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The video games business strikes shortly and whereas tales might come and go there are some that we simply cannot let go of…
So, to offer these significantly thorny subjects an additional going over we have created a weekly digest the place the members of the PocketGamer.biz group share their ideas and go that little bit deeper on a number of the extra fascinating issues which have occurred in cell gaming previously week.
Craig Chapple
Head of Content material
Netflix companions with FIFA to launch soccer simulation sport forward of the FIFA World Cup 2026
Netflix sealed a deal to carry the FIFA franchise again into gaming this week.
It comes a number of years after EA and the world’s soccer governing physique lower ties after the writer refused to pay larger charges for the licence, reported at $1 billion – reportedly twice as excessive as beforehand agreed.
As an apart – additionally within the final week, soccer followers had been up in arms over hiked up costs of World Cup tickets. FIFA relented a bit. So, it’s a must to ask, how a lot is Netflix paying for this licence?
Anyway, Netflix mentioned it was working with Delphi Interactive to construct the brand new sport in time for World Cup 2026. On its LinkedIn web page, Delphi says it “builds triple-A video games based mostly on essentially the most fascinating IP franchises on the earth”. It additionally calls itself “the architects behind 007: First Gentle with IO Interactive”. The latter studio, after all, is the group truly constructing it.
The announcement says Delphi is the developer and writer. However a cursory look on LinkedIn doesn’t present any precise builders linked to the agency.
It’s an enormous deal that FIFA is again in video games (oh, it’s additionally now in Roblox too. Maybe an excellent greater deal!). However I’m curious which growth group is definitely constructing the sport and the way lengthy it has been engaged on this “newly reimagined FIFA soccer simulation sport”.
I’ve a tough time believing it is going to be something to rival EA Sports activities FC, constructed on a long time of expertise and tech. A troublesome problem, too, to topple the likes of Konami’s eFootball.
I suppose we’ll see what kind the sport is available in. I don’t anticipate a rival to those titles, however fairly a small expertise that lasts a number of the summer season.
Roblox content material surpasses one trillion all-time views on YouTube
Roblox’s newest numbers, which state that the platform has surpassed one trillion all-time views on YouTube, are enormous. That is in response to its 2025 Roblox Replay, which additionally mentioned that in July and August, one in each 5 game-related movies posted on TikTok globally had talked about Roblox.
Regardless of issues in regards to the platform’s security, which all the time appear to come up, Roblox has develop into a significant cultural platform, primarily for the youthful era who’re clearly nonetheless closely invested in watching it on the likes of YouTube and TikTok after they aren’t taking part in it.
Platforms like Roblox and Fortnite have come to dominate the UGC area, and these always evolving worlds are exhibiting they will sustain with altering traits and hold gamers coming again for extra.
Roblox has had an enormous yr with experiences like Steal a Brainrot and Develop a Backyard each amassing tens of millions of gamers and Fortnite, nicely that is doing one thing with well-known partnerships on a degree unseen in another sport proper now.
As UGC instruments develop into extra accessible, we’re more likely to see extra creators become involved and extra development for UGC in 2026.
Asia dominates 2025’s greatest cell releases as prime 10 new video games make $2.2bn
As 2025 attracts to a detailed, I took a take a look at the largest new cell releases of the yr. Kingshot took the crown with nearly $600 million in gross participant spending, based mostly on AppMagic estimates, making Asia the winner of one other yr.
In truth, 4 of the 5 greatest releases had been developed in Asia, with Staff Jade’s Delta Drive in second at over $43m, Bandai Namco’s SD Gundam G Era Everlasting in third at $300m, and Habby’s Archero 2 in fourth at over $175m.
Rollic’s Colour Block Jam ranked fifth, the primary of two exceptions to Asia’s dominance within the prime 10. It was a stronger exhibiting for Western video games than in 2024.
Additionally noteworthy is their launch instances. This yr, the 5 greatest video games had been all out there throughout H1, suggesting extra common spending that accrued over the yr – therefore their prime rankings. In the meantime, in 2024, latecomers like Pokémon TCG Pocket jumped up the charts close to the tip of the yr, overtaking most the competitors regardless of a brief window of availability.
2025’s prime performers additionally got here nearer in income, the place 2024 had some heavy hitters who took a a lot stronger lead. So, there’s an argument to be made for this yr’s listing reflecting a more healthy business, even when the highest video games final yr generated $800m extra collectively.
