Are developers actually making money on third-party app stores?
The minds behind AltStore and Skich aren't telling – but with Epic Games Store underperforming and the closure of alt app store Setapp, they're still confident that there's a future for non-Apple and Google-run stores.
Jobs digest: moves at Scopely, Metacore, EA, Roblox, Apple, Zynga, Outfit7, Fateless, more
There's also recruitment news from Miniclip, Google, Blizzard, Peak, Unity, King and elsewhere in our latest round-up.
The new studio from two former King execs, Queen Digital Entertainment, has closed
Update: Knutsson has now confirmed the closure to business publication Breakit. His statement, translated from Swedish, reads: "We are currently planning to close the business. We do not see the economics of scaling mobile gaming in today's market..."
New game digest: Guild Wars, Zynga’s board game adventure, Scopely’s next game, UFC, The Traitors, more
There's also Netflix's new horror game, a Guild Wars spin-off and a couple of interesting indie games in this week's round-up.
On the podcast: Google Play store fees, Kingshot’s World Cup ads, AppsFlyer’s gets $1bn, Kabam layoffs, ex-King execs kill Queen, more
This week’s inside view of the mobile game business.
Google Play opens up billing options and lowers store fees from June 30
US, EU and UK developers get more payment flexibility and lower store fees on the Play Store from June 30, with other territories to follow.
Data digest: World Cup numbers, DTC hits $17bn, UEFN payouts, May’s top game ads, more
There's also milestones for Rush Royale, Dessert DIY, a report on app store security and a new studio fund from Nexon in this week's round-up.
AI could help quadruple new game development, says Mag boss
“Historically, testing five to six game concepts per year would have represented a high pace for a company of our size,” said CEO Daniel Hasselberg. “Today, we see a realistic path toward testing a similar number of concepts every quarter.”
Kingshot maker Century hires a flurry of footballers for World Cup ad spots
Harry Maguire, Michael Owen, John Terry, transfer influencer Fabrizio Romano and Brazilian stars Gabriel Jesus, Jorginho, Marquinhos and Thiago Silva are promoting Century's hit 4X strategy game.
Honkai: Nexus Anima is Hoyoverse’s take on the Pokémon formula
The creature-collecting adventure has a beta test coming on July 9 across iOS, Android and PC.
Google, Unity, Meta and Moloco partner to invest $1bn in AppsFlyer
The ad measurement firm says it will remain “neutral” and “independent” as part of the deal. Axios reported the $1bn figure, which values AppsFlyer at around $2.7bn.
Prime Minister simulator No. 10: Full Confidence spikes as Keir Starmer quits
Indie developer Ben Brewis says his political satire has “blown up in the US and UK charts” amid the unfolding turmoil on Downing Street.
Marvel Contest of Champions maker Kabam cuts jobs, downsizes LA office
It’s unclear how many staff are affected but the publisher has confirmed to gamedeveloper.com that it is to streamline operations and “consolidate” its LA office.
Pokémon Go-like RPG Orna has defied trends and turbulence to survive for eight years
Nine-person studio Northern Forge says it has passed 4.5m downloads by staying lean and focused on delivering what its “fiercely loyal” community demands.
What Apple developers really thought of WWDC 2026
In the absence of any meaningful games features, Siri and AI were the main topics of conversation on the ground in Cupertino last week.
38-0 is the second amateur-made football drafting game to break into the UK App Store top ten
Hobbyist Josh Pavey made 38-0 in a few days just for fun. Since launch last Thursday, it has racked up over 100k downloads and broke into the UK games top ten.
