Metacore
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Supercell reboots Mo.co, Fortnite is back on iOS, Nintendo's next mobile game, Embracer, Wooga, more
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating a period of strategic pivots, legal challenges, and financial recalibration.
- Embracer Group has written down the value of its mobile division—comprising CrazyLabs, A Thinking Ape, and Deca—by $192.4 million following a 57% year-on-year decline in net sales to $244.9 million.
- Supercell has rebooted its monster-hunting title 'Mo.co' with a new season pass structure, though the game continues to rely exclusively on cosmetic monetization, raising concerns about its long-term viability compared to the discontinued 'Squad Busters'.
- Fortnite has returned to the iOS App Store worldwide (excluding Australia), a move Epic Games is using to force transparency regarding Apple's commission structures and fee-related legal challenges.
Mobilegamer.biz Weekly Newsletter: April 2026
The May 2026 edition of the mobilegamer.biz newsletter provides a comprehensive overview of significant corporate developments, market performance, and industry trends within the global mobile gaming sector.
- Supercell is set to fully acquire Metacore, the maker of Merge Mansion, as part of a restructuring that puts 160 jobs at risk and will integrate Merge Mansion into Supercell’s live portfolio after Metacore failed to launch new sustainable games.
- Second Dinner, the studio behind Marvel Snap, has implemented layoffs affecting 16 staff, though work on their second game is continuing.
- Unity reported a 17% year-on-year revenue increase, with CEO Bromberg noting that 90% of game developers are already using AI in their workflows.
🚨📢 BREAKING NEWS: Applovin Record Revenue, More Layoffs, EvE online sold back
The gaming industry is currently experiencing a period of significant corporate restructuring, marked by record financial performances for some entities and aggressive downsizing for others.
- AppLovin reported record Q1 revenue of $1.84 billion, a 25% year-over-year increase, while Unity posted a $347 million loss despite a 17% revenue increase to $508 million.
- CCP Games is being sold back to its CEO by Pearl Abyss for $120 million, a significant drop from its $425 million valuation in 2018.
- Supercell acquired Metacore, resulting in a 30% workforce reduction at the studio as part of a strategic shift in the merge-game genre.
TWIG #382: Merge Mansion Falls, Xbox Fires the Wrong People, and the Math That Killed Gaming VC
The gaming industry is undergoing a fundamental structural transition, moving away from the high-growth, venture-backed models of the past decade toward a landscape defined by operational efficiency, asset-focused management, and lean production cycles.
- The gaming industry is shifting from high-growth, venture-backed models to a focus on operational efficiency, fiscal discipline, and long-term cash flow optimization.
- Venture capital investment in gaming has plummeted due to compressed valuation multiples and a shrinking pool of potential acquirers, signaling the end of the mobile free-to-play era's explosive growth.
- Studios are increasingly adopting a 'band model' that utilizes small core teams supplemented by freelancers, outsourcing, and AI to mitigate the rising costs of traditional development.
Supercell buys Metacore amid brutal layoffs, Second Dinner cuts, inside Scopely x Niantic, more
The mobile games industry is currently navigating a period of significant restructuring and strategic consolidation.
- Supercell has acquired Metacore in a deal involving a €180 million investment, resulting in the layoff of 160 staff members—over half the company—as the studio pivots to focus exclusively on Merge Mansion.
- Marvel Snap developer Second Dinner has laid off 16 employees, though the company confirmed that development on its current roadmap and an unannounced second game remain unaffected.
- Scopely and Niantic executives revealed that their partnership, which has significantly improved revenue performance for titles like Pikmin Bloom, involved intense integration efforts and complex technical collaboration.
How Metacore Scaled Merge Mansion With a Stellar Live Event Strategy
Metacore has successfully scaled the mobile merge-2 game Merge Mansion by implementing an aggressive and innovative live event strategy.
- Metacore significantly scaled its LiveOps strategy for Merge Mansion, nearly doubling the total number of live events between March 2025 and April 2024.
- The introduction of the 'Merge it Up!' event, a mini battle pass, resulted in a 138% spike in daily revenue on its final active day.
- Metacore successfully transitioned the 'Supercharge' event—which doubles production speed and allows for higher-level item creation—from a limited-time offering into a permanent game feature.
Panel: Better Games Together: Uniting the Industry Through Pride and Pixels
Better Games Together is a collaborative initiative founded in 2022 by several prominent Finnish game companies, including Supercell, Metacore, Next Games, and Rovio, in partnership with We in Games Finland.
- Founded in 2022, the 'Better Games Together' collective unites major Finnish studios including Supercell, Metacore, Next Games, and Rovio to drive systemic LGBTQIA+ inclusion through cross-company collaboration.
- Industry-wide research conducted by the group identified that while progress has been made regarding sexual orientation, there is a critical need for increased support and development for trans and non-binary professionals.
- The initiative has moved beyond corporate Pride branding to implement concrete actions, including quarterly employee meetups, roundtable discussions, and specialized training on topics like intersex awareness.
two & a half gamers session #12 - Metacore 65M loss, Niantic 1 hit wonder, Industry conference guide
The mobile gaming industry currently faces significant challenges regarding user acquisition strategies, the sustainability of metaverse platforms, and the evolving utility of professional conferences.
- High-budget celebrity-led television advertising, such as Metacore’s $20 million campaign, is failing to deliver measurable returns compared to traditional digital user acquisition channels, leading to significant financial losses.
- The mobile gaming industry is struggling to replicate the success of foundational hits like Pokémon GO without the leverage of established intellectual property, highlighting the risks of relying on single-hit titles.
- Professional industry conferences like GDC and Gamescom have shifted in value from formal, lecture-based education to informal, face-to-face networking, which senior practitioners now view as the primary benefit of attendance.
Gaming meets Business at the Hamburg Games Conference 2024
The Hamburg Games Conference 2024, held on March 5 and 6, served as a strategic nexus for international games companies, start-ups, and industry stakeholders.
- The Hamburg Games Conference 2024, held March 5–6, prioritized addressing industry-wide challenges including global layoffs, IP licensing, and the integration of AI in game development.
- Industry leaders from Remedy Entertainment, Metacore, Thunderful Group, The Sandbox, and Animoca Brands participated in discussions focused on practical business strategies and legal frameworks for emerging technologies.
- The conference introduced 'Opportunity Tickets' to provide free access and networking resources to professionals affected by recent industry layoffs, aiming to stabilize the talent ecosystem.
You Need to Know who is Going to Play Your Game - Teppo Soininen, Metacore Games
Concept testing serves as a critical risk-mitigation strategy in mobile game development, allowing studios to validate ideas before committing significant time and capital to production.
- Concept testing acts as a primary risk-mitigation strategy by validating game ideas during pre-production to avoid committing capital to unviable projects.
- Developers should prioritize the core 'fantasy' or entertainment promise of a game, ensuring mechanics, art, and narrative align with specific audience preferences before full production.
- Initial validation should utilize low-cost, text-based premises distributed to target audiences via platforms like PlaytestCloud to identify recurring themes and discard weak concepts early.
What Can We Learn From Microsoft and EA’s Earnings? - Naavik Gaming Podcast
The gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant strategic recalibration, characterized by a shift away from speculative growth models toward sustainable, ecosystem-focused operations.
- Microsoft’s gaming segment reported a 13% revenue decline, underscoring the necessity of a consistent AAA release pipeline to sustain hardware sales and the Game Pass subscription model.
- Electronic Arts is shifting its mobile strategy away from fragmented co-development toward a unified, cross-platform approach to improve operational efficiency.
- Esports organizations are pivoting from standalone profit models toward content creation and merchandise, as the industry corrects from unsustainable, venture-capital-reliant valuations.
two & a half gamers session #12 - Metacore 65M loss, Niantic 1 hit wonder, Industry conference guide
The gaming industry currently faces significant challenges regarding marketing efficiency, platform monetization, and the long-term viability of major titles.
- High-budget TV advertising is not a guaranteed path to profitability, as evidenced by Metacore incurring a $65 million loss despite significant revenue growth.
- CD Projekt Red experienced a 63% year-over-year revenue decline, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining long-term financial momentum following a troubled product launch.
- Security vulnerabilities remain a critical industry risk, exemplified by the $600 million Axie Infinity crypto heist attributed to state-sponsored actors.