Game Studio Growth: PvX Partners Secures $3.8M

PvX Partners is the financing platform built to help Mobile Games & Apps scale. Founders include NetEase, Mobile Premier League & Morgan Stanley veterans. As reported by PocketGamer, PvX Partners has raised $3.8 million in a seed investment round. The round was co-led by Play Ventures and General Catalyst, with key backing from Michail Katkoff (Deconstructor of Fun) & Matej Lancaric (Two & a Half Gamers)—two of the most respected voices in gaming growth strategy. Faster, Founder-Friendly Game Financing Scaling a game is all about timing. Studios with predictable marketing returns often hit a critical growth window, but traditional financing options come with trade-offs: slow bootstrapping, painful equity dilution, or risky debt. PvX Capital changes the game with Cohort Financing, giving studios fast, flexible capital—up to $25M per year—while sharing downside risk. With term sheets in 24 hours and funds […]

Ömer Yakabagi March 11

Highlights

Match-3 Games in Türkiye: Good Job Games Raises $23M

As reported by VentureBeat, Good Job Games, a fast-rising Mobile Game Developer from Turkiye, has secured a massive $23 million in seed funding to cement its place as a major entertainment powerhouse. The round was led by Menlo Ventures and Arcadia, the new gaming fund launched by Tripledot co-founder Akin Babayigit. For a company founded in 2017, waiting eight years before raising external capital is unusual. But Good Job Games never needed outside investment—until now. Led by Ilker Ilicali and Nazim Akmandil, the company has thrived on its own momentum, quickly becoming a hypercasual gaming giant with over three billion downloads. It sold its hit game Zen Match and has since doubled down on revolutionizing the match-3 genre, with Match Villains leading the charge. “We built Good Job Games without external funding, powered by our team’s passion and craftsmanship,” said […]

Ömer Yakabagi March 11

Highlights

Felicity Games Secures $3M Seed Funding

India-based mobile game publisher Felicity Games has secured US$3 million in seed funding. The round was led by 3one4 Capital, with participation from T-Accelerate Capital in Singapore and MIXI Global Investments in Tokyo, as well as existing investors DeVC and Visceral Capital. Founded in 2023 by Anurag Choudhary, Felicity Games specializes in publishing hybrid-casual games. The company reported over US$1 million in annual recurring revenue and more than 1 million downloads of its key titles, Seek & Find and Nova Solitaire. VP at 3one4 Capital, Sonal Saldanha said:“The gaming industry has changed significantly, with mobile adoption and new advertising rules reshaping how games are built, discovered, and monetized. These shifts create opportunities for new companies to emerge.Felicity is taking a first-principles approach to building a substantial gaming business from India by leveraging exceptional talent, operational efficiency, and rapid execution. We […]

Ömer Yakabagi March 11

Journal

China’s AI Revolution: Manus, the Game-Changer

A huge shift is happening in the AI world, shaking things up big time. While everyone is busy watching American AI Stars like famous ChatGPT & Musk's Grok, China just casually dropped Manus, a super-smart AI that's changing the game completely. They call it “the first general AI agent.” Many already name it the "OpenAI-killer". 😅 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K27diMbCsuw&ab_channel=ManusAI A cool startup in China, created by Monica Manus isn't your regular AI chatbot. It's more like an AI super-agent that can do some pretty wild things all on its own. Imagine an AI that can check resumes and pick out the best ones, analyze stock markets with spooky-good predictions, build websites from scratch, and even manage entire online projects without any human help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIVADiGfwWc&ab_channel=Fireship While other AI agents are useful for idea generation, Ji said Manus AI “delivers results” without much human […]

Ömer Yakabagi March 11

Highlights

Mobile Game Leaders: February 2025

Hallo, Hei, Ahoj & SELAM! Welcome to the Feb'25 version of Mobile Game Leaders 🦄 Data source: AppMagic Global Leaderboard: Game Publishers Just Hypercasual? Ad Creative World Keep an eye on Saudi Arabia & Mintegral. Big moves there 👇🏻 Out of 207,000 Creatives on iOS Top GEOs by Impression US: 32% UK: 8% Japan: 7% Saudi Arabia: 7% Germany: 4% South Korea: 4% France: 4% Canada: 4% Turkey: 3% Australia: 4% Top Ad Networks by Impression Mintegral: 40% Facebook: 26% AppLovin: 11% Smadex: 6% Unity: 4% Out of 348,000 Creatives on Android Top GEOs by Impression Indonesia: 14% Mexico: 12% Brazil: 12% India: 10% US: 9% Turkey: 6% Saudi Arabia: 4% Ukraine: 4% Top Ad Networks by Impression Mintegral: 34% AppLovin: 30% Facebook: 14% AdMob: 10% YouTube: 3% Unity: 2% Global Games Leaderboard #1 Block Blast by Hungry Studio is on fire! […]

Ömer Yakabagi March 10

Journal

Microsoft to Work on 3D Gaming Experiences for Copilot

Microsoft is pushing Copilot beyond chat and into the world of AI-driven gaming, with a strong focus on 3D experiences and possibly even mobile gaming. A new job listing suggests that Microsoft is developing advanced gaming capabilities for Copilot, seeking a senior software engineer in Beijing with expertise in 3D rendering engines like Babylon.js, three.js, and Unity—tools commonly used for browser-based and mobile games. This could hint at Microsoft’s ambition to bring AI-enhanced gaming to a wider audience, including mobile platforms. Microsoft has been laying the groundwork for this expansion. In February, it introduced Muse, an AI model trained on Ninja Theory’s Bleeding Edge, designed to understand 3D game environments, game physics, and player actions. This allows AI to dynamically generate gameplay, paving the way for interactive, AI-driven experiences. Microsoft is embedding Copilot into video games, starting with Minecraft. Last […]

Ömer Yakabagi March 10

Journal

Copycat HTML5 Game Hits #2 on iOS

For Mobile Game & HTML5 Devs, this story is a cautionary tale; success on one platform can lead to exploitation on another. VoltekPlay developed Diapers, Please! in just a week for a Game Jam, launching it as a free HTML5 game on itch.io on Feb'23. The Game, inspired by Papers, Please, challenges players to match newborns with their parents based on visual traits. Just 3 days later, an iOS game called My Baby or Not! appeared on the App Store—looking identical to Diapers, Please! The SS, Gameplay & Description were copied word-for-word: “Immerse yourself in an alternative 1920s world where a totalitarian state and impeccable bureaucracy conceal deep secrets…” VoltekPlay sounded the alarm, writing on itch.io: "It’s literally just our game, wrapped in a mobile shell—uploaded without our permission by someone who didn’t contribute at all." While Apple erased the […]

Ömer Yakabagi March 9

Highlights

Reality Games Raises €4.3M: Bringing Monopoly to Life

London-based gaming studio Reality Games, the force behind Monopoly World, has secured €4.3 million in Seed funding to supercharge its mission: transforming Monopoly into a real-world, location-based gaming experience powered by big data, AI, and geolocation technology. The round was backed by Epublic angel investors, Polish venture firm Unfold VC, and Swiss private equity firm Acquinox. This funding milestone positions Reality Games to connect over 4 billion mobile players to real-world properties and digital assets like never before. "This €4.3 million Seed round paves the way for our upcoming Series A," said Zbigniew Woznowski, CEO and Founder of Reality Games. "We aim to reimagine Monopoly not just as a game but as a platform that bridges players with real-world retail offers and experiences." A Game-Changer in Mobile Gaming Backed by Hasbro & its 99% global brand recognition, Reality Games is […]

Ömer Yakabagi March 9

Journal

Nazara Completes $12M Sale of OpenPlay to PokerBaazi’s Parent, Moonshine Technology

Nazara Technologies Limited (NSE: NAZARA), India’s leading Gaming & Sports media platform, has successfully sold its 94.85% stake in OpenPlay Technologies, the operator of the popular Rummy platform Classic Rummy, to Moonshine Technology, the parent company of PokerBaazi. With this acquisition, Moonshine strengthens its position in India’s booming Real Money Gaming (RMG) market, particularly in mobile gaming. By integrating OpenPlay’s Rummy platform into its ecosystem, including PokerBaazi, Moonshine is set to capitalize on the massive demand for real-money, skill-based gaming. As mobile gaming adoption continues to surge, especially in emerging markets, this acquisition positions Moonshine as a dominant force in the RMG industry. Strategic Synergies: What This Means for the Market By leveraging OpenPlay’s technology, marketing prowess, and data-driven expertise, Moonshine expects to Boost player engagement through cross-platform integration. Optimize user acquisition with shared data insights. Enhance cost efficiencies via […]

Ömer Yakabagi March 8

Highlights

$900M Deal: Tripledot Buys AppLovin’s Games

As reported by BusinessInsider, AppLovin, the Adtech Titan, is selling its gaming unit to London-based Tripledot Studios in a $900 million deal, sources tell Business Insider. AppLovin’s CEO Adam Foroughi made it clear: "We've never been a game developer at heart." The company originally acquired studios like Lion Studios, Machine Zone, and Magic Tavern to train its ad-driven AI, but now it’s fully embracing its role as an advertising titan. On February 12, AppLovin CEO Adam Foroughi told investors during an earnings call that the company has signed an “exclusive term sheet” to sell all of its apps business. “Seven years ago, we began acquiring gaming studios to help train our earliest ML models, an invaluable step in shaping the AI that underpins our AXON platform,” he said." From the last week: AppLovin Offloads Games: $500M Cash, $400M in Stock AppLovin paid […]

Ömer Yakabagi March 5

Highlights

Saudi Game Studio, Lobah secured $12 million investment

Saudi Arabia’s Lobah just secured a massive $12M investment from the Social Development Bank at Leap 2025 in Riyadh, a bold move that fuels the country's ambitious National Gaming Strategy. Founded by industry veteran Eisa Atawi, Lobah isn’t just making games, it’s building an ecosystem. In January, it launched Lobah Play, a dynamic platform for game publishing, networking, and monetization. With a lineup of ambitious projects in the works—including Kingdom of Letters (trivia), Jackaroo (board game) & Faza (PvP battle royale set in the Arabian Peninsula), Lobah is set to make waves in the mobile gaming space. The Gaming Industry is getting hotter and hotter over there. Saudi Arabia’s Games & Esports industry is a story the world should watch. A Booming Saudi Gaming Scene Saudi Arabia is doubling down on gaming, increasing esports and game development funding by 53% […]

Ömer Yakabagi March 5

Highlights

Miniclip acquired Lessmore, studio behind We Are Warriors and Eatventure

As reported by MobileGamer.biz, Miniclip has expanded its gaming empire, acquiring German hybrid-casual studio Lessmore, creators of Eatventure and We Are Warriors, for an undisclosed sum at the end of 2024. Confirming the deal, Miniclip CEO Saad Choudri praised Lessmore’s rapid growth: "We were incredibly impressed by their ability to prototype fresh game concepts and scale hit titles. This acquisition strengthens our footprint in new gaming categories, and we’re excited to help Lessmore grow its portfolio." Data: AppMagic Lessmore Co-Founder Jeremy Ries echoed the excitement, calling the deal "an important new chapter" that will leverage Miniclip’s expertise to expand their reach. Data: AppMagic According to Appmagic, Eatventure has racked up 69.3M downloads and nearly $28M in IAP since its 2022 launch, while We Are Warriors has hit 36.3M installs, earning close to $10M. This move is part of Miniclip’s ongoing […]

Ömer Yakabagi March 4

Ömer Yakabagi

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