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News
Studio Closure
Coffee Stain Malmö shuts down months after Embracer spinoff
Planetary Plans
Closed beta for HoYoverse’s Petit Planet will feature new neighbours and enhanced Starsea Voyages
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Milestone Magic
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery surpasses 160m downloads eight years after launch
The developer said players have logged more than 100.7bn minutes in the game since its 2018 debut
Acqusitions
LY Corp acquires majority stake in Kakao Games with $198m investment
Kakao will remain a strategic partner despite stepping down to second largest shareholder
Sonic Shift
Sonic Rumble rebranded to Sonic Rumble Party as it adds new features and removes game modes
The party royale has made an estimated $1.6m on mobile
Closure
Rec Room to shut down after failing to achieve profitability from 150m players
The company cited shifts in the VR market and broader games industry pressures as key factors behind the decision
Ugc
Roblox launches avatar makeup category to expand creator monetisation and brand partnerships
Roblox said users updated their avatars an average of 274m times per day in early 2025
Sporting Surprise
Candy Crush takeover at the Intuit Dome aims for broader brand recognition
Among the mascots, actress Anna Faris was revealed to be inside the Bubblegum Troll
Jobs News
Nodwin Gaming appoints chief strategy and investments officer ahead of potential IPO
He will lead mergers and acquisitions, corporate strategy and fundraising to support the company's global expansion
Community Building
Scopely launches Monopoly Go Chat app worldwide
Standalone app provides a more reliable technical experience, publisher claims
Esports
Esports Foundation selects 40 clubs for $20m partner program ahead of 2026 Esports World Cup
Participating clubs can receive up to $1m each to expand their brands and fan engagement ahead of the tournament
Fund Raise
Nazara raises over $50m to fund acquisitions and AI-led expansion
The new capital will be used to build AI-enabled gaming businesses designed for international markets and support recent acquisitions
Podcast
PocketGamer.biz Podcast: Data doesn't solve problems - decisions do
We talk with GameAnalytics head of BD and customer success Falko Boecker to discuss data, AI and finding the right insights
Crossovers
Tetris and Space Invaders team up for first-ever in-game crossover event
The crossover blends more than 75 years of arcade history across two of gaming’s most iconic franchises
Apple Troubles
Ninth Circuit denies Apple rehearing request in Epic Games App Store dispute
The decision reinforces requirements for Apple to allow developers to direct users to alternative payment methods
Model Analysis
Fire Emblem Shadows earns just $578,000 in first six months, less than 1% of Fire Emblem Heroes
Shadows and Heroes share an IP but opt for different genres and monetisation models
Latest Layoffs
Pixelberry Studios reportedly lays off staff in another round of workforce reductions
The reductions mark the second round of job cuts at Pixelberry in two years
Pgc Summit Malmo
Tracks uncovered: Gain essential knowledge through PGC Summit Malmö's conference programme
Tightly focused four-track summit schedule runs alongside two days of meetings and curated networking opportunities
Game Closure
Bethesda to shut down The Elder Scrolls: Blades servers in June
The closure will take effect across all platforms, including Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch
Investment News
Maxim Krippa becomes co-owner of Burny Games expanding long-term investment role
Burny Games has surpassed 65m downloads across a portfolio of roughly ten mobile titles
Events
Ustwo Games revealed as first keynote for Develop: Brighton 2026
Maria Sayans, Daniel Gray and Peter Pashley will take to the stage to discuss the studio's journey and making a lasting impact
Acqusitions
Mistplay completes acquisition of Connected Rewards to link gameplay with real-world loyalty programs
The deal integrates Connected Rewards into the LoyaltyPlay platform
Job Losses
Epic layoffs spark launch of ‘Awesome People List’ job site for more than 1,000 displaced staff
The platform allows hiring managers to browse candidates across engineering, design, production, community management, and security roles
Fortnite Figures
Fortnite lands 5.7m downloads on Google Play after comeback, but chart rankings are mixed
Epic Games’ flagship peaked at second in the global download charts, but has topped Brazil and Mexico’s for over a week
Funding News
Sett raises $30m to scale AI-driven marketing automation platform
The company plans to expand beyond gaming into fintech, apps and e-commerce by the end of 2026
Acqusitions
Asmodee acquires ATM Gaming in €180m deal to expand social board game portfolio
The deal targets the fast-growing social and party games segment
Podcast | Episode 87
Was Epic's app store battle worth it? | 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 87...
Adaptations Ahoy
Baobab to adapt Roblox hits Deepwoken, Natural Disaster Survival and Barry’s Prison Run for film and TV
The studio selected titles with deep engagement and strong world-building rather than chasing short-lived viral success
Job News
Metasports appoints head of marketing to scale Hitwicket globally
He will lead user acquisition, brand, and partnerships across Metasports’ growing portfolio of sports games
Pgc Summit Malmo
Final days: Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Malmö Early Bird ends soon!
Save now on new super-focused, networking-centric summit designed to boost your Nordic Game week
Strategic Move
Unity to shut down IronSource Ads Network and explore Supersonic sale as revenue beats guidance
The ironSource Ads Network will officially cease operations on April 30th 2026
Esports Growth
Honor of Kings World Cup 2026 brings Honor of Kings and Arena of Valor teams together
Twenty teams from multiple regional leagues will compete for a $3m prize pool at the event in Riyadh
Funding For Games
LVL Zero receives over 240 applications as new wave of Indian game studios takes shape
More than 30% of applicants are designing games with live operations and analytics frameworks from the outset
New Offerings
Iwot studios partners with Initiate Entertainment to expand The Wheel of Time across games and animation
The partnership brings former Riot Games franchise leader Thomas Vu into the next phase of The Wheel of Time’s global expansion
Esports Nations Cup
The Esports Foundation appoints National Team Partners ahead of the Esports Nations Cup 2026 debut
National partners will take responsibility for player selection, community mobilisation and long-term talent development pipelines
Expansions
AviaGames opens Global Trust Centre in Singapore to boost real-money game security
The new facility will coordinate global security standards and regulatory compliance as the company expands into additional markets
New Offerings
Sybo adds permanent competitive race mode to Subway Surfers after player demand
New Showdown mode allows up to six players to compete in real-time races
Layoff News
Meta cuts roughly 700 jobs as it shifts resources toward artificial intelligence infrastructure
Layoffs impact recruiting, social media, sales and the company’s Reality Labs division
Funding News
Verse8 secures $5m to scale its AI-driven game creation platform
The company aims to compress full game development into a single natural language prompt
Partnership Extension
Budge Studios continues Nickelodeon partnership with global launch of Dora: Explore and Play
The studio has surpassed two billion downloads across its portfolio of children’s entertainment apps
New Partnerships
Xsolla and CYGMA team up to grow Cyprus’ game development sector
The deal gives local studios access to global monetisation infrastructure and publishing support
New Offerings
Teebik to launch Rome: Total War and Medieval II on mobile in China
The move signals a continued push to bring premium strategy titles into tightly controlled mobile markets
Closure
OpenAI shuts down Sora video-generation app less than two years after launch
The company is redirecting resources toward robotics and autonomous AI systems with real-world applications
Acqusitions
Reforged Studios acquires Headup to expand global publishing footprint
Headup will continue operating independently while gaining access to Reforged’s international infrastructure and support network
Pgc Summit Shanghai
Start your ChinaJoy trip at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai 2026
Focused summit connecting the world’s game sectors from East to West on July 29th
Epic Troubles
Epic Games to retire three Fortnite modes after failing to attract and retain players
Rocket Racing, Ballistic, and Festival Battle Stage are being shut down
Mighty Milestone
Appcharge surpasses $1bn in D2C transactions
Transaction volume on the platform has more than doubled in six months following its $58m Series B funding round
Layoff News
Epic Games cuts 1,000 jobs as Fortnite slowdown forces major reset
“Since it's a thing now, I should note that the layoffs aren't related to AI," said Epic CEO Tim Sweeney.
Duolingo Design
Duolingo experiments with tool to lock other apps until daily lessons are complete
The new tool links access to social media directly to learning progress, turning education into a gatekeeper for screen time