Mobilegamer.biz
Organization87 documents
Mobile games business news and scoops by Neil Long.
Documents
Mobilegamer.biz20 min
What’s going on at Rovio, Miniclip’s new ad network, Squad Busters’ last rites, RedLynx closes, more
The mobile games industry is currently undergoing a period of significant restructuring, characterized by studio closures, project cancellations, and a strategic pivot toward established intellectual property.
- Mobile game spending declined by 7% in Q3, with only three of the top 20 grossing titles being less than two years old, highlighting a significant barrier to entry for new games.
- Major publishers are aggressively pruning portfolios, resulting in the cancellation of Supercell’s Squad Busters, Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Mobile, and Fingersoft’s Lego Hill Climb Adventures.
- Ubisoft is closing its Helsinki-based studio RedLynx as part of a broader industry trend of studio closures and project cancellations.
Mobilegamer.bizOct 2026
Mobilegamer.biz20 min
Google Playground, AppLovin’s court battles, Scopely’s next game and plenty more
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating significant shifts in platform technology, legal scrutiny, and market consolidation.
- Scopely is reportedly developing 'Project Comet,' a cross-platform action RPG based on the Marvel IP, intended to compete with Genshin Impact.
- AppLovin faces two major legal challenges: an anti-competitive lawsuit from Unity and a lawsuit from San Diego County alleging the company served inappropriate ads to children and collected sensitive data from their devices.
- Google has announced 'Google Playground,' an AI-powered game creation tool integrated with Unity Spark, signaling a strategic push into web-based gaming outside traditional app stores.
Mobilegamer.bizOct 2026
Mobilegamer.biz21 min
Mario Kart Tour, Minecraft Blast, Zynga + Supercell deal blocked, games on Instagram(...?), more
The mobile games industry is currently characterized by significant shifts in platform strategy, studio consolidation, and the sunsetting of long-running titles.
- Zynga founder Mark Pincus revealed that a 2012 deal to acquire Supercell for $400 million was blocked by the Zynga board, a decision he now cites as a major strategic regret.
- Nintendo has officially closed Mario Kart Tour after seven years, during which the game generated approximately $270 million in revenue from 276 million downloads, with 39% of revenue originating from the US.
- Supercell has returned its underperforming title 'Mo co' to beta development, placing it in 'low maintenance mode' with no new content planned until a major update arrives later this year.
Mobilegamer.bizSep 2026
Article
Weekly Industry Round-up: Games on Instagram, King Strikes, and Beta Updates
This weekly industry update provides a comprehensive overview of significant developments within the mobile gaming sector as of late September 2026.
- Meta announced 'Horizon Create,' an app allowing users to generate and publish games directly to Instagram and Facebook platforms.
- King has avoided recent Microsoft/Xbox layoffs and successfully averted planned strikes by reaching an agreement with Swedish labor unions.
- Supercell’s monster-hunting title 'Mo.co' has returned to beta testing in a 'low maintenance' mode as the development team continues to iterate on features.
Mobilegamer.bizSep 2026
Mobilegamer.biz18 min
Oakever Games shenanigans, King and the Xbox cuts, Hipster Whale, One State, Monopoly Go, more
The mobile games industry is currently navigating a period of significant structural change, legal scrutiny, and strategic consolidation.
- Oakever Games is facing multiple copyright infringement lawsuits, including a loss to Hungry Studio regarding the game Qblock, amid allegations that the company systematically clones successful titles and uses aggressive user acquisition to drown out competitors.
- Xbox’s latest restructuring resulted in 268 job cuts across its first-party studios, though the mobile-focused King division appears largely unaffected, despite looming strike actions in its Stockholm and Malmo offices.
- Hipster Whale, following its acquisition by Atari for $29.3 million, has gained access to Atari’s deep IP archive and plans to develop modern takes on classic titles like Pong, Breakout, and Centipede for mobile.
Mobilegamer.bizSep 2026
Article
Weekly Industry Round-up: Mobile Game News and Analysis
This weekly industry update provides a comprehensive overview of significant developments within the global mobile gaming sector as of September 18, 2026.
- King employees may initiate strike action on September 25 following the company's rejection of a collective bargaining agreement.
- Roblox announced at RDC 2026 that it will allow creators to turn their games into standalone apps, alongside new features for offline play and 2D game support.
- Roblox shares increased by 11% following recent company announcements.
Mobilegamer.bizSep 2026
Mobilegamer.biz19 min
That EA-Scopely supergroup, Reform's mobile game, King strikes, Mattel, Roblox, Mizuguchi, more
The mobile games industry is currently navigating significant shifts in corporate consolidation, regulatory pressure, and platform evolution.
- Bloomberg reports that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is considering a merger of its gaming assets, including Savvy Games Group, EA, Scopely, and Moonton, to create a unified gaming supergroup.
- King faces potential strikes at its Stockholm and Malmo offices on September 25th following a year-long dispute over a collective bargaining agreement that the company rejected in June.
- Roblox announced new technology allowing creators to export games as standalone native titles for mobile, PC, and console, alongside a new 'Roblox Wallet' for daily real-currency creator payouts.
Mobilegamer.bizSep 2026
Article
Savvy's EA-Scopely Supergroup, iPhone Duo Games, Lego's Offroad Swerve, and More
This industry update provides a comprehensive overview of significant developments within the global mobile gaming sector as of September 2026.
- Saudi-backed Savvy Games Group is reportedly considering a merger with Electronic Arts, a move that would consolidate major titles like EA FC, Madden, and Apex Legends with Savvy’s existing portfolio, pending the completion of its $6 billion acquisition of Moonton.
- Apple has partnered with Hoyoverse and startup Azra to demo games including Zenless Zone Zero and UnGodly on its new foldable device, the iPhone Duo.
- Lego Digital Play has acquired Offroad Games, the London-based developer behind Chrome Valley Customs, marking a significant expansion for the studio led by Aaron Loeb.
Mobilegamer.bizSep 2026
Mobilegamer.biz21 min
Games on iPhone Duo, Lego builds mobile arm, more App Store news, August’s top performers and more
The mobile games industry is currently navigating significant shifts in hardware, corporate strategy, and market performance.
- Apple's new iPhone Duo features a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR display, an A20 Pro chip with a seven-core GPU, and performance metrics claiming up to 40% faster graphics and 35% better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro.
- Reports indicate that new Apple leadership, including App Store boss Eddy Cue and CEO John Ternus, are seeking to increase App Store revenue, a strategy that reportedly contributed to the departure of former head Phil Schiller.
- LEGO Digital Play has acquired Offroad Games, the developer behind Chrome Valley Customs, as part of an expansion of its London-based mobile gaming division.
Mobilegamer.bizSep 2026
Article
Trump’s MAGA Games, NC’s $300m Spree, App Store, Metacore, Yahoo Games, Overwatch, More
This industry update provides a comprehensive overview of significant developments within the global mobile gaming sector as of early September 2026.
- Supercell is finalizing its acquisition of Metacore, the developer of Merge Mansion, following a period of significant restructuring that included approximately 160 job cuts and the closure of Metacore’s Swedish and German offices.
- Korean gaming company NC has invested $300 million across four studios and is actively seeking further acquisitions of established developers generating between $50 million and $100 million in revenue.
- Apple faces a £2 billion legal claim from UK app developers alleging that the company applied stricter App Tracking Transparency (ATT) rules to third-party developers than to its own advertising business, which has grown to $7.4 billion since the policy's implementation.
Mobilegamer.bizSep 2026
Mobilegamer.biz21 min
A lot of App Store news, NC’s $300m mobile push, Overwatch, Metacore, Yahoo Games and more
The mobile games industry is currently navigating significant shifts in platform policy, corporate consolidation, and evolving monetization strategies.
- Apple’s App Store revenue is facing a downturn, with Sensor Tower reporting a 6% decline in US consumer spending for Q2 and App Figures estimating an 18% contraction in US commission revenue, largely driven by legal rulings forcing the allowance of external payment methods.
- Korean MMO giant NC (formerly NCsoft) has invested $300 million in mobile studio acquisitions and aims to grow its mobile casual division into a $5 billion business by 2030, targeting established studios with live titles generating $50–$100 million annually.
- Supercell will finalize its acquisition of Metacore by the end of September, officially bringing the 'Merge Mansion' title into its portfolio following significant restructuring and layoffs at Metacore.
Mobilegamer.bizSep 2026
Mobilegamer.biz18 min
Gamescom reaction, Clash Royale drama, Rovio's studio closure, Google's AI hypeman and more
The mobile games industry is currently experiencing a significant shift in market dominance, as evidenced by the recent Gamescom event in Cologne.
- Supercell’s internal review of Clash Royale revealed that aggressive changes, such as removing the season shop, caused significant community backlash due to poor communication and lack of transparency.
- Rovio is closing its Copenhagen studio and cancelling the hybrid card-action game Sonic Blitz, impacting approximately 20 employees.
- Gamescom 2024 was dominated by Chinese publishers like Tencent, Hoyoverse, and NetEase, who are successfully launching cross-platform titles on mobile, PC, and console simultaneously, while Western studios increasingly lag in mobile integration.
Mobilegamer.bizAug 2026