New game digest: Dicero, Ratchet & Clank, Overcooked, Angry Birds, Tomb Raider, more

There's also Miniclip's new soft launch, Ball x Pit and several other indie games in this week's round-up.

Devs must add Google’s AI, achievements and cloud tech to get lower Play store fees

Google has released further detail on the requirements to join the Google Play Level Up program, which means it’ll take 15% of IAPs rather than 20% from July.

On the podcast: more Epic-Google deal detail, Clash Royale, GDC, Bossfight, NCsoft, data, jobs, more

This week’s inside view of the mobile game business.

GDC 2026: Who’s got the biggest booth?

It’s Tencent, as usual, but Meta has a prime spot and there are lot of other notable quirks about the GDC show floor this year.

Data digest: Scopely hits $15bn, Fortnite prices rise, AppLovin research, Unity China for sale, Apple’s App Store earnings, more

This week's need-to-know numbers all in one place.

Squid Game: Unleashed studio Bossfight returns after Netflix closure

The newly-independent outfit is based in Dallas, Texas and led by CEO David Rippy, chief product officer Bill Jackson and COO Scott Winsett.

NCsoft to buy 70 per cent stake in rewards firm JustPlay for $204m

The Korean giant’s plans to expand into mobile continue with its swoop for the Berlin-based loyalty platform.

Supercell explains Clash Royale’s big comeback

Game leads James Back and Aleksandar Markovic said at GDC that a combination of exciting new content, easier progression and simplified systems helped – creators also got a namecheck, too, albeit briefly.

Epic and Google’s new Play Store deal is not the decisive victory they claim it is

Is a measly 5-10% off really what Epic has been fighting for all these years?

Jobs digest: moves at Scopely, Small Giant, Lego, Miniclip, PlaySide, Voodoo, Supercell, more

There’s also recruitment news at Netflix, Tripledot, Cygames, Tactile, Double Twizzle, Fortis, Sixteen Tons, CrazyLabs and many more in our latest round-up.

Hexa Sort creators Cheer Games raise $4.5m

The funding round was led by Makers Fund, with participation from Play Ventures and a group of angel investors.

Fortnite will return to the Play Store as Google reduces store fees and ends Epic disputes

Google has revealed lower store fees and more open billing and sideloading options as it settles its legal disputes with Epic. And yes, Fortnite will return to the Play Store, too.

February’s top grossing mobile games

Appmagic data shows a steady upper end of the top grossing chart last month, but huge drops in IAP revenue for Monopoly Go and Candy Crush...

February’s top mobile game downloads

Block Blast, Free Fire and Roblox keep comfortably ahead of a rising Vita Mahjong while PUBG Mobile gets a big boost in Appmagic's latest numbers.

Supercell and King alumni Antihero raise $4.5m to launch extraction shooter Misfitz

The pre-seed round is co-led by A16z and Laton, with participation from Sisu.

Can Rainbow Six Mobile succeed where Call of Duty Warzone and Apex Legends failed?

Yes it can, says game director Olivier Albarracin. Here, he explains how Rainbow Six Mobile could survive in the competitive shooter market, and what changed during a long soft launch.

Story archive

New ‘TikTok for games’ firm Minit lands $2m
41 layoffs at Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride maker Halfbrick
New game digest: Subway Surfers, Rainbow Six, Reigns: The Witcher, Overwatch Rush, Ball x Pit, more
Playtika hits $1bn per year in direct to consumer revenue
Tencent set to buy stake in Block Blast maker Hungry Studio
Data digest: Kingshot outpaces Whiteout Survival, female players overlooked, casual market flat, January’s top titles, more
Blizzard reveals Overwatch Rush
Xbox’s ‘play anywhere’ pitch has a fundamental flaw, and always will
Microsoft’s $1.7bn mobile game empire: what works, what doesn’t and what’s next
Jobs digest: Reshuffles at Xbox and Unity plus moves at Rovio, Hoyoverse, Google, Stillfront and more
Spencer and Bond out at Microsoft Gaming as AI exec Sharma takes over
New game digest: Marvel Mystic Mayhem and Warzone Mobile close, Warframe hits Android, new Cookie Run, more
Scopely acquires majority stake in Pixel Flow maker Loom Games
Data digest: Savvy’s Moonton swoop, Liftoff kills IPO, Habby hits $2bn, Fallout Shelter, more
The Ares gameplan is built on UA financing, non-US devs – and Kim Kardashian, sort of
Honkai: Star Rail fans think it got caught up in political tensions between Japan and China
New game digest: Tomb Raider, EA Sports FC Tactical, Paranormasight, Oceanhorn, more
Supercell is under fire for apparently ignoring Jynxzi’s role in Clash Royale’s comeback
Data digest: NetEase sells stake in Mattel163, Unity results, Socialpoint’s 1bn installs, Liftoff IPO stalls, more
Bernard Kim joins Unity board as Helgason and Bar-Zeev quit

Must read

The soft launch games you need to know about

Xbox’s ‘play anywhere’ pitch has a fundamental flaw, and always will

Microsoft’s $1.7bn mobile game empire: what works, what doesn’t and what’s next

Many international visitors are skipping GDC amid cost concerns and US safety fears

The top grossing mobile games of 2025

The top mobile game downloads of 2025

Trip Hawkins and the ‘DChoc mafia’ shaping today’s mobile game business

Off The Record London in pictures

Off The Record Leamington in pictures

Off The Record Helsinki in pictures

Inside King: layoff lawsuits, toxic leaders, toothless ethics teams, low morale and mandatory AI use

Off The Record Cologne in pictures

Laid off King staff set to be replaced by the AI tools they helped build, say sources

Off The Record Brighton in pictures

Off The Record LA in pictures

Off The Record in pictures

RIP Space Ape: 70 join Supercell London, 30 laid off, remaining titles to spin out

Resident Evil 2 struggles to $100k as triple-A flops continue

Inside Unity’s troubled $4.4bn IronSource merger

Inside Apple Arcade (again): late payments, stonewalled studios, terrible tech support and Vision Pro woes

Those Assassin’s Creed, Resident Evil and Death Stranding ports have bombed

From Taylor Swift to Britney Spears and beyond, why Glu’s other celebrity games failed

The rise and fall of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood

Supercell explains Brawl Stars’ big comeback, from an all-time low to 8.8x revenue

Why Supercell greenlights teams, not games – and is now open to external pitches

Inside Apple Arcade: axed games, declining payouts, disillusioned studios – and an uncertain future

“F**k you, we’re not paying”: inside Unity’s Runtime Fee fiasco

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