Umamusume Movie
Umamusume: Pretty Derby movie director talks creative decisions and adapting games to the big screen
Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Beginning of a New Era is out in US theatres on Friday, February 27th
Demo Day
Helika and Avalanche bring Accelerator Demo Day to San Francisco featuring top studios and a first look at Helika’s Publishing Engine
Helika and Avalanche will showcase the standout teams from their joint accelerator on March 9th during GDC week and preview the AI-powered publishing infrastructure to help studios publish, grow and monetise at scale
Investment News
British Business Bank and Haatch pledge £32m to UK angel investment syndicates
Initiative has previously backed The Games Angels
Latest
Leadership Change
New Xbox leadership insists there's no top-down AI directive from Microsoft
Console remains central to Xbox’s identity despite multi-platform publishing shifts
Marvellous Mena
Dubai Esports & Games Festival returns on May 8th as the city doubles down on its gaming ambitions
The festival blends esports tournaments, industry networking and community activities under Dubai’s digital economy strategy
Company Blunder
Discord delays global age verification rollout to the second half of 2026 after user backlash
The company admits it failed to clearly explain how the verification system would work
Funding News
Power Protocol secures $3m to scale blockchain ecosystem and accelerate Fableborne's development
Total ecosystem funding reaches $15.4m following Bitkraft’s latest investment
Esports Nations Cup
PUBG Mobile joins the Esports Nations Cup 2026 as its 16th competitive title
The national team showdown will take place in Riyadh from November 2nd to 29th, 2026.
Pgc Summit San Francisco
Your Monday at GDC week is scheduled for mobile growth
Learn from Tencent, Scopely and Discord at PG Connects Summit San Francisco, March 9th
Editor's Picks
Podcast | Episode 84
Scopely's $1bn Loom Games deal and Matthew Ball's State of Video Games report | 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 84...
End Of An Era
Phil Spencer retires as ex-Instacart COO takes top job at Microsoft Gaming
Xbox president and COO Sarah Bond also exits the firm as Matt Booty is promoted to EVP and chief content officer
Ai Insights
AI can build your game prototype but it can’t build your strategy
Tom Storr from The Experimentation Group explores how AI is speeding up game prototypes and why experience is still key
Opinion
We need to value different ways of leading, storytelling, and problem-solving.
Jennifer Estaris on how inclusion benefits the whole games industry beyond fairness
The Pixel Flow team is the exact type of studio we look to invest in and partner with.
Scopely CRO Tim O'Brien offers insights into that big Loom Games deal
#Pocket Gamer Connects
Pgc Summit San Francisco
Start GDC week with mobile-first business at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit San Francisco
Curated mobile games opportunities for partnerships, funding, and growth
Dubai Gameexpo
Tickets on sale with time-limited discount for global games industry event in Dubai
Dubai GameExpo Summit on May 20th-21st connects global business-makers with MENA’s games market
Pgc Summit San Francisco
The companies you can meet in San Francisco
From indie developers to the biggest brands in mobile represented at the games business event on March 9th
Pgc Summit Malmo
PGC Summit Malmö tickets on sale now
Industry Voices
Ai In Games
AI won't make your game, but it can lighten the load
Ludo.ai CTO Jorge Gomes gives his view on the role of AI in game production and where it could make a difference
Marvellous Mena
"The market, both in MENA and at a global scale, is becoming increasingly competitive"
Steer Studios CEO Yannick Theler on recognition, building global IP from the KSA and balancing live service ambitions in MENA
Playbook
Rewarded UA unlocked
Gamelight offers tips and a playbook for managing rewarded UA campaigns
TÜrkiye's New Star
Loom Games' rapid rise to Türkiye's next unicorn
Scopely's acquisition of a majority stake in the Pixel Flow developer is the latest success story in Türkiye's vibrant mobile games sector
Week In Views
China’s rising chart power, Warzone Mobile’s final months and Pokémon Go’s PvP update | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
#MENA
New Partnerships
Saudi Esports Federation partners with ROC Esports and Team Stallion to strengthen the Kingdom’s esports ambitions
The agreements centre on upskilling Saudi employees and athletes through programs delivered by the Saudi Esports Academy
New Partnerships
Savvy Games Group signs MoU with AUBH to strengthen student training in games and interactive entertainment
AUBH students will gain access to internships, studio visits and direct engagement with Savvy’s teams in Riyadh
Job News
Exel by Merak appoints Faisal Sedrani as CEO to lead its next growth phase
The accelerator is expanding beyond games into a broader multi-sector innovation mandate aligned with Vision 2030
Investment Shift
Saudi Arabia's PIF transfers $3bn Take-Two Stake to Savvy Games Group
The move consolidates Saudi Arabia’s global gaming investments under Savvy
Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions
Giant Growing
Giant secures $8m to expand AI-powered storytelling for children
The startup aims to turn children's screen time into interactive, creative play
M&a
Scopely acquires majority stake in Istanbul’s Pixel Flow developer Loom Games at $1bn valuation
The performance-based deal structure values studio in excess of $1 billion
Acqusitions
Clear Angle Studios acquires DI4D's technology and IP to strengthen performance capture offering
The deal brings together two long-standing specialists in high-fidelity digital performance
Crossovers
June’s Journey welcomes Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie anniversary crossover
Players will solve puzzles across iconic Christie-inspired locations in a cosy mystery format
Possible Acqusition
Report: ByteDance in advanced talks to sell Moonton to Savvy Games Group for up to $7bn
Sources say the transaction could close as soon as this quarter, with broad terms already agreed
New Offerings
Ares Interactive opens pre-registration for Baseball Hits 26 featuring Cal Raleigh
The mobile title is being developed by 7th Inning, staffed by veterans of the former MLB Tap Sports Baseball franchise
Funding News
Hogo Games lands fresh investment at a $10m valuation to scale its production pipeline
The Türkiye-based studio plans to expand its 13-person team and accelerate upcoming titles
Jobs News
Job News
Nexon appoints Patrick Söderlund as executive chairman effective immediately
The new structure sees Söderlund set strategy while CEO Junghun Lee drives execution
Strategic Move
BidOn expands leadership and establishes board to advance open source ad tech
2026 roadmap includes publisher-focused ad tech resources
Job News
Krafton appoints Kangwook Lee as chief AI officer
He will oversee company-wide AI R&D and foundational tech roadmap
Xbox Verdict
"Bad news for Xbox": Analysts react to the leadership shakeup at Microsoft's games division
Games industry analysts offer their insights on the future of Xbox as Phil Spencer exits and Asha Sharma steps in
Hot Five
Hot Five: Scopely acquires majority stake in Loom Games, Phil Spencer retires, and Unity shares approach all-time low
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
#Regulation
Child Safety
Egypt blocks Roblox over concerns about child safety and harmful online content
The Supreme Council for Media Regulation is coordinating with telecom authorities to enforce the ban
Regulations
CMA secures fairness commitments from Apple and Google for UK app stores
The measures mark the first changes since both platforms were designated with strategic market status
Tiktok Troubles
European Commission finds TikTok in breach of Digital Services Act over addictive design
Infinite scroll, autoplay and personalised recommendations were cited as potential risks to users’ mental and physical well-being
New Partnerships
Court reveals secret $800m deal between Google and Epic Games amid antitrust case
The deal was revealed during a court hearing in San Francisco, with a judge questioning its impact on Epic’s legal demands
More News
Overwatch Rush
Blizzard unveils Overwatch Rush "specifically for mobile players"
The development team is said to have "deep mobile experience"
Child Safety
LA County sues Roblox over alleged child safety failures
Officials claim the platform exposes minors to grooming and sexual exploitation
Early In Endfield
Arknights: Endfield makes $46m in first month on mobile
The gacha game saw a boost with its first new character banner on February 7th
Rainbow Six Ready
Rainbow Six Mobile launches globally today after navigating hiatus and extended development
After entering soft launch in August 2023, Ubisoft’s PvP mobile title is finally going global
Studio Closure
Tencent closes TiMi Montreal studio after five years
Studio was founded in 2021 to build open-world multi-platform titles
New Offerings
ByteBrew launches AI-powered cross-promotion network to scale app portfolios
The platform enables developers to target high-value users within their own apps and move them across titles
New Offerings
Roblox launches Global Parent Council to strengthen family engagement and online safety oversight
The council includes 80 parents and caregivers from 32 countries across four regions
Latest Videos
How D2C lets you 'take the power back' from app stores
08:25
|
19 views
How D2C can build personal relationships | Liam Wiltshire from Tebex
11:59
|
12 views
What's behind the Xsolla rebrand? | Berkley Egenes from Xsolla
10:30
|
37 views
Highlights from Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026
01:46
|
186 views
Podcasts
Podcast | Episode 83
Supercell faces Clash Royale controversy and banks on innovation | 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 83...
Podcast | Episode 82
What do game developers really think of Project Genie? | 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 82...
Podcast | Episode 81
Ubisoft turmoil and what happened to Big Fish Games? | 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 81...
Podcast | Episode 80
Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026 unwrapped | 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 80...