Service Shutdown / July 8, 2026
Mario Kart Tour will shut down in September
Nintendo confirmed Mario Kart Tour will end service on September 29 at 11 PM PT, with ruby sales and Gold Pass renewals already stopped.
Mobile Industry
The business layer of mobile gaming: revenue charts, funding rounds, layoffs, store policy fights, and regulation. Numbers first, spin later, preferably never.
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Service Shutdown / July 8, 2026
Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis will end service in October
Square Enix announced Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis will end service on October 6 PT / October 7 ET and JST.
Mobile Data / July 8, 2026
Pokémon GO turns 10 with huge lifetime numbers
MobileGamer.biz’s data digest says Pokémon GO has crossed over 1 billion downloads according to Niantic, while AppMagic estimates $6.37bn in IAP revenue.
Mobile Data / July 8, 2026
Whiteout Survival tops June revenue while Roblox leads downloads
MobileGamer.biz’s July 8 data digest cites Sensor Tower data naming Whiteout Survival as June’s top-grossing game and Roblox as the download leader.
Mobile Platform / July 8, 2026
Meta soft-launches Pocket, an AI-powered TikTok for games
Meta has quietly launched Pocket, an AI-powered app where users generate and share short interactive apps and games.
Mobile Business / July 8, 2026
PocketGamer.biz looks back at Pokémon GO’s 10-year franchise power
PocketGamer.biz published a July 8 feature on Pokémon GO and Monopoly GO as long-running Scopely forever-franchise examples.
Mobile Business / July 8, 2026
Mattel163 COO talks Uno, East-West publishing and NetEase deal
PocketGamer.biz published a Hot Seat interview with Mattel163 COO Devin Nambiar on July 8.
Mobile Jobs / July 8, 2026
July mobile games movers and shakers roundup lands
PocketGamer.biz published its July 2026 jobs roundup covering moves at Xbox, Rovio, Paramount Games, Stillfront and more.
Industry Layoffs / July 8, 2026
CWA vows action after Microsoft layoffs hit unionised workers
PocketGamer.biz reports the CWA plans to bargain over severance, job placements and recall rights after Microsoft’s Xbox layoffs.
Mobile Business / July 8, 2026
Xbox CEO says mobile will be key after restructuring
PocketGamer.biz reports Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said mobile will play a key role as Microsoft restructures its gaming business.
Regional Industry / July 8, 2026
PocketGamer.biz spotlights the Nordic games market
PocketGamer.biz published a July 8 feature on why the Nordic region remains influential in global games.
Mobile Business / July 7, 2026
China Mini-Games market hit $7.65bn in 2025
PocketGamer.biz reports China’s Mini-Games market generated about $7.65bn in 2025 and is forecast to reach $9.72bn in 2026.
Mobile Business / July 7, 2026
WeChat Mini-Games show serious monetisation muscle
PocketGamer.biz reports Mini-Games revenue came mostly from IAPs, with 68.11% from purchases and 31.89% from ads.
Mobile Business / July 7, 2026
King and Mojang now report directly to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma
PocketGamer.biz reports King and Mojang will report directly to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma after Microsoft’s wider games business reset.
Industry Layoffs / July 7, 2026
Niantic Spatial closes New Zealand office
Niantic Spatial has closed its New Zealand office amid an enterprise-focused shift, with at least 10 employees believed to be affected.
Industry Events / July 7, 2026
PGC Summit Shanghai highlights funding, monetisation and AI tracks
PocketGamer.biz detailed PGC Summit Shanghai’s funding, East-meets-West, ad monetisation and AI sessions for July 29.
Mobile Business / July 7, 2026
Top 30 US Mobile Game Makers of 2026 list goes live
PocketGamer.biz published its Top 30 US Mobile Game Makers of 2026, covering major and quietly successful companies across the US mobile ecosystem.
Mobile Data / July 7, 2026
Mobile gaming ad revenue topped $12bn in 2025
MobileGamer.biz cites Sensor Tower data estimating mobile gaming ad monetisation topped $12bn across 19 countries in 2025.
Mobile Data / July 7, 2026
Ad-supported titles dominate mobile downloads
MobileGamer.biz reports ad-supported titles made up 84.1% of mobile game downloads in May 2026 across Sensor Tower’s tracked markets.
Mobile Regulation / July 6, 2026
Pokémon GO restricts Incubators in Brazil after loot-box ruling
Pokémon GO players in Brazil are reportedly unable to buy or use certain Incubator-related shop items after a local ruling on loot-box-style mechanics.
Mobile Industry / July 6, 2026
GamingOnPhone previews what to expect from ChinaJoy 2026
GamingOnPhone published a July 6 feature looking ahead to ChinaJoy 2026, including games, AI, esports and hardware expectations.
Mobile Business / July 6, 2026
PocketGamer.biz updates top soft-launch games list
PocketGamer.biz updated its soft-launch list today, tracking 46 mobile games including Brinko, Talking Tom Epic Ride, WWE Generations and Mr Bullet 2.
Mobile Business / July 6, 2026
Scopely invests in Studio AuKnow
Scopely has invested in Studio AuKnow, a startup led by former Umamusume Pretty Derby content director Takuma Akitsu.
Mobile Business / July 6, 2026
Niantic rebrands to Scopely Explore
After Scopely’s acquisition, the Pokémon GO studio has rebranded from Niantic to Scopely Explore.
Mobile Funding / July 6, 2026
Supercell opens Africa-focused developer grants
Supercell has opened applications for Africa-focused developer grants, with equity-free support ranging from $20,000 to $200,000.
Mobile Industry / July 6, 2026
Xbox cuts 3,200 jobs as King and Mojang reporting lines shift
Microsoft is cutting 3,200 Xbox jobs, while King and Mojang are set to report directly to Xbox boss Asha Sharma.
Mobile Business / July 6, 2026
Love and Deepspace Valko petition passes 229k signatures
PocketGamer.biz reports that a campaign asking Infold to bring back Valko has passed 229,000 signatures.
Mobile Industry / July 5, 2026
GamingOnPhone heads to ChinaJoy 2026 as official media partner
GamingOnPhone has confirmed its attendance at ChinaJoy 2026 in Shanghai as an official media partner.
Mobile Business / July 5, 2026
Mobile Games Awards 2026 voting remains open
Voting is open for PocketGamer.biz’s Mobile Games Awards 2026, with the winners set to be announced in Cologne on August 25.
Mobile Funding / July 5, 2026
Google’s Africa Indie Games Fund remains open
Google’s $1m non-equity Indie Games Fund for African mobile developers is accepting applications until July 31.
Games Industry / July 5, 2026
United Videogame Workers hardship fund supports laid-off workers
United Videogame Workers launched a hardship fund offering grants from $1,000 to $5,000 for laid-off game workers in the US and Canada.
Mobile Business / July 3, 2026
Google launches $1m Africa Indie Games Fund
Google has launched a non-equity $1m Indie Games Fund for Africa-based developers, with applications open until July 31.
Games Industry / July 3, 2026
United Videogame Workers launches hardship fund
United Videogame Workers has launched a hardship fund for US and Canadian game workers affected by layoffs or financial hardship since January 2024.
Mobile Business / July 2, 2026
June's Journey expands into bestselling mystery novel territory
Wooga discussed June's Journey's leap from mobile hidden-object game to USA Today bestselling novel Death Wasn't Invited.
Mobile Business / July 2, 2026
Game ownership debate heats up after shutdown worries
PocketGamer.biz's Mobile Mavens discuss player ownership, publisher responsibility and what happens when live games reach end of life.
Platform / Regulation / July 2, 2026
Google loses appeal against Android antitrust fine
Europe's top court upheld the reduced €4.1bn Android antitrust fine against Google.
Mobile Business / July 2, 2026
SuperCity reaches $100m revenue after 15 years
Playkot's SuperCity has surpassed $100m revenue and 40m installs as it celebrates its 15th anniversary.
Mobile Business / July 2, 2026
Xsolla and Pley expand browser monetisation for mobile studios
Xsolla partnered with Pley to help Unity mobile developers port, distribute and monetise games through browsers.
Mobile Business / July 1, 2026
Stillfront CEO Alexis Bonte to depart
Stillfront Group CEO Alexis Bonte is set to leave after a successor is appointed, with the company coming off revenue and user declines.
Mobile Business / July 1, 2026
South Korea alleges Google abused Android app-store position
South Korea’s KFTC alleges Google used Project Hug / Games Velocity incentives to favour Google Play, with Google disputing the claims.
Mobile Platform / July 1, 2026
Google Play Store adds game-specific creator videos
Google’s June system update notes say Play Store v52.1 lets users watch game-specific creator and developer videos in full-screen and Picture-in-Picture.
Mobile Platform / July 1, 2026
Google Play AI marks and installer performance changes roll out
Google Play Store v52.1 also adds AI marks for AI-generated images and installer-check infrastructure improvements.
Mobile Business / July 1, 2026
Google Play billing changes continue after June 30 start
Google Play’s expanded billing options and separated service/billing fee structure started June 30 in the US, EEA and UK.
Service Shutdown / June 30, 2026
The Elder Scrolls: Blades shuts down today
Bethesda’s mobile action RPG The Elder Scrolls: Blades officially ends service on June 30, 2026.
Service Shutdown / June 30, 2026
Eversoul global service ends today
Eversoul is set for global closure on June 30, following the earlier Japanese service shutdown path.
Mobile Business / June 30, 2026
Google Play fee and billing changes start today
Google Play’s new billing options and lower service-fee structure begin today in the US, EU and UK, with other regions following later.
Mobile Games Business / June 30, 2026
A Webbing Journey hits 5m mobile downloads
A Webbing Journey passed 5 million mobile downloads and added a major living-room update with 10 new quests.
Mobile Games Business / June 30, 2026
CSR 2 celebrates 10th anniversary
Zynga and NaturalMotion’s CSR 2 is celebrating 10 years with 530m cars collected and AppMagic-estimated lifetime spending of $859.3m.
Mobile Business / June 29, 2026
Spill Games raises $3.1m seed round
Bengaluru-based Spill Games raised $3.1m to scale its casual and puzzle mobile portfolio, tooling and team.
Mobile Business / June 29, 2026
MobileGamer.biz asks whether third-party app stores are paying off
MobileGamer.biz explored whether EU third-party iOS app stores are actually making money for developers after Apple opened the door in 2024.
Mobile Business / June 29, 2026
Mobile games jobs digest tracks moves at Scopely, EA, Roblox and Apple
MobileGamer.biz published its June 29 jobs digest covering recruitment moves across major mobile and platform companies.
Mobile Advertising / June 29, 2026
AppLovin opens self-serve advertising platform
PocketGamer.biz reports AppLovin has opened its self-serve ad platform to all advertisers and renamed Axon to AppLovin Ads.
Mobile Business / June 29, 2026
Hot Five recap spotlights D2C, Pokémon Champions and Kabam
PocketGamer.biz’s June 29 Hot Five recap highlights D2C revenues, Pokémon Champions’ $3.5m first week, AppsFlyer funding, Kabam layoffs and Chinese genre specialists.
Industry Events / June 29, 2026
Thatgamecompany executive joins PGC Summit Shanghai lineup
PocketGamer.biz reports Thatgamecompany head of corporate development Shijie Xue will speak at PGC Summit Shanghai on July 29.
Mobile Industry / June 28, 2026
PocketGamer.biz podcast covers D2C revenue and Google Play fee changes
Episode 95 of the Week in Mobile Games podcast discusses $17bn D2C revenue, Google Play fees, Honkai: Nexus Anima, Monopoly Go Chat, The Traitors WhatsApp game and layoffs.
Mobile Industry / June 28, 2026
Google Play fee changes remain a top mobile business topic
PocketGamer.biz’s podcast highlights Google’s new Play Store fee rollout, including a 20% platform tax not tied to Google Pay.
Mobile Industry / June 28, 2026
Direct-to-consumer revenue keeps dominating industry chatter
PocketGamer.biz’s June 28 podcast again spotlights Appcharge’s report claiming D2C platforms are banking $17bn.
Mobile Industry / June 28, 2026
Pokémon Champions early success stays in the spotlight
PocketGamer.biz’s Week in Views says Pokémon Champions made around $3.5m in its first week on mobile, with iOS accounting for most spend.
Mobile Industry / June 28, 2026
Hardware price pressure hits mobile and games markets
PocketGamer.biz’s Week in Views connects rising memory/storage costs to higher device prices, including iPad and Xbox price increases.
Industry Events / June 28, 2026
PG Connects Shanghai and ChinaJoy partnership stays hot
PocketGamer.biz says PG Connects Summit Shanghai is now an official strategic content partner with ChinaJoy 2026.
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What sources does industry coverage draw on?
Reports reference named industry outlets and data firms such as MobileGamer.biz, PocketGamer.biz, Sensor Tower, and AppMagic, with sources linked in each article.