Mobilegamer.biz
Mobile games business news and scoops by Neil Long.
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Is Destiny doomed? King on AI, layoffs and more, plus March's top games, data, soft launches, more
The mobile games industry continues to navigate a complex landscape defined by shifting monetization strategies, the integration of artificial intelligence, and intense market competition.
- Microfun’s Gossip Harbor reached $100 million in monthly in-app purchase revenue for the first time in March, marking a significant increase from $82.5 million in February and positioning it to potentially overtake Candy Crush Saga as the top-grossing puzzle game.
- King VP Eva Ryott defended the company's use of AI as a supporting tool for level management rather than a direct replacement for staff, while noting that workforce adjustments following 200 layoffs were necessary to maintain competitive relevance.
- Candy Crush Saga has adopted a 2x2 matching mechanic, a feature King implemented within the last year to align with evolving market standards and compete against rivals like Royal Match and Gossip Harbor.
This Week's Need-to-Know Jobs, Data and New Game News
This industry digest, published in April 2026, provides a comprehensive overview of the mobile gaming sector, focusing on market data, corporate developments, and professional recruitment trends.
- The mobile gaming industry is seeing new releases including Borderlands, Plants vs Zombies 3, Dicero, Game of Thrones, Netflix Playground, Jetpack Joyride Racing, Jackbox, and new Apple Arcade titles.
- Playtika, valued at $3 billion, is currently for sale, as reported in the data digest.
- The data digest also covers Q1's top-earning mobile games, spending statistics from Aream, and numbers for Last Asylum: Plague and MapleStory: Idle RPG.
Playtika for sale, data nuggets, Ilkka's BAFTA, Netflix Playground, game writers on mobile, more
The mobile games industry is currently navigating a period of significant strategic shifts and market stabilization.
- Playtika has initiated a strategic review to explore a potential sale, with an estimated enterprise value of $2.7 billion to $2.9 billion, following a 91% decline in market capitalization since January 2021.
- Global mobile in-app purchase (IAP) earnings remained flat in Q1 2026 at approximately $20.5 billion, with China-based publishers leading the market while US-based publisher revenue declined 14% year-on-year.
- Regional market performance in Q1 2026 showed significant growth in Singapore (up 22%) and Turkey (up 28%), while Japan’s market remained flat.
Weekly Industry Round-up: PlayStation Cuts, The Division, and New Trends
This industry update provides a comprehensive overview of significant developments within the mobile gaming sector as of early April 2026.
- PlayStation's mobile division experienced layoffs affecting approximately 50 staff within its Studio Business Group, though work continues on soft-launch titles like MLB The Show Mobile and Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble.
- Bethesda has discontinued its mobile RPG, The Elder Scrolls: Blades, delisting it from app stores with servers closing on June 30; the game generated around $13.5 million since its March 2019 launch.
- Coffee Stain, the developer of Goat Simulator and owned by Embracer, is closing its mobile studio in Malmö, impacting about 17 employees.
Unity streamlines, PlayStation cuts, The Division, Elder Scrolls Blades, Coffee Stain, more
The mobile gaming industry is currently undergoing a period of significant structural realignment, characterized by corporate downsizing, the divestment of non-core assets, and a shift in strategic focus toward long-term sustainability.
- Unity is divesting its Supersonic publishing arm and closing the ironSource Ad Network as part of a strategic turnaround, with Q1 2026 revenue projected at $505–$508 million, significantly outperforming previous guidance.
- PlayStation Studios Mobile has undergone workforce reductions affecting approximately 50 staff, signaling a potential shift toward a licensing-focused model rather than internal mobile game development.
- Ubisoft has launched The Division Resurgence, a mobile shooter developed across multiple global studios, entering a highly competitive market dominated by titles like Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG Mobile.
Big Unity Changes, Scopely Talks M&A, Epic, Arcade, Moonton, Data, Jobs and More
This industry update provides a comprehensive overview of significant corporate shifts and market developments within the global mobile gaming sector as of late March 2026.
- Unity plans to divest its mobile publishing arm, Supersonic, and close the Ironsource Ad Network less than four years after their $4.4 billion merger.
- Savvy is reportedly close to finalizing a $6 billion acquisition of Moonton, the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
- Scopely's M&A boss, Rob Ricca, discussed the company's acquisition strategy, including potential future studio purchases and rumors about acquiring King.
Scopely talks M&A, new publisher Arcade, yet more Epic news, Moonton, China and more
The mobile games industry is currently defined by aggressive consolidation, the rise of hybrid-casual publishing, and a strategic pivot toward direct-to-consumer monetization.
- Savvy Games Group, the Saudi-backed parent company of Scopely, is reportedly in talks to acquire Moonton for $6 billion.
- Scopely’s M&A strategy focuses on long-term investment rather than genre-specific portfolio filling, and the company has not ruled out future acquisitions of major assets like King despite declining to comment on specific speculation.
- Arcade, a new Dubai-backed hybrid-casual publisher with nine staff, is positioning itself to solve distribution and user acquisition bottlenecks as AI-assisted game development becomes increasingly commoditized.
Scopely on Dealmaking DNA, its Next Studio Swoop and Chatter about Buying King
Scopely continues to prioritize an aggressive mergers and acquisitions strategy as a core component of its corporate identity.
- Scopely's M&A activity has significantly increased since its $4.9 billion sale to Savvy in 2023, driven by its success with Monopoly Go and Savvy's M&A focus.
- In March 2025, Scopely acquired Pokémon Go and several other Niantic games for $3.5 billion.
- Scopely recently acquired most of Pixel Flow maker Loom Games.
Mobilegamer.biz Weekly News Roundup
The weekly news roundup provides a comprehensive overview of the mobile gaming industry as of March 20, 2026, focusing on major platform developments, corporate acquisitions, and market trends.
- Epic Games is facing challenges in breaking the Apple and Google app store duopoly with its mobile store, despite efforts by Epic Games Store boss Steve Allison.
- Fortnite returned to Google Play worldwide on March 19, following an agreement with Google regarding store fees and other issues.
- Nazara, an Indian tech giant, acquired controlling stakes in casual game studio Bluetile and rewarded play firm BestPlay for $100 million.
Epic Games Store, Love and Deepspace, Fortnite, Google Play, data nuggets, new games and more
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant structural shifts, characterized by the ongoing struggle to challenge the Apple and Google store duopoly and the evolution of developer-platform relationships.
- Fortnite is returning to the Google Play Store worldwide as of March 19, nearly six years after being removed, with Epic Games processing its own payments while Google retains a 20% commission on in-app purchases.
- Epic Games is facing challenges breaking the Apple and Google mobile store duopoly, with its own store currently limited to Android worldwide and iOS in the EU, the latter representing only 8% of the global market.
- Infold Games' hit otome title 'Love and Deepspace' has reached over 80 million players two years post-launch, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue after a six-year development cycle.
More Epic-Google deal detail, Clash Royale, GDC reactions, Bossfight, NCsoft, data, jobs, more
The mobile games industry is currently navigating significant shifts in platform economics, studio restructuring, and strategic expansion.
- The Epic Games-Google Play Store fee reduction is largely offset by a new 5% billing service fee for using Google’s infrastructure in major markets like the US, UK, Europe, and Australia.
- Google’s 'Games Level Up' program offers a 15% commission rate, but it is restricted to new installs and requires meeting rigorous technical standards, limiting its utility for established high-revenue titles.
- Supercell successfully reversed declining metrics for Clash Royale by simplifying progression and UI while introducing 'card evolutions' to revitalize existing content.
Google cuts store fees and welcomes back Fortnite plus Hay Day Match, Halfbrick, Antihero and more
The mobile games industry is undergoing a significant shift in platform economics following a legal settlement between Google and Epic Games.
- Google is uncoupling its billing services from the Play Store, allowing developers to use third-party providers for a flat 5% service fee, down from the previous 30% rate.
- The new Google Play billing structure will be implemented in the EU, UK, and US by June 2024, Australia by September, and globally by September 2027.
- Antihero Studios, founded by Supercell and King alumni, raised $4.5 million in seed funding to develop 'Misfits,' an extraction shooter that has already been tested by 70,000 players.