mobilegamer.biz digest

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week: How Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption is doing on mobile  Coin Master maker Moon Active's latest soft launches  Playtika cuts 500 staff, says its growth strategy isn't working (and wants AI efficiencies) Marketing firm Liftoff files for an IPO Possibly too much detail on 2025's top grossing games Just enough detail on 2...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week: Roblox brainrot and what mobile game-makers can learn from it  Ustwo goes PC first after Apple Arcade and Netflix strategy shifts Ubisoft closes a mobile studio, Assassins Creed Rebellion is iced Your 2026 predictions and a couple of my own Some data nuggets to nibble on, including December's top performers #28, 08/01/26. Supported...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week: Some reaction and context on that apparent new Unity fee A stroll through the life and death of Space Ape Games Your games of the year, and what it says about mobile games right now Jobs news and data nuggets A brief, loose ramble around the biggest stories and trends of 2025 #27, 18/12/25. Supported by Xsolla .  • Hang on, what's...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week: - What might be next for Warner's mobile games after those Netflix/Paramount bids (Either way, it's not looking great) - Why mobile games get ignored at awards shows (and why it's not worth worrying about) - A quick tour of the weird, cynical and quite funny mobile game ads being served on TikTok right now - A smorgasbord...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week:  A look at Trip Hawkins and the Digital Chocolate diaspora running big chunks of today’s mobile games business Is Destiny: Rising in trouble? It seems that way, but a China launch might rescue it A job ad suggests EA is taking another shot at the mobile shooter category, meaning Apex Legends and Battlefield could return to mobile Novemb...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week:  Apple accused of more troubling App Review behaviour  GTA: San Andreas leaves Netflix as games reboot continues A look at Türkiye's ecosystem and the secrets of its success Quick tips on how to make an iconic game icon Zombies Run's co-creator buys it back from a blockchain firm Handy data nuggets and soft launch game news An...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week:  That Unity-Epic deal and the Bromberg-Sweeney alliance Minecraft Blast - the first 'proper' Minecraft mobile game...? Netflix Games 2.0 is here and it's all about Red Dead, WWE, kids and party games Duolingo's not finished buying up mobile game talent Ubisoft halts trading – just boring accountancy stuff or somethin...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week:  The Epic-Google deal is on ice (plus some speculation around it)  That big EA cash-out, including $100m+ for CEO Andrew Wilson Supercell elaborates on why it killed Squad Busters Mobile rules at Take-Two Playtika's doing another Disney game Rainbow Six Mobile is launching after over six years in development NCsoft's Horizon M...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week:  What that Epic-Google agreement could mean Is Supercell closing mo.co next? No, apparently not Sandsoft has indeed closed, as per previous reports October’s top grossing and most downloaded games Data nuggets and jobs news A plug for the next Off The Record event in London A thrilling discovery at Porto airport #21, 06/11/25. Supported...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week:  Reaction to three closures: Squad Busters, Sandsoft and Boss Fight Akın Babayiğit’s ‘billion dollar blueprint’ Google opens up the US Play store EA’s mobile revenue Pokémon Go post-Scopely takeover Handy data nuggets and soft launch news A plug for Off The Record London on November 19 #20, 30/10/25. Supported by Xsolla.  • Hang on, wha...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week, thoughts on:  Layoffs in Finland, boomtime in Istanbul Unity enters the webshop race EA's strange Sims strategy That AWS outage Nintendo’s baffling approach to mobile  Data and jobs news nuggets A plug for Off The Record London on November 19 #19, 23/10/25. Supported by Xsolla.  • Hang on, what's going on here? Every week mobi...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week:  - What's going on at Supercell London - Metacore's Merge Mansion, older players and market changes - Playdigious on how to port PC/console games to mobile and actually succeed - Appcharge hires Xsolla exec - Data nuggets, soft launch games and our next Off The Record event  #18, 16/10/25. Supported by Xsolla.  • Hang on, what...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week:  - Epic Games' move into webshops (will Unity be next?) - AppLovin's alleged data collection probe - Supercell's spiky letter to EU regulators - Griffin buys Playdigious from Fragbite, 8SEC closes - Destiny: Rising dodges a Diablo Immortal-style firestorm - Loads of top grossing and top download data plus plenty of fundin...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week:  - Industry reaction to that $55bn EA deal, and what might come next - MTG reshuffles, studio founders depart - News nuggets from our data and soft launch columns - A plug for our next Off The Record event in London  #16, 02/10/25. Supported by Xsolla.  • Hang on, what's going on here? Every week mobilegamer.biz founder and editor...

A concise inside view of the mobile game business. This week:  - What's going on at Netflix games - Google Play's new features and its comment on that 30% cut - Nintendo's surprise new mobile game - Two big moves at Supercell - News nuggets from our data and jobs columns - A plug for our next Off The Record event in Leamington  #15, 25/09/25. Supported by Xsolla.  • Hang on, what&ap...

This week's concise, inside view of the mobile game business. #14, 18/09/25  This week:  - A look at the new Apple Games app and why it exists - AppLovin's expansion beyond mobile game UA and potential Super Bowl ad  - An Off The Record Helsinki wrap-up and news of the next event - News nuggets from our soft launch, data and new game columns • Hang on, what's going on here, exactly?...

#13, 11/09/25: This week's concise inside view of the mobile game business includes:  - How mobile game makers are dodging App Store fees in the US - August's top performers, including Roblox and Clash Royale  - Interesting news nuggets from our regular data, jobs and new game digests. • Hang on, what's going on here, exactly? Every week mobilegamer.biz founder and editor Neil Long...

#12, 04/09/25: This week's inside view of the mobile game business includes thoughts on:  - Why console game-makers keep porting old console games to mobile - More thoughts from inside King on culture, mismanagement and more - Destiny Rising's smooth launch (compared to Diablo Immortal, at least) There are also interesting news nuggets from our regular data, soft launch and new game dige...

#11, 28/08/25: This week's inside view of mobilegamer.biz includes thoughts on:  - That King story, how it was put together and the reaction to it so far - A chat with three different 'AI first' game-makers - The closure of Beatstar after Duolingo bought out most of NextBeat's staff There are also interesting news nuggets from our regular data, jobs and new game digests. • Hang...

#10, 21/08/25: This week's audio tour of mobilegamer.biz includes thoughts on Gamescom's mobile presence and a growing sense of optimism overall, a look at what Supercell is up to with its AI lab and plenty of fascinating news nuggets in our regular data, soft launch and new game digests. • Hang on, what is going on here, exactly? Every week mobilegamer.biz founder and editor Neil Long g...

#9, 15/08/25: This week's audio tour of mobilegamer.biz takes in Moon Active's three new soft launch games, Umamusume's horse girls getting traction with western players and what's next for NextBeat after most of its staff joined Duolingo. There are also news nuggets aplenty from our regular data, jobs and new games round-ups. • Hang on, what is going on here, exactly? Every we...

#8, 08/08/25: This week we explain why games websites don't write about mobile games, Duolingo's surprise acquisition of NextBeat, who's leading Supercell's AI lab and July's top downloads and biggest earners. There's also plenty of interesting nuggets in the regular  data, soft launch and new game digests. • Hang on, what is going on here, exactly? Every week mobileg...

#7, 01/08/25: This week we rattle through the layoff protests at King Barcelona, a new Secret Developer blog about whale hunting, find out where all the VC money has gone and bring you the highlights from our regular data, jobs and new games updates. • Hang on, what is going on here, exactly? Every week mobilegamer.biz founder and editor Neil Long goes on a walk and explains what is happening in t...

#6, 25/07/25: Quickfire discussion of this week’s big Niantic interview, more layoffs, Monopoly Go’s earnings and a first for Supercell as it invests in a ‘GenAI first’ game studio. There's also a dash through lots of other news nuggets in our regular new game, data and soft launch columns. • Hang on, what is going on here, exactly? Every week mobilegamer.biz founder and editor Neil Long goes...

#5, 18/07/25: Quickfire discussion of that King AI layoffs story, a recent interview with Zynga boss Frank Gibeau plus a look at how an 'AI-first' studio is doing.  There's also a summary of lots of other news nuggets in our regular new game, data and jobs columns. • Hang on, what is going on here, exactly? Every week in this podcast mobilegamer.biz founder and editor Neil Long goes...