[Last Week in Games] King loses 10% of staff, Supercell rolls out Mo.co to all players worldwide, and more news!
News in games that caught our eyes in the last week [June 30 - July 6, 2025]
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INDUSTRY NEWS
🚀 Update: Beresnev Games wins interim injunction against SayGames in Race Master 3D dispute | pocketgamer.biz
Beresnev Games has secured a court injunction against SayGames concerning intellectual property issues tied to Race Master 3D, citing asset misuse and game cloning.
🚀 After the Epic vs. Apple ruling, mobile game monetization takes a leap forward | gamesbeat.com
Following the Epic v. Apple decision, the mobile game industry is exploring new monetization methods, including external payment options and alternative app store models.
🚀 Apple’s new EU App Store rules are ‘insane’, ‘intentionally confusing’ and ‘blatantly unlawful’, say pundits | mobilegamer.biz
Legal experts and developers criticize Apple’s new EU App Store regulations as convoluted, anti-competitive, and potentially unlawful under the Digital Markets Act.
🚀 Can AI Replace Ad Monetization Managers? The Good, The Bad and The Hallucinated | medium.com
This piece explores the viability of AI taking over ad monetization roles in mobile games, weighing the benefits of automation against the risks of hallucinations and lack of nuance.
🚀 Angry Birds Bounce game lead talks brick breaker genre, development under Sega and "a great deal of interest on Apple Arcade" | pocketgamer.biz
A Sega team lead discusses the creative vision behind Angry Birds Bounce, their approach to revitalizing the brick-breaker genre, and how Apple Arcade interest influenced development.
🚀 User-initiated failure – my favorite part of Disney Solitaire | alexandremacmillan.com
A personal reflection on the UX lessons learned from Disney Solitaire, exploring how intentional failure mechanics can be emotionally impactful in casual games.
🚀 Apple, Google, King, Supercell and more accused of ‘tricking kids’ with ‘fake age ratings’ | mobilegamer.biz
Apple, Google, King, and Supercell are facing accusations of using misleading age ratings to attract younger users in violation of consumer protection laws.
🚀 How Metacore cracked Japan's mobile market with Merge Mansion | pocketgamer.biz
Metacore has found major success in Japan with Merge Mansion through localized content and market-specific strategies, expanding their international reach.
INVESTOR
📈 Newzoo revises 2025 global games market growth forecast to $188.9bn | pocketgamer.biz
Newzoo has revised its global games market projection for 2025 to $188.9B, reflecting stronger mobile and subscription growth across Asia and North America.
📈 Tripledot completes $400m acquisition of AppLovin game studios | pocketgamer.biz
Tripledot Studios has finalized a $400M acquisition of AppLovin’s game studios, strengthening its portfolio and presence in the casual and puzzle game markets.
📈 Behold Ventures raises $59.2m to support European devs | gamesindustry.biz
Behold Ventures has closed a €59.2M fund aimed at investing in promising European game studios, signaling a bullish outlook on regional development talent.
📈 Cold River Games raises $2M for free-to-play ARPG Crystalfall | gamesbeat.com
Cold River Games secured $2 million in funding to develop Crystalfall, a free-to-play action RPG combining fast-paced combat with deep character customization and social gameplay elements.
📈 Sweden's Behold Ventures closes first fund at $58.2M for game investments | gamesbeat.com
Sweden-based Behold Ventures has successfully raised $58.2M in its first fund to support early-stage game developers across Europe, citing a strong pipeline and underserved markets.
📈 U.S. VC exits return to high values in Q2 but investment values are low | gamesbeat.com
U.S. venture capital exits in the gaming sector reached high valuations in Q2 2025, showing signs of investor confidence rebounding post-market correction.
📈 Keleops Group acquires Kotaku from G/O Media | gamesbeat.com
The Keleops Group has acquired gaming publication Kotaku from G/O Media, indicating a shift in gaming journalism ownership and potential revitalization efforts.
📈 Google Play’s Indie Games Fund returns to Latin America with $2 million for 10 studios | pocketgamer.biz
Google Play has brought back its Indie Games Fund to Latin America, allocating $2 million across 10 studios to encourage regional creativity and innovation in mobile game development.
MARKET DATA
📊 Game of Thrones: Kingsroad surpasses $1m on mobile after 36 days | pocketgamer.biz
The mobile title Game of Thrones: Kingsroad has surpassed 1 million downloads just over a month after launch, driven by fan engagement and strategic marketing.
📊 Data digest: Squad Busters, Roblox, Fortnite, Color Block Jam, SuperPlay, Metacore, more | mobilegamer.biz
The latest data digest highlights performance metrics for top games including Squad Busters, Roblox, Fortnite, and others in engagement and monetization.
📊 Video games spending by young Americans is dropping sharply, report suggests | gamesindustry.biz
A new report indicates that video game spending among young Americans is sharply declining, suggesting a shift in entertainment preferences or economic pressures.
📊 June’s top grossing mobile games | mobilegamer.biz
June’s top-grossing mobile games include consistent leaders like Honor of Kings and Candy Crush, with notable new entries from Supercell and Roblox.
📊 June’s top mobile game downloads | mobilegamer.biz
The most downloaded mobile games for June include standout titles across casual, action, and strategy genres, reflecting shifting player preferences and strong competition in app stores.
📊 Zenless Zone Zero celebrates first anniversary with $442.1m, just 23% of Genshin Impact’s year one | pocketgamer.biz
HoYoverse’s Zenless Zone Zero has generated $442 million in revenue during its first year, with sustained growth fueled by global appeal and frequent content updates.
📊 NetEase's Destiny: Rising hits 5 million pre-registrations ahead of August 28th global launch | pocketgamer.biz
NetEase’s Destiny Rising has surpassed five million pre-registrations ahead of its global launch scheduled for August 28, signaling strong interest and marketing traction.
NEW GAMES
🎮 Rail Rescue hits iOS, soon to arrive on Android | pocketgamer.com
Rail Rescue: Puzzle Lines, a new mobile puzzle game, is now available on iOS, offering track-based challenges with vibrant graphics and brain-teasing gameplay.
🎮 YuYu Hakusho: Slugfest relives the classic anime across a cel-shaded RPG, coming to iOS and Android soon | pocketgamer.com
Pre-registration is now open for YuYu Hakusho Slugfest, a mobile RPG adaptation of the classic anime featuring 3D battles and story-rich missions.
🎮 Saint Seiya EX will soon bring card-battling Zodiac action to iOS | pocketgamer.com
The anime-inspired RPG Saint Seiya EX is gearing up for iOS release, featuring collectible heroes and turn-based combat rooted in the original series.
🎮 Go Go Wolf! brings fast-paced, Survivors-like idle RPG action to mobile | pocketgamer.com
Go Go Wolf, a quirky and fast-paced action game, is now available on mobile platforms, boasting charming aesthetics and arcade-inspired gameplay.
🎮 Supercell rolls out Mo.co to all players worldwide | pocketgamer.biz
Supercell’s action MMO-lite MO.CO is now available to players worldwide after a successful soft launch, featuring cooperative gameplay and seasonal content.
🎮 PurrbitPop offers fast-paced match-3 madness with a shapeshifting twist, out now on iOS | pocketgamer.com
PurrbitPop, a cat-themed match puzzle game, is now live on mobile platforms, offering casual players lighthearted gameplay and pet customization.
🎮 My Little Pomodoro gives you an adorable way to increase your productivity, coming soon | pocketgamer.com
My Little Pomodoro, an upcoming mobile game focused on productivity and focus, is preparing for launch with mechanics based on the Pomodoro Technique.
🎮 Crash Course Builder is finally out on Android, arriving soon on iOS | pocketgamer.com
Crash Course Builder, a fast-paced mobile puzzle game, has launched on Android, offering players creative level design and problem-solving gameplay.
🎮 Torerowa opens pre-registration for the isometric extraction hack 'n slash | pocketgamer.com
Pre-registration is now open for Torerowa, a mobile RPG featuring gacha elements, fantasy storytelling, and strategic combat systems.
🎮 Angry Birds Bounce is out now on Apple Arcade, bringing brick-breaking action to the classic series | pocketgamer.com
Angry Birds Bounce, a modern twist on the classic franchise, is now available on Apple Arcade featuring brick-breaker gameplay and charming graphics.
🎮 Set a Watch opens pre-registration on iOS and Android, with a release planned for later this year | pocketgamer.com
Set a Watch, a mobile adaptation of the board game, has opened pre-registration for Android and iOS, offering cooperative fantasy gameplay and roguelike mechanics.
🎮 New game digest: Destiny Rising, Mo Co, Talking Tom, Angry Birds, Rainbow Six, more | mobilegamer.biz
This digest highlights recent game releases and updates including Destiny Rising, Talking Tom, Rainbow Six mobile entries, and Supercell’s MO.CO, capturing the state of mid-year launches.
🎮 Aniplex announces new Resident Evil mobile game | polygon.com
Capcom has announced Survivor Unit, a new Resident Evil mobile game blending tactical and survival elements, aimed at longtime fans and newcomers alike.
PUBLISHER NEWS
🔮 Eldramoor: Haven in the Mist aims to expand MMOs in the VR space | gamesbeat.com
Eldramoor: Haven in the Mist is a new VR MMO that seeks to redefine virtual social and gameplay experiences by blending fantasy lore with immersive VR tech.
🔮 Perfect World investigates staff and suppliers over alleged corruption | pocketgamer.biz
Perfect World has initiated investigations into internal corruption involving employees and suppliers amid growing scrutiny of its procurement practices.
🔮 Keywords' Liquid Violet launches two audio facilities for game production | gamesbeat.com
Keywords Studios’ Liquid Violet has launched two new audio production facilities in London and Montreal, expanding capabilities for voice and sound design.
🔮 Hooded Horse to publish new Heroes of Might & Magic game | gamesbeat.com
Indie publisher Hooded Horse is taking the reins of a new Heroes of Might & Magic-style game, promising classic strategy elements with modern twists.
🔮 Game engine Godot rolls out asset store in early beta | pocketgamer.biz
The Godot Engine team has launched an early beta version of its asset store, providing developers with tools and resources to streamline game creation and share community assets.
🔮 Hypercasual game studio Yayy closes | pocketgamer.biz
Hypercasual mobile game developer Yayy has ceased operations, marking another exit in the competitive and saturated hypercasual market segment.
🔮 Microsoft cancels Perfect Dark reboot, shuts down studio | polygon.com
The reboot of Perfect Dark has been canceled following internal challenges at The Initiative, Xbox’s studio, raising concerns about project viability and studio management.
🔮 Rare’s Everwild canceled amid layoffs at Xbox | polygon.com
Microsoft has officially canceled Rare’s long-awaited title Everwild. The announcement coincides with significant layoffs affecting Xbox Game Studios.
🔮 Swedish dev Toca Boca hit by layoffs | pocketgamer.biz
Swedish children’s app developer Toca Boca has been hit with layoffs, signaling market pressures even on historically successful and creative studios.
🔮 Blizzard’s Warcraft Rumble to be wound down, 100 layoffs reported | mobilegamer.biz
Blizzard is shutting down Warcraft Rumble, its mobile strategy title, and laying off around 100 employees in its mobile division amid performance issues.
🔮 Report: King loses 10% of staff as Microsoft makes games division cuts | pocketgamer.biz
King, the Candy Crush maker, has laid off 10% of its workforce following broader restructuring within Microsoft’s gaming division, aiming to streamline operations.
🔮 Microsoft is laying off as many as 9,000 employees | theverge.com
Microsoft has announced substantial layoffs in its Xbox division, affecting multiple studios and teams as part of a corporate realignment strategy.
🔮 Former CVCapital partner Jim Ying launches games M&A and investment advisory firm Mihada Capital | pocketgamer.biz
Former CVCapital partner Jim Ying has launched Mihada Capital, a new firm focused on mergers, acquisitions, and investments in the gaming industry.
🔮 Sky: Children of the Light to host new in-game awards show to honour creators | pocketgamer.com
Sky: Children of the Light has introduced an in-game awards ceremony, celebrating player achievements and social impact within the community.
🔮 TeleStore: A new developer-friendly marketplace for browser games and web apps | pocketgamer.biz
Telestore is a new platform designed to help developers distribute browser games and web apps, with features to enhance discovery and monetization.
🔮 Three Ubisoft former execs found guilty of sexual and psychological harassment, given suspended sentences | gamesindustry.biz
Three former Ubisoft executives have been found guilty of sexual and psychological harassment, receiving suspended sentences amid ongoing scrutiny of workplace culture in the gaming industry.
🔮 Gamezop commits $4m to expand in the Middle East with a new office in Bahrain | pocketgamer.biz
Gamezop will invest $4 million to establish a new office in Bahrain and strengthen its presence in the Middle East, targeting growth in the HTML5 and instant games space.
🔮 Outfit7 unveils 2025 roadmap with three new games | pocketgamer.biz
Outfit7, known for Talking Tom, has announced three new games slated for 2025, showcasing its continued expansion in casual and family-friendly mobile entertainment.
🔮 Romero Games hit with layoffs after surprise publisher cancellation | gamesbeat.com
Romero Games has suffered layoffs following the unexpected cancellation of a key project by its publisher, affecting development staff and future planning.
🔮 EA is shutting down Anthem’s servers, which were still up | polygon.com
EA has officially shut down servers for its live-service game Anthem, marking the end of a rocky journey and reallocating resources to other projects.