On the podcast: Playtika for sale, data nuggets, Ilkka’s BAFTA, Netflix Playground, game writers’ favourite mobile games, more
This week’s inside view of the mobile game business.
Critics’ week: Pocket Card Jockey’s inevitable hurtle towards the abyss
Chris Scullion's love for rearing digital steeds is equalled by his fear that this Apple Arcade game will disappear one day.
Data digest: $3bn Playtika for sale, Q1’s top earners, Easybrain, Sett, Mistplay, Mag, more
There's also mobile spending stats from Aream and numbers on Last Asylum: Plague and MapleStory: Idle RPG in this week's round-up.
Critics’ week: self-medicating with a dubious picross game
Game critic, author and podcaster Alice Bell attempts to explain why she plays Nonograms CrossMe for three hours a day. And sometimes longer.
Critics’ week: Monster Hunter Now is secretly Niantic’s best game
One More Catch editor and Pokémon Go diehard Matthew Reynolds on the one other location-based game which has managed to capture his attention: Monster Hunter Now.
Critics’ week: why Brawl Stars is my favourite battle royale
Game critic and author Christian Donlan loves battle royale games – and prefers Brawl Stars' Showdown mode to Fortnite. Here's why.
Jobs digest: moves at Scopely, Google Play, CrazyLabs, Small Giant, Griffin and more
There are also appointments and promotions at Funday, Stillfront, Loom, Miniclip, Activision Blizzard and Supercell in our latest round-up.
New game digest: Monopoly Go Chat, Rec Room, Monster Hunter, The Division, Hoyoverse’s next game and more
There's also the return of retro deep cut Chuckie Egg, new Apple Arcade games, a couple of game closures and more in this week's round-up.
Goat Simulator maker Coffee Stain to close its mobile studio
Around 17 staff look to likely to be affected by the closure at the Embracer-owned firm’s Malmö office.
The Division Resurgence is Ubisoft’s second shot at the mobile shooter market – will it work?
The Division Resurgence producer Pierre-Hugues Puechlong explains how Ubisoft's open-world RPG shooter plans to compete in today's market after years in soft launch.
Bethesda has quietly killed its made-for-mobile RPG The Elder Scrolls: Blades
The game has already been delisted from app stores, and servers will close on June 30. It earned Bethesda around $13.5m since launch in March 2019, says Appmagic.
PlayStation’s mobile arm hit by layoffs
Around 50 staff were cut across PlayStation’s Studio Business Group, we’re told, including an unspecified number in its mobile arm. Work will continue on soft launch games MLB The Show Mobile and Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble, we understand.
The soft launch games you need to know about
Take a peek at the games in testing from Supercell, Playrix, Ubisoft, Rovio, Miniclip, Moon Active and more.
Unity to sell off Supersonic label and close Ironsource Ad Network
The engine maker plans to divest the mobile publishing arm behind casual hits like Bridge Race and Going Balls. It’s also discontinuing Ironsource’s ad network under four years after that blockbuster $4.4bn merger.
What’s going on with Epic’s push into webshops?
Epic webshops are in a MVP-like state so far, says Epic Games Store boss Steve Allison.
Arcade is the new publisher taking on Voodoo, Supersonic, SayGames and Supercent
It has backing from Dubai-based adtech giant and startup incubator AI.tech, and offers UA and publishing know-how as game development becomes commoditised by AI, says boss Alexandre Salem.
