Game ownership, Love and Deepspace controversy, Pikmin Bloom's record revenue and WeChat's mini-game boom | Week in Views

Game ownership, Love and Deepspace controversy, Pikmin Bloom's record revenue and WeChat's mini-game boom | Week in Views

The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories

New release roundup: Unhinged, CookieRun: Classic, Creatures of the Deep+, and more

New release roundup: Unhinged, CookieRun: Classic, Creatures of the Deep+, and more

We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week

Rovio CEO Alex Pelletier-Normand appointed COO of SEGA Europe's West Studios

Rovio CEO Alex Pelletier-Normand appointed COO of SEGA Europe's West Studios

Pelletier-Normand will continue serving as CEO of Rovio Entertainment

Latest

United Videogame Workers launches hardship fund for laid-off game workers

Providing Support

United Videogame Workers launches hardship fund for laid-off game workers

Eligible applicants can request between $1,000 and $5,000 in assistance

Innovate UK opens £10m Createch funding call for game developers

Innovate UK opens £10m Createch funding call for game developers

Grants of between £100,000 and £500,000 are available for eligible projects

VOTE NOW: The games of the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2026

Mobile Games Awards

VOTE NOW: The games of the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2026

Who will win? Featuring Arknights; Hatch Dragons; Kingdom Rush; My Talking Tom; The Division; Warframe; Zenless Zone Zero and more…

Google launches $1m Indie Games Fund for African developers

Funding For Games

Google launches $1m Indie Games Fund for African developers

Ten indie game studios will receive between $50,000 and $200,000 each

“Players have the right to know what they're buying and how long they'll have it”: The Mobile Mavens on game ownership

“Players have the right to know what they're buying and how long they'll have it”: The Mobile Mavens on game ownership

The Mobile Mavens discuss game ownership, publisher responsibility and what happens when games reach end of life

Inside June's Journey's leap from mobile game to bestselling novel with Death Wasn't Invited

Inside June's Journey's leap from mobile game to bestselling novel with Death Wasn't Invited

Wooga managing director Dennis Korf and author Carlene O'Connor discuss bringing June's Journey into publishing and expanding the game's world beyond mobile

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Editor's Picks

State of Play: The challenges and opportunities facing the Nordic games industry

State of Play: The challenges and opportunities facing the Nordic games industry

We delve into the vibrant games hubs across Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark - and the key challenges they face

State of Play: The UK's games industry is set for a big year - is the Government taking notice?

State of Play: The UK's games industry is set for a big year - is the Government taking notice?

A global games powerhouse, with a hugely engaged audience, the UK sector faces challenges but also has potential to grow…

Supercell's Vladislav Perge on building communities and player trust

Pgc Summit Shanghai

Supercell's Vladislav Perge on building communities and player trust

At last year's PGC Shanghai, Supercell community manager Vladislav Perge delivered a masterclass in building trust with players

Opinion

<blockquote>We have to ensure that we're not just trading on the skills base of previous decades but are investing in new talent.</blockquote>

We have to ensure that we're not just trading on the skills base of previous decades but are investing in new talent.

UKIE CEO Nick Poole reflects on the next generation of talent

<blockquote>Tetris is a cultural icon; it lives in pop culture in a way very few games do.</blockquote>

Tetris is a cultural icon; it lives in pop culture in a way very few games do.

How Tetris CEO Maya Rogers is maintaining a brand launched over 40 years ago

#Pocket Gamer Connects

MyGamez VP of partnerships Svitlana Verpakhovska to speak at PGC Summit Shanghai

Pgc Summit Shanghai

MyGamez VP of partnerships Svitlana Verpakhovska to speak at PGC Summit Shanghai

The newly appointed MyGamez VP joins a growing roster to help Western developers crack the world's largest games market

How to make your ChinaJoy trip hassle-free

Pgc Summit Shanghai

How to make your ChinaJoy trip hassle-free

What international visitors need to know before they head to Shanghai later this month

MyGamez on why co-publishing could be your way into China

Pgc Summit Shanghai

MyGamez on why co-publishing could be your way into China

At PGC Summit Shanghai 2025, MyGamez CEO Mikael Leinonen made the case for co-publishing as the route into the world's biggest games market

PG Connects Nordics: the companies that came to Helsinki in 2025

PG Connects Nordics: the companies that came to Helsinki in 2025

Looking forward to this October's two-day conference with a look back at last year's event

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Industry Voices

Inside The Battle of Polytopia studio Midjiwan

Inside The Battle of Polytopia studio Midjiwan

We catch up with Midjiwan CEO Christian Lövstedt to discuss the evolution of hit Sweden-made game The Battle of Polytopia and how this developer is supporting local studios with Game Town

iBloxx Studios on building StrayShot for mobile, seven-figure backing and the road to console

Marvellous Mena

iBloxx Studios on building StrayShot for mobile, seven-figure backing and the road to console

"We fully understand the scepticism around web3 gaming and that's exactly why our philosophy has always been 'game-first"

What the West can learn from China's WeChat mini-games

Mini-game Mania

What the West can learn from China's WeChat mini-games

SocialPeta CMO and head of overseas business Summer Liu on how WeChat mini-games scale into global franchises pulling over $10m a day and what that means for studios abroad

Rising hardware prices, meaningful inclusion and Pokémon Champions’ early success | Week in Views

Rising hardware prices, meaningful inclusion and Pokémon Champions’ early success | Week in Views

The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories

"The question isn't whether it's the right intent, it is whether it will actually work": The Mobile Mavens on the UK's social media ban

The Mobile Mavens discuss the UK's proposed social media ban for under-16's

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#MENA

Savvy Games Group partners with Genvid and Massive Studios to expand AI access for Saudi developers

New Partnerships

Savvy Games Group partners with Genvid and Massive Studios to expand AI access for Saudi developers

The agreement includes training, mentorship and educational programmes to develop local talent

Ouaz Games on surviving hypercasual's collapse and the rise of browser games

Marvellous Mena

Ouaz Games on surviving hypercasual's collapse and the rise of browser games

"I see new studios with no capital trying to ship console or Steam titles because they think that's what makes you a 'real' studio"

Tamatem launches first internally developed game with King of Delivery 2

Direct Delivery

Tamatem launches first internally developed game with King of Delivery 2

The company has integrated local brand partnerships directly into the game world as part of the player experience

Nigeria to bring first-ever developer delegation and booth to Gamescom 2026

Nigeria to bring first-ever developer delegation and booth to Gamescom 2026

The delegation is led by Maliyo Games founder Hugo Obi

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Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions

Kepler Interactive acquires minority stake in Oro Interactive

Kepler Interactive acquires minority stake in Oro Interactive

The investment gives Oro additional resources and expertise to support its growth.

Xsolla partners with Pley to expand browser game monetisation for mobile studios

Pley Partnership

Xsolla partners with Pley to expand browser game monetisation for mobile studios

The partnership targets monetisation gaps in markets with limited app store payment support

July's Collabs Corner: Monopoly Go meets The Simpsons, Brawl Stars partners with Adidas, and more

Collaborations Roundup

July's Collabs Corner: Monopoly Go meets The Simpsons, Brawl Stars partners with Adidas, and more

The latest crossovers in mobile games, all in one place

PvX Partners secures $5m investment from MIT to expand user acquisition financing

Investment Incoming

PvX Partners secures $5m investment from MIT to expand user acquisition financing

The investment will expand PvX's user acquisition financing platform

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha signs deal with UFL mobile game after World Cup heroics

New Partnerships

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha signs deal with UFL mobile game after World Cup heroics

The deal follows Vozinha's rapid rise in global popularity

Griffin Gaming Partners acquires 3.24% stake in TinyBuild

Griffin Gaming Partners acquires 3.24% stake in TinyBuild

The investment backs TinyBuild's strategy of building and growing wholly owned game IP

Spill Games raises $3.1m seed round to scale mobile games portfolio

Spill Games raises $3.1m seed round to scale mobile games portfolio

The funding will support portfolio growth, technology development and selective team expansion

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Jobs News

Supercell head of investments Jaakko Harlas departs

Supercell head of investments Jaakko Harlas departs

Harlas said he has no new role planned and will spend time with his family

Ubisoft Barcelona staff strike over proposed layoffs

Ubisoft Barcelona staff strike over proposed layoffs

Workers are seeking guarantees that all 51 affected staff will retain their jobs

Stillfront CEO Alexis Bonte to depart

Stillfront CEO Alexis Bonte to depart

Search is underway for a new chief exec

Direct-to-consumer banks $17 billion and Google rolls out fee changes | Week in Mobile Games podcast

Podcast | Episode 95

Direct-to-consumer banks $17 billion and Google rolls out fee changes | 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 95...

MobyGames launches beta careers platform for games industry workers

MobyGames launches beta careers platform for games industry workers

The new platform aims to help developers build professional networks and navigate the jobs market

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#Regulation

Google loses appeal against $4.7 billion Android antitrust fine

Google loses appeal against $4.7 billion Android antitrust fine

Regulators found Google used Android agreements to block rivals

The European Commission rejects calls to stop publishers from taking games offline

Games Preservation

The European Commission rejects calls to stop publishers from taking games offline

The Commission plans to consult with publishers and consumer on end-of-life standard for video games

UK social media ban plans could affect gaming platform features

UK social media ban plans could affect gaming platform features

The government hopes to implement the measures by spring 2027

Roblox says “chat will remain off in the majority of the Middle East

Roblox says “chat will remain off in the majority of the Middle East" until Arabic moderation matures

Following PGbiz's analysis of the Savvy-Roblox MoU last month, Roblox MENAT GM Mohamed El Sheakh responded to a series of questions on its MENA strategy

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More News

SuperCity reaches $100m revenue as it celebrates 15 years

SuperCity reaches $100m revenue as it celebrates 15 years

The game has reached 40m installs worldwide

Godot to ban AI-generated code contributions and tighten contributor policies

Godot to ban AI-generated code contributions and tighten contributor policies

New contributors will need approval before submitting major features or refactoring

NBCUniversal explores video game expansion after Comcast split

NBCUniversal explores video game expansion after Comcast split

No gaming acquisitions or partnerships have been discussed yet

Love and Deepspace's Valko romance cancelled following backlash

Love and Deepspace's Valko romance cancelled following backlash

New romanceable werewolf Valko was planned to launch with version 6.0, but controversy has changed Infold’s plans

Pikmin Bloom skyrockets to record revenue as Taiwanese spending surges 902%

Pikmin Pollenation

Pikmin Bloom skyrockets to record revenue as Taiwanese spending surges 902%

The walking game has made $35.7 million in H1 2026, 94% of its total 2025 earnings

Ludo AI updates Sprite Generator with new animation and export tools

Ludo AI updates Sprite Generator with new animation and export tools

The update introduces a revamped Pose Generator and new animation tools

Voting opens for the Mobile Games Awards 2026 in association with Samsung Gaming Hub

Mobile Games Awards

Voting opens for the Mobile Games Awards 2026 in association with Samsung Gaming Hub

Who do you want to win the industry's most prestigious awards this year?

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Latest Videos

Highlights from Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2026

Highlights from Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2026

01:33 | 8 views

How to leverage incentivised rewards for high value UA

How to leverage incentivised rewards for high value UA

10:34 | 116 views

Rewarded Marketplaces & How Surprise Equals Engagement

Rewarded Marketplaces & How Surprise Equals Engagement

08:50 | 138 views

How D2C lets you 'take the power back' from app stores

How D2C lets you 'take the power back' from app stores

08:25 | 45 views

More

Podcasts

PGC Barcelona takeaways, the UK's social media ban and Fortnite vs Roblox | Week in Mobile Games podcast

Podcast | Episode 94

PGC Barcelona takeaways, the UK's social media ban and Fortnite vs Roblox | 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 94...

Record D2C revenue and international studios flock to Spain | Week in Mobile Games podcast

Podcast | Episode 93

Record D2C revenue and international studios flock to Spain | 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 93...

The Sensor Tower / AppMagic deal unwrapped and Xbox's random rebrand | Week in Mobile Games podcast

Podcast | Episode 92

The Sensor Tower / AppMagic deal unwrapped and Xbox's random rebrand | 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 92...

Sensor Tower's AppMagic acquisition and Sega's brutal Rovio comments | Week in Mobile Games podcast

Podcast | Episode 91

Sensor Tower's AppMagic acquisition and Sega's brutal Rovio comments | 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 91...

More