Mobilegamer.biz
Mobile games business news and scoops by Neil Long.
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Xbox reshuffle analysis, what’s next for King, Overwatch Rush, data, jobs, more
The recent executive leadership transition at Microsoft Gaming, marked by the departure of Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond and the appointment of Asha Sharma as CEO, signals a strategic pivot toward data-driven management and artificial intelligence integration.
- Microsoft Gaming has appointed Asha Sharma as CEO, signaling a strategic shift toward AI integration and data-driven operational efficiency over traditional creative-led management.
- King remains the anchor of Microsoft’s mobile portfolio, generating $1.7 billion in projected 2025 revenue, with Candy Crush Saga alone contributing $1 billion.
- Attempts to port AAA console franchises to mobile have largely failed to achieve commercial scale, highlighting a disconnect between console-centric strategies and mobile-first consumer preferences.
Ares' gameplan, Honkai: Star Rail drama, Moonton's Savvy sale, Rovio's write-down, DICE awards, more
The mobile games industry is currently navigating significant shifts in investment, corporate restructuring, and geopolitical influence.
- Savvy is in negotiations to acquire Moonton, the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, for approximately $7 billion, signaling a potential exit from mobile gaming for ByteDance.
- Sega recorded a $200 million write-down for Rovio, citing intense market competition and a lack of recent successful titles.
- Financial performance across the sector is polarized: AppLovin reported a 70% revenue increase to $5.48 billion and Krafton reached $1.2 billion in mobile revenue, while Embracer Group saw mobile game sales decline by 66%.
Supercell, Epic, Unity, Budge, Roblox, DICE, data, jobs and more
The mobile games industry is currently characterized by a cautious, optimization-focused environment, according to recent financial disclosures and industry sentiment.
- Supercell reported $1 billion in EBITDA for 2025 despite a 4% year-over-year revenue decline, with CEO Ilkka Paananen criticizing the industry for 'coasting' and failing to innovate.
- Supercell is increasing its headcount by 30% and doubling investment in new game development, while tripling the size of its AI innovation lab to address internal failures in fostering startup-like environments.
- Bernard Kim has returned to Unity, following the departure of key executives and reports of persistent culture clashes and bullying allegations stemming from the $4.4 billion IronSource merger.
Google's Project Genie, Take-Two, Stillfront, Ares, January's top games and more
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant financial restructuring and technological speculation.
- Take-Two Interactive reported a 19% year-over-year increase in mobile revenue, which now accounts for 49% of the company's total net bookings.
- Google's Project Genie generative AI technology caused a temporary market sell-off in game stocks, though industry leaders like Unity and Epic Games clarified that such models are intended to supplement, not replace, professional game engines.
- Stillfront Group is undergoing a restructuring that includes further game closures and the sale of its narrative games division, despite achieving a 27% EBITDAC margin in Q4 2025 through cost savings and disciplined user acquisition.
GDC concerns, AppLovin allegations, why app makers want game talent, jobs, data, more
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant transition, characterized by shifting event attendance patterns, ongoing corporate legal challenges, and a growing cross-industry demand for specialized talent.
- Global in-app purchase revenue for mobile games reached $81.75 billion in 2025, though U.S. spending remains largely flat with only 1% growth.
- Non-gaming companies, including Duolingo and major dating platforms, are actively recruiting mobile game talent for their expertise in gamification, user retention, and monetization.
- AppLovin is facing aggressive scrutiny and allegations from short sellers regarding ties to sanctioned entities, which the company has formally denied and labeled as defamatory.
Ubisoft's big reorg, critics and mobile's reputation problem, PGC London thoughts, more
The mobile games industry is currently navigating a period of significant structural change and reputational scrutiny.
- Ubisoft is undergoing a major reorganization into five creative houses, with its mobile division—managing titles like Hungry Shark and Ketchup—tasked with achieving €200 million in cost reductions over the next two years.
- The mobile gaming sector continues to generate massive scale, with Monopoly Go reaching $6 billion in revenue and global user acquisition spending totaling $25 billion annually.
- Ubisoft’s restructuring strategy includes the potential for further layoffs and the divestiture of mobile assets that do not align with its new creative focus.
Red Dead Redemption, Moon Active, Playtika, Liftoff, 2025's top games, data, jobs and more
This analysis examines the state of the mobile games industry as of early 2026, focusing on performance metrics, corporate restructuring, and market trends.
- The mobile gaming market is dominated by a few high-earning titles, led by Honor of Kings ($1.68B in China), Last War ($1.57B), and Roblox ($1.5B) in 2025.
- Strategy games remain the industry's most lucrative genre, generating $13 billion in total market revenue during 2025.
- Playtika is restructuring its operations by laying off 500 employees to pivot toward AI-driven automation and a leaner corporate model.
Roblox brainrot explained, Ustwo’s strategy switch, Ubi closes mobile studio, 2026 predictions, more
This analysis examines the current state of the mobile gaming industry as of early 2026, focusing on shifting development strategies, platform trends, and market performance.
- Mobile gaming remains the industry's largest sector, accounting for 55% of total gaming revenue in 2025, according to Newzoo.
- Ustwo Games is pivoting to a 'PC-first' development strategy, signaling a decline in the viability of subscription-based mobile platforms like Apple Arcade and Netflix Games for premium indie developers.
- Ubisoft is closing its mobile-focused studio in Halifax, Canada, resulting in 71 layoffs and the cessation of live operations for Assassin's Creed Rebellion.
Unity shenanigans, Space Ape postmortem, your games of the year, 2025 wrapped, more
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating significant shifts in corporate strategy, consolidation, and monetization models.
- Unity is reportedly introducing a new 'Enterprise minimum commitment' fee for studios with over $25 million in annual gross revenue, with costs scaling from $250,000 for $25M+ earners up to $2 million for those exceeding $250M in revenue.
- Supercell completed its acquisition of Space Ape Games in November 2024, rebranding the studio as Supercell London and tasking it with applying lean live-ops expertise to legacy titles like Hay Day and Boom Beach.
- Space Ape Games' history under Supercell involved testing approximately 25 different games and numerous prototypes, a process that highlighted the studio's struggle to focus on winners and kill underperforming projects quickly enough.
What’s next for Warner’s mobile games, why award shows ignore mobile, weird TikTok ads and more
The mobile gaming industry currently faces significant uncertainty regarding the potential acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by either Netflix or Paramount.
- Netflix’s potential $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery puts the future of Warner’s mobile game portfolio at risk, as Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters reportedly excluded the gaming division from his valuation of the company.
- Jam City was fined $1.6 million by a California court for violating privacy laws related to its failure to provide opt-out mechanisms for the sale of player information.
- Global consumer spending on mobile games in November reached $6.68 billion, a 2.8% decrease month-on-month, while total downloads fell 4.1% to 3.62 billion.
Digital Chocolate’s diaspora, Destiny: Rising woes, EA’s shooter revival, November’s top games, more
The mobile games industry continues to be shaped by the legacy of Digital Chocolate, a foundational company whose alumni—often referred to as the "D-Choc Mafia"—now hold significant leadership roles across the global gaming landscape.
- EA is actively recruiting a VP of mobile shooters to report to Vince Zampella, signaling a potential revival of mobile titles for the Apex Legends and Battlefield franchises.
- Destiny: Rising is struggling post-launch, with daily earnings dropping from a $300,000 peak in September to approximately $25,000, despite 4.4 million total downloads since August.
- Last War Survival led November mobile revenue with $115 million, followed closely by Roblox at $112 million and Monopoly Go at $111 million, according to Appmagic data.
App Review woes, GTA leaves Netflix, Türkiye's hot streak, iconic icons, Zombies Run, more
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating significant shifts in platform policy, regional dominance, and corporate strategy.
- Apple is facing allegations from former App Review head Philip Shoemaker that it has wrongfully terminated developer accounts and withheld millions of dollars in payments without providing evidence or explanation.
- Netflix is refocusing its gaming strategy by removing 13 titles, including its top-performing game GTA: San Andreas, which accumulated 57.4 million downloads since December 2023.
- Türkiye's mobile gaming ecosystem has flourished due to aggressive government incentives, including marketing spend cashback, tax exemptions in technology zones, and R&D income tax relief.