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

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...

October 19, 2026

Beyond the platform: Why mobile monetisation is entering a new era

Xsolla At Pgc Nordics 2026

Beyond the platform: Why mobile monetisation is entering a new era

Across the global mobile market, regulation, competition policy and evolving platform strategies are steadily opening new possibilities around payments, distribution and player relationships

October 19, 2026

Welcoming Xsolla as Diamond Sponsor for Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics

Xsolla Diamond Sponsor For Pgc

Welcoming Xsolla as Diamond Sponsor for Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics

The two-day Helsinki event returns on October 20th and 21st

October 19, 2026

Latest

Supercell completes full acquisition of Metacore

Metacore Moves In

Supercell completes full acquisition of Metacore

Merge Mansion transitions to Supercell’s games portfolio

October 19, 2026

Clash of Critters surpasses $50m in under five months

Cash And Critters

Clash of Critters surpasses $50m in under five months

Lilith Games’ recent release has been gradually expanding to key markets like Japan

October 19, 2026

Love and Deepspace backlash continues amid Blade Runner 2049 crossover

Crossovers And Controversy

Love and Deepspace backlash continues amid Blade Runner 2049 crossover

The crossover arrives as Infold Games continues to face fan criticism over the cancelled Valko character

October 19, 2026

Esports World Cup opens new global pathways to 2027 event

Esports World Cup

Esports World Cup opens new global pathways to 2027 event

The new programme offers direct qualifiers and grassroots Satellite Last Chance Qualifiers

October 19, 2026

Nominations now open for the Pocket Gamer Awards 2027

Pocket Gamer Awards

Nominations now open for the Pocket Gamer Awards 2027

Welcoming public suggestions for the 13th edition of our annual consumer awards

October 19, 2026

Mexico orders digital platforms to protect minors from harmful content

Mexico orders digital platforms to protect minors from harmful content

Platforms have 30 days to comply with the decree

October 19, 2026

More

Editor's Picks

India’s Spill Games raises $10.5m in Series A funding

Funding Secured

India’s Spill Games raises $10.5m in Series A funding

The round was led by Elevation Capital

October 15, 2026

Netflix lays off around 1,000 employees, with cuts affecting games division

Netflix lays off around 1,000 employees, with cuts affecting games division

The layoffs affect product, technology, legal, HR and games teams

October 15, 2026

Why community is becoming a growth engine for mobile games

Industry Insights

Why community is becoming a growth engine for mobile games

Ada Mockute Jaime, CMO at Nordcurrent looks at the changing role of community in mobile game marketing and growth

October 15, 2026

Opinion

<blockquote>For me, the most interesting part isn't AI replacing creative talent, but how it can allow smaller teams to work faster.</blockquote>

For me, the most interesting part isn't AI replacing creative talent, but how it can allow smaller teams to work faster.

Hind Toufga discusses how Nordic studios are utilising AI

<blockquote>By making the cost of acquisition so high, I sometimes wonder where are you going to get all those innovations?</blockquote>

By making the cost of acquisition so high, I sometimes wonder where are you going to get all those innovations?

DoubleDown's Faith Price talks D2C, UA challenges and AI

#Pocket Gamer Connects

The AI Gamechangers Summit returns to PG Connect London 2027

The AI Gamechangers Summit returns to PG Connect London 2027

One of January's three partner events, including Beyond Games: Transmedia Summit and PC Connects

October 15, 2026

PG Connects Jordan: Fringe events focus

Connector SpeedMatch, Big Indie Pitch, the Big Indie Zone and an optional tour of historic Jordan

October 14, 2026

NEXT WEEK! PG Connects Nordics

NEXT WEEK! PG Connects Nordics

We return to Helsinki on October 20th and 21st for two days of learning, networking and business with thanks to all our incredible sponsors

October 14, 2026

PG Connects Nordics: The editorial team's can't-miss sessions

Must-see Sessions

PG Connects Nordics: The editorial team's can't-miss sessions

The PGC.biz team picks the PGC Nordics sessions they’re most excited about, from Turkish regulation and live ops to Embark’s leadership lessons and AI as the next game engine.

October 13, 2026

More

#MENA

FIFAe Finals 2026 postponed amid regional security concerns

Tournament Delayed

FIFAe Finals 2026 postponed amid regional security concerns

Japan and Brazil withdrew their esports teams before the postponement

October 15, 2026

Algeria lifts ban on Roblox as it pens new partnership to train local game developers

New Partnerships

Algeria lifts ban on Roblox as it pens new partnership to train local game developers

Chat will remain disabled in Algeria until further safety systems are ready

October 14, 2026

Maysalward founder talks 2026 MENA games industry:

Maysalward founder talks 2026 MENA games industry: "Capital on its own has never created a games industry anywhere"

Nour Khrais says money is the easy part, but governments should make it easier to build, hire, export and keep people

October 13, 2026

Kakao Games partners with Abu Dhabi to expand across MENA

New Partnerships

Kakao Games partners with Abu Dhabi to expand across MENA

The agreement will explore regional expansion through publishing, localisation and live operations

October 9, 2026

MJ Studios' Mohammed Mohammed:

Marvellous Mena

MJ Studios' Mohammed Mohammed: "We’ve always preferred to let our games speak for us"

We speak with MJ Studios founder about Kingdom World’s 100m Roblox visits, building an authentic Saudi experience and turning a hobby into a self-sustaining studio

October 8, 2026

More

#The Nordics

Ending well: The art of killing your game

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

October 15, 2026

Wooga’s Holger Wurst on designing June’s Journey: Player research, AI and the UX rule you can’t break

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

October 14, 2026

Making games now vs then: Nordic veterans on 25 years of changing practices

Making games now vs then: Nordic veterans on 25 years of changing practices

Ahead of PG Connects Nordics, four of our panellists look back on how game development has changed since the 2000s and what hasn’t changed at all

October 13, 2026

Rovio's Wille Miljas on Nordic talent, global audiences and working on Angry Birds 2

Rovio's Wille Miljas on Nordic talent, global audiences and working on Angry Birds 2

Rovio’s Wille Miljas on why great games are no longer enough and why the Nordics’ next chapter depends on treating audience-building as part of the product

October 9, 2026

More

Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions

Flow Games confirms $49m in total funding from Tencent and VC investors

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

October 16, 2026

Exclusive: Turkish developer Flow Games secures $46m in funding package led by Tencent

Exclusive: Turkish developer Flow Games secures $46m in funding package led by Tencent

The Smash Fest developer has secured funding as Tencent continues to invest in Türkiye’s mobile games market

October 13, 2026

Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery’s $111bn merger officially closes today

Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery’s $111bn merger officially closes today

David Ellison will lead as chairman and CEO

October 6, 2026

General Intuition raises $220m at $6.2bn valuation

General Intuition raises $220m at $6.2bn valuation

The company says its models are trained on billions of action-labelled videos

September 30, 2026

Trophy Games acquires Playrion from Paradox

Trophy Games acquires Playrion from Paradox

The acquisition will be funded entirely from Trophy Games’ existing cash reserves

September 28, 2026

Pokémon Go partners with European Space Agency for space-themed event

New Partnerships

Pokémon Go partners with European Space Agency for space-themed event

The event runs from October 4th 2026, to April 30th 2027

September 23, 2026

Nex raises over $150m to take Nex Playground global

Nex raises over $150m to take Nex Playground global

Nex Playground has surpassed 1m units sold and is distributed across more than 7,000 US retail locations

September 21, 2026

More

Jobs News

October 2026's Movers and Shakers: Mojang, Xbox, Scopely, Ukie, Skydance, and more

October 2026's Movers and Shakers: Mojang, Xbox, Scopely, Ukie, Skydance, and more

Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers

October 14, 2026

Xbox appoints new leaders for Mojang and franchise experiences

Xbox appoints new leaders for Mojang and franchise experiences

Maria Angelidou-Smith will become CEO of Mojang and Minecraft on October 19th

October 9, 2026

Harvey Elliott named chair of Ukie as trade body targets next phase of UK growth

Harvey Elliott named chair of Ukie as trade body targets next phase of UK growth

He succeeds Maria Sayans as Ukie Chair

October 7, 2026

MTG wants to double its size while leveraging AI

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

September 30, 2026

September 2026's Movers and Shakers: Scopely, Niantic Spatial, Trailmix, Roblox, Zynga and more

September 2026's Movers and Shakers: Scopely, Niantic Spatial, Trailmix, Roblox, Zynga and more

Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers

September 30, 2026

More

#China

Lilith Games finds a new hit as Clash of Critters makes $45.6m in four months

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

September 21, 2026

Delta Force surpasses $10m in daily player spending for the first time

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

September 7, 2026

China games market surpasses $50bn for the first time as player base is forecast to hit 769m by 2030

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

September 7, 2026

Duolingo partners with Eggy Party in China

Party Partnership

Duolingo partners with Eggy Party in China

The partnership offers learners in China access to the Eggy Party Quest in Duolingo

September 2, 2026

More

More News

Supercell brings Clash Royale to tabletop with new Kickstarter board game

Supercell brings Clash Royale to tabletop with new Kickstarter board game

Maestro Media is adapting the mobile strategy game into a physical experience

October 16, 2026

War Robots surpasses $50m in Steam lifetime revenue

War Robots surpasses $50m in Steam lifetime revenue

The mobile-first shooter has passed the milestone on PC as the franchise expands across platforms

October 16, 2026

East Side Games secures $2.8m in Canadian credit and a $4m loan

East Side Games secures $2.8m in Canadian credit and a $4m loan

EDC funding will support two unannounced games planned for 2027

October 16, 2026

Xbox launches Labs group to explore new gaming technology

Xbox launches Labs group to explore new gaming technology

The team plans to share its tools with developers across the industry

October 16, 2026

Ubisoft plans to close RedLynx and cut 70 jobs in Singapore

Ubisoft plans to close RedLynx and cut 70 jobs in Singapore

The year has seen closures, layoffs and game cancellations from Ubisoft

October 15, 2026

Brazil president signs decree implementing Legal Framework for the Games Industry

Industry Growth

Brazil president signs decree implementing Legal Framework for the Games Industry

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed the decree on October 14th

October 15, 2026

Supercell set to shut down Squad Busters on December 14th

Supercell set to shut down Squad Busters on December 14th

The title will be removed from app stores on December 1st

October 14, 2026

More

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Podcasts

AI's insane PR machine, Zynga's failed $400m Supercell deal and EU regulation | Week in Mobile Games podcast

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...

October 4, 2026

Apple's $2,000+ iPhone Duo and the backlash against new EU App Store rules | Week in Mobile Games podcast

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...

September 12, 2026

Gamescom 2026 insights and Sony Music's shock Puzzle & Dragons investment | Week in Mobile Games podcast

Podcast | Episode 103

Gamescom 2026 insights and Sony Music's shock Puzzle & Dragons investment | 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 103...

September 6, 2026

Did Apple really resolve its EU dispute? | Week in Mobile Games podcast

Podcast | Episode 102

Did Apple really resolve its EU dispute? | 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 102...

August 24, 2026

More