Mobilegamer.biz
Mobile games business news and scoops by Neil Long.
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Weekly Industry Briefing: Mobile on Top at Take-Two, Supercell's Mo.co Reboot, Ubisoft's "Low Point"
This industry briefing provides a mid-May 2026 overview of the global mobile gaming landscape, highlighting significant shifts in corporate performance and strategic product adjustments.
- Mobile gaming is a dominant force, with Zynga (Take-Two's mobile arm) reaching an all-time high and mobile representing 52% of Take-Two’s net bookings in Q4 and 49% for the full fiscal year.
- Ubisoft is experiencing a fiscal "low point," with slower-than-expected earnings from mobile titles like Rainbow Six Mobile and The Division Resurgence, despite growth in Invincible: Guarding the Globe.
- Supercell is relaunching its game Mo.co with new features, including seasons and free gacha pulls, after the game earned an estimated $4.7 million since its initial launch over a year ago.
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.
Weekly Industry Roundup: Sega-Rovio, Playtika, and Wooga Layoffs
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant structural realignment, characterized by workforce reductions and strategic pivots among major publishers.
- Playtika is shifting its focus from social casino games, which are in managed decline, to casual titles like Disney Solitaire, with casual games now representing 76% of its business.
- Rovio is undergoing a 'rebuilding' phase following a disappointing acquisition by Sega, clarifying a mistranslation in Sega's investor materials that initially used the word 'restructuring'.
- Wooga, owned by Playtika, has experienced another round of layoffs, with former staff criticizing management decisions.
Sega-Rovio woes, Playtika goes casual, Unity's turnaround, pitching investors, data nuggets, more
The mobile games industry is currently defined by a shift toward pragmatism, consolidation, and a strategic pivot away from traditional free-to-play models.
- Sega is pivoting away from free-to-play mobile initiatives following a $200 million write-down related to the underperformance of its Rovio acquisition.
- Unity’s financial turnaround is anchored by its Vector adtech product, which achieved an 80% year-over-year revenue increase.
- Playtika has officially shifted its corporate strategy to prioritize casual gaming titles, such as Disney Solitaire, while treating its legacy social casino business as a non-growth asset.
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.
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.
Inside That Scopely-Niantic Deal, Xbox's Odd 'North Star', Subway Surfers, Emulation, More
This industry digest provides a comprehensive overview of the mobile gaming landscape as of May 2026, focusing on high-profile acquisitions, platform policy shifts, and strategic corporate realignments.
- Scopely and Niantic completed a $3.5 billion acquisition, a significant deal in the mobile gaming industry.
- Emulation on the App Store has seen 60 million downloads since its arrival two years ago, with developers like Provenance covering costs through in-app purchases.
- Subway Surfers, the most downloaded game of all time, is still being considered for a movie adaptation, and new spin-off games are in development, including 'Subway Surfers City' and another in soft launch.
Xbox's weird 'North Star', Sybo and Subway Surfers, App Store emulators, Peridot's death, more
The mobile games industry is currently navigating a period of strategic realignment, marked by shifting corporate priorities and evolving platform dynamics.
- Xbox has adopted 'daily active players' as its new core metric, yet the company's recent strategic communications largely ignore its mobile gaming division despite mobile likely representing the majority of its active player base.
- Subway Surfers developer Sybo is shifting its revenue strategy for the new title Subway Surfers City, aiming for a higher ratio of in-app purchases compared to the original game, which currently relies on ad revenue for 80% to 85% of its income.
- Apple's App Store has seen over 60 million downloads of game emulators, but developers report that Apple's backend tools remain dated and fail to provide a developer experience commensurate with the high commission fees Apple collects.
Weekly Industry Briefing: Apple, Google, and Xbox Updates
The April 24, 2026, industry briefing provides a comprehensive overview of the mobile gaming landscape, focusing on platform strategy, technological integration, and corporate leadership shifts.
- Apple's gaming efforts are considered "undercooked" and dismissed by outgoing CEO Tim Cook, with expectations that incoming CEO John Ternus might give more attention to games on the App Store.
- Google Cloud's games boss Jack Buser states that nearly all top studios already use AI to develop games faster and cheaper, despite industry concerns about disclosing AI use to players.
- Niantic is shutting down its virtual pet game Peridot three years after its launch, following Scopely's acquisition of Niantic's larger titles.
Apple's undercooked games efforts, Google's big AI claims, Ilkka's BAFTA speech, data, jobs, more
The mobile games industry is currently navigating a period of significant transition, marked by shifting leadership at major platform holders, the pervasive yet often clandestine integration of artificial intelligence, and the ongoing evolution of indie development.
- Google Cloud's games division reports that approximately 90% of game studios are currently using AI tools in development, though many studios underreport this usage to avoid public backlash.
- Apple's leadership under Tim Cook has historically shown disinterest in the gaming sector, exemplified by the perfunctory nature of the Apple Games app and Cook's own admission of not being a gamer during the Epic trial.
- Leadership changes at Apple, including the promotion of John Ternus and new App Store management under Carson Oliver and Anne Thai, may signal a shift toward better developer relations and increased focus on gaming hardware.
Tim Cook Oversaw One of Gaming’s Biggest Platforms for 15 Years But Didn’t Seem to Notice
Tim Cook’s fifteen-year tenure as CEO of Apple is characterized by a significant disconnect between the company’s massive influence on the gaming industry and its leadership’s apparent indifference toward the sector.
- Apple, under Tim Cook's 15-year tenure, became one of gaming's largest platform holders, with iPhone and iPad users playing more games than PC and console players combined.
- A significant portion of Apple's surging services revenue, which includes a 30% cut from in-app purchases, historically came from games.
- Despite its substantial role in the gaming market, Apple, particularly under Tim Cook, maintained a dismissive approach towards game players and developers.
Weekly Industry Briefing: March 2026
The April 2026 industry briefing provides a comprehensive overview of the mobile gaming sector, focusing on performance metrics, corporate strategy, and emerging trends.
- King's VP and head of live ops, Eva Ryott, discussed the company's use of AI, last summer's layoffs, and workplace culture, as well as how Candy Crush Saga is addressing competition in the puzzle genre.
- NetEase and Bungie have rebooted Destiny: Rising with a new update to combat declining revenue, and the community's initial reception to the changes is positive.
- March's top-grossing mobile games saw Gossip Harbor achieve a significant milestone, while Monopoly Go's revenue continued to decline, and Brawl Stars showed renewed success.