Stay Informed
Get Industry News In Your Inbox…
Sign Up Today
Start your week right with our quick take on the hottest stories impacting the mobile industry right now.
To help get you primed and ready for another week in mobile gaming, we’ve curated the biggest stories you need to know from the last seven days.
1) Ubisoft shares plunge 20% after Assassin’s Creed Shadows delay
Ubisoft shares plummeted by 20% following a delay to Assassin’s Creed Shadows and “softer than expected” sales of Star Wars Outlaws.
Q2 forecasts have also fallen from $557.7 million in net bookings to approximately $400 million, and targets for the full fiscal year have changed to breaking even with non-IFRS operating income.
2) Genshin Impact hits $6.3 billion in time for fourth anniversary, but is it running on fumes?
HoYoverse flagship and gacha RPG goliath Genshin Impact celebrated its fourth anniversary on September 28th with its major Version 5.0 update already in full swing, introducing players to the land of Natlan.
Over the past four years, this multiplatform giant’s mobile version has grossed $6.3 billion in mobile revenue across the App Store and Google Play, with average earnings of $1.6 billion per year, according to AppMagic estimates. But more recently, revenue has hit a record low.
3) Dungeon & Fighter: Mobile surpasses $800 million in four months
Nexon and Tencent’s breakout hit Dungeon & Fighter: Mobile has eclipsed $800 million in lifetime gross revenue just on China’s App Store, achieved in only four months since the game’s launch in the country.
AppMagic estimates put the total figure at $808.9 million thus far, but considering the breakout game is also available on third-party Android stores in China, its true earnings are likely much higher.
4) Nexon America lays off “small number” of staff
Nexon America has laid off a “small number” of staff through a restructuring effort. The exact number of employees and the roles affected are currently unknown, though the company did confirm severances to PocketGamer.biz after news emerged on social media.
“Unfortunately, the re-organisation includes the elimination of a small number of roles, with severance offered to those leaving. However, Nexon America is now hiring to fill out the new development team, including engineers and designers,” a Nexon spokesperson said.
5) 22 year old raises $3.7 million for Roblox tool platform Gamebeast
Data insight platform Gamebeast is led by a 22 year old Roblox enthusiast who has raised $3.7 million in a pre-seed funding round. The funds will go towards building Gamebeast’s no-code tooling platform, tailored towards user-generated content beginning with Roblox’s ecosystem.
CEO Zander Brumbaugh has amassed almost 500 million lifetime game visits on Roblox and now runs a team of 16 employees.