We speak to president and CEO Maria Redin about the company's ambitious plans for its gaming empire
Coins And Critters
Lilith Games finds a new hit as Clash of Critters makes $45.6m in four months
The game’s fourth month, between August and September, has been its most lucrative yet in player spending
Rankings Rise
Delta Force surpasses $10m in daily player spending for the first time
The tactical shooter hit a new record on September 5th, ranking as the most lucrative mobile game globally for one day
Market Report
China games market surpasses $50bn for the first time as player base is forecast to hit 769m by 2030
New data from Niko Partners forecasts the market will reach $59.8bn by 2030
More News
Ai In Games
More than 80% of Roblox's top games now use AI, while Playgama tracks the tools developers prefer
Claude Opus leads Playgama's AI Game Index, accounting for 54% of new AI-built games
Adaptations
Netflix developing live-action PUBG series with Donald Glover
Glover will write, direct and executive produce the adaptation alongside his brother Stephen
New Offerings
Studio Atelico launches on-device AI engine for game developers
The technology supports Unity, Unreal Engine and Godot
Top 30
Xsolla partners with PocketGamer.biz on the Top 30 Canada Game Makers 2026
Our first Canadian list is coming soon. Here’s why it matters and who’s helping us bring it to you
Regulations
South Korea fines Google and Apple $47.6m over app payments
Google and Apple have been ordered to allow links to external payment options and revise their app review procedures
Keynote Speaker
Aream & Co founding partner Kartik Prabhakara to keynote The Funding Formula 2026
Event aims to bring together investors, developers and publishers to discuss deals and gain insights on the latest investment trends
Pgc Nordics
Discover the Aurora Nordics 2026 honourees
Last week’s PGC Nordics celebrated industry-leading women in the region
Latest Videos
Colossal Order's Mariina Hallikainen on leaving Paradox and life after Cities: Skylines
13:54
|
705 views
Highlights From The Mobile Games Awards 2026
00:57
|
4 views
Why EVE Online’s studio bought itself back for $120m
34:19
|
263 views
Highlights from Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2026
01:33
|
8 views
Podcasts
Podcast | Episode 107
Why EA shut down BioWare, Supercell’s Metacore takeover and Mika Games’ $10m soft launch bet | 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 107...
Podcast | Episode 106
Why Supercell couldn’t save Squad Busters, Nintendo learns IP isn’t enough and Google's new AI game maker | 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 106...
Podcast | Episode 105
AI's insane PR machine, Zynga's failed $400m Supercell deal and EU regulation | 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 105...
Podcast | Episode 104
Apple's $2,000+ iPhone Duo and the backlash against new EU App Store rules | 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 104...