Daily Mobile Gaming News

A cleaner daily brief on mobile game launches, updates, and pre-registration moves worth watching.

News Fri, Jul 10, 2026

Digimon UP launches July 15, 2026, with over 1 million pre-registrations

Digimon UP, the latest mobile RPG from the Digimon franchise, is set to officially release on July 15, 2026. This announcement was made via an official post on X on July 8, urging interested players to pre-register ahead of the launch. The pre-registration for Digimon UP began on May 1, 2026, and has already surpassed 1 million sign-ups. As a reward for this milestone, all pre-registered players will receive buddy characters Tai Yagami and Agumon, among other bonuses, upon the game's official launch. Digimon UP is designed as a monster-raising RPG that emphasizes building bonds with your Digimon. Players will experience a unique growth process based on their nurturing methods, allowing their Digimon to evolve from baby to adult forms. The game promises to blend nostalgia with new content by featuring beloved characters from previous installments as well as fresh creatures. Players can expect a variety of battles where trained Digimon will take center stage. As they embark on adventures, they will face numerous enemies, offering opportunities for further growth and development within the game. With its focus on character development and strategic battles, Digimon UP aims to capture both veteran fans and newcomers alike.

News Thu, Jul 9, 2026

June’s Top Grossing Mobile Games: Honor of Kings Holds Strong

According to Appmagic data, June saw significant movements in the mobile gaming revenue landscape, with Honor of Kings maintaining its dominance despite a month-on-month drop of $50 million in in-app purchase (IAP) revenue. The total for Tencent’s flagship MOBA reached nearly $111 million, a figure that remains robust compared to its lower earnings during the downturn in November and December 2022, when monthly revenue dipped below $90 million. Whiteout Survival and Royal Match exhibited remarkable consistency, each generating around $110 million and $100 million, respectively, for the past few months. Microfun’s Gossip Harbor experienced a slight decline, dropping to just under $93 million after surpassing the $100 million threshold for the first time in March. Roblox and Monopoly Go also reported decreases, marking the third consecutive month of IAP revenue declines. Scopely's Monopoly Go posted between $82 million and $83 million, while Roblox's revenue dipped slightly. Century Games’ Kingshot had typical performance, but Candy Crush Saga faced a sharp decline from nearly $97 million in May to just over $77 million in June, marking its lowest monthly earnings since April 2022. Both LastWar and PUBG Mobile have seen significant revenue drops, with LastWar falling from over $120 million to just over $71 million since February. PUBG Mobile's June earnings were just above $62 million, a stark contrast to its $130 million+ performance earlier this year. In the rankings beyond the top five, Coin Master earned $52 million, followed by eFootball at $43 million, and Township at $42.9 million. Gardenscapes and Delta Force rounded out the list with revenues of $41 million and $38 million, respectively. Notably, eFootball has been performing well in Japan but has yet to gain traction in Western markets. The revenue of Pokémon Go stabilized at around $30 million, notably lower than the ~$45 million figures from earlier in the year. Brawl Stars dropped out of the top 20, bringing in under $27 million in June after previously earning between $34 million and $38 million over the last three months. Meanwhile, Wuthering Waves benefitted from a Cyberpunk crossover, with IAP revenue surpassing the $25 million mark.

Update Thu, Jul 9, 2026

Bluey: Let's Play Hits 75 Million Downloads with Major Update

Budge Studios has marked a significant milestone for Bluey: Let's Play, celebrating 75 million downloads worldwide with its largest update yet. This update introduces new gameplay features that enhance storytelling and interactive play for families, continuing to bring the beloved Bluey television series to mobile players. The update includes a highly anticipated Dress Up Mode, allowing players to customize characters with a variety of hats, outfits, and accessories through a swipe-to-style mechanic. Once saved, these custom outfits can be worn by characters throughout the game. Additionally, two new mini-games have been added. Players can give Dad a makeover by shampooing, curling, braiding, or blow-drying his hair, using playful items like hair chalk and water balloons. The new barbecue activity lets players prepare skewers, burgers, and vegetables, unlock secret recipes, and trigger humorous reactions from characters when they are fed. Michael Elman, co-CEO of Budge Studios, expressed gratitude towards their partners at BBC Studios and Ludo Studio, stating, "Hitting 75 million downloads is a spectacular milestone for us, and it wouldn't have been possible without the incredible collaboration of our partners. To thank our amazing community, we wanted to deliver our biggest update yet. The new Dress Up mode truly unlocks boundless imagination, allowing kids to bring their own personal touch to Bluey’s world and change the way they tell stories in the game."

News Thu, Jul 9, 2026

June’s top mobile game downloads: Arrows, Amaze Go, Free Fire Max, Roblox

According to Appmagic data, the leading mobile game downloads for June highlight significant trends in the market, even as the estimates exclude the fragmented Android market in China. Notably, the Arrows games continue to dominate download charts, primarily driven by India. Three of these titles made it into the top ten for the month, with two of them developed by Easybrain, a subsidiary of Miniclip/Tencent. The original Arrows game, identified by its icon, narrowly outperformed its close competitor, Amaze Go, which rebranded from Arrows Go last month. Estimates show only a couple of million downloads separated these two games. Easybrain's other Arrows game secured fifth place with 16.4 million installs, solidifying its dominance in this burgeoning subgenre. Garena’s Free Fire Max maintained its strong performance with approximately 23 million downloads, while Roblox experienced a resurgence with about 19 million monthly downloads, bouncing back after a previous decline. Ludo King remained reliable in its downloads, although Block Blast faced its third consecutive month of decline, dropping from over 26 million installs in March to below 14 million in June. This raises questions about its sustainability amid the rising popularity of the Arrows games. Subway Surfers, Pizza Ready, and Vita Mahjong showed slight month-on-month decreases but have firmly established their positions in the top ten. Meanwhile, Learnings’ Meowdoku benefited from a recent marketing push, garnering over 10 million installs in its initial month and just missing a top ten placement. If the marketing momentum continues, it is poised to break into the top ten in July. In the 11-20 bracket, Soccer Superstar, EA Sports FC Mobile, Football League 2026, and eFootball saw notable month-on-month increases, likely fueled by World Cup excitement. Block Crazy Robo World Craft also continued its unexpected consistency with another strong month. However, Fortnite dropped eight spots following its iOS rerelease in May, now sitting outside the top twenty, while Dream Games’ Royal Kingdom fell to 24th place with approximately 7.9 million installs in June.

News Thu, Jul 9, 2026

Voting Open for Mobile Games Awards 2026 with Samsung Gaming Hub

The Mobile Games Awards 2026, in partnership with Samsung Gaming Hub, has unveiled its list of finalists, and the voting process has officially begun. This year’s awards will take place on August 25th in Cologne, coinciding with Gamescom week. Voting will remain open until midnight on July 20th, offering industry insiders a chance to recognize excellence among their peers over the past year. The Mobile Games Awards highlight achievements across the mobile gaming landscape, celebrating contributions from indie developers to major publishers, as well as tool providers, advertising solutions, analytics, marketing teams, payment platforms, QA support, new technology, and, of course, the games themselves. This annual event aims to acknowledge outstanding accomplishments from various sectors within this vibrant industry. For those wishing to attend the gala and witness the live announcement of winners, tickets are currently on sale and are expected to sell out quickly. Last year's winners can be viewed on the official awards site.

News Wed, Jul 8, 2026

Nexon Reveals Tokyo Game Show 2026 Lineup with Mabinogi Mobile and Project RX

Nexon has confirmed its lineup for the Tokyo Game Show 2026, set to take place at Makuhari Messe from September 17 to September 21, 2026. Among the highlighted titles are Mabinogi Mobile and the highly anticipated Project RX, both of which will be showcased at the company’s booth. A teaser website has been launched to provide updates as the event approaches. Mabinogi Mobile, developed by devCAT, is a reimagining of Nexon’s enduring MMORPG franchise tailored for mobile devices and PC. Unlike a straightforward adaptation, this version introduces a fresh storyline while retaining beloved features such as character customization, cooking, housing, and social interaction. It also supports cross-play between mobile and PC. Initially launched in South Korea in 2025, Mabinogi Mobile quickly surpassed four million downloads, topping charts on both Google Play and the Apple App Store, and earned the title of Game of the Year at the 2025 Korea Game Awards. Following its release in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau in July, the game is expected to arrive in Japan later this year. Project RX, in contrast, remains more enigmatic. Developed by Nexon’s IO division, the same studio that created Blue Archive, this title combines an anime-inspired cast with a focus on story-driven gameplay, daily life activities, and combat utilizing Unreal Engine 5 technology. As of now, Nexon has not provided a release window for Project RX. Additional information regarding both games, including booth activities and other exhibition plans, will be disclosed on the Tokyo Game Show teaser site in the weeks leading up to the event.

Update Wed, Jul 8, 2026

Mongil: Star Dive Version 1.2 Update Introduces New Characters and Features

Netmarble has rolled out the Version 1.2 update for its action RPG Mongil: Star Dive, bringing significant new content and gameplay enhancements. The update introduces two new 5-Star characters, a limited-time summer event, and the highly anticipated Dispatch System, now available on mobile devices and PC through the Epic Games Store. The centerpiece of this update is the seasonal event titled "An Unforgettable First Summer Dive!" running until July 28. This event features Summer Lane, a new map designed around a summer festival, where players can enjoy activities like a water slide attraction and an obstacle course mini-game. Alongside the event, players can acquire over 100 summon tickets through the Summer Special 7-Day Gifts login event and Grand Summer Festival Missions, alongside other in-game rewards. The update also adds two new summer-themed 5-Star characters: Francis: Summer Dive!, an Earth-type Support unit, and Verna: Summer Dive!, a Fire-type Fighter. In addition, the new Dispatch System allows players to assign characters to hunt monsters and gather resources automatically, enhancing character progression without manual grinding. Moreover, Version 1.2 introduces a new Monsterling for the Legendary Monster Reginula, which unlocks an exclusive Link Chain skill to aid in battles. Quality-of-life improvements include the ability to reset and enhance Monsterling traits, guaranteed success in Mutant Monsterling synthesis, new higher difficulty levels in Conquest mode, and various gameplay adjustments based on player feedback. Mongil: Star Dive, the official successor to Monster Taming, originally launched in 2013. Built on Unreal Engine 5, it combines monster collecting, real-time three-character tag combat, and cinematic storytelling.

News Wed, Jul 8, 2026

Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis to Shut Down on October 6

Square Enix has announced the closure of Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis, confirming that both the mobile and Steam versions of the free-to-play RPG will go offline on October 6 at 11 PM PT (October 7 at 2 AM EDT, 7 AM BST). Originally launched on mobile in September 2023 and later on Steam in December, the game has seen approximately 3.7 million downloads and generated around $100 million in revenue within its short operational period, with $680,000 earned in the last month alone, according to AppMagic estimates. Japan was the leading market for Ever Crisis, accounting for roughly one-third of all downloads, while North America contributed about a quarter of the player base. Square Enix's mobile gaming portfolio has reportedly generated around $6.88 billion in total revenue. In an official statement, the publisher expressed regret over the abrupt nature of the announcement, highlighting their commitment to providing a quality experience since the game's launch on the App Store and Google Play on September 7, 2023, and on Steam on December 6, 2023. However, they concluded that continuing to do so was not feasible, prompting the decision to end service. Players can no longer purchase Red Crystal Sales, the in-game currency, but they can still use their existing supply while the game remains online. Additionally, players in Taiwan are eligible for refunds on any unspent currency and are advised to retain their save files until the refund process is finalized.

News Wed, Jul 8, 2026

Nintendo’s Mario Kart Tour to Shut Down in September

Nintendo has announced the closure of its mobile racing game, Mario Kart Tour, with services set to end on September 29 at 11pm PT (8am on September 30 CEST). In a statement shared on social media, the company expressed gratitude to players for their support throughout the game's run. As part of the shutdown process, sales of the in-game currency, rubies, have already ceased. However, players can still utilize their existing rubies in the Spotlight Shop, Mii Racing Suit Shop, and Coin Rush until the game officially closes. Furthermore, Nintendo has halted all automatic renewals for the Gold Pass subscription and suspended new subscriptions. Players will still be able to enjoy some Gold Pass benefits without the continuous subscription features, and starting August 4, all users can access these benefits for free. Mario Kart Tour had a rocky debut in 2019, facing backlash due to its gacha-style mechanics. According to estimates from AppMagic, the game saw a peak of 14.7 million downloads within 24 hours of its launch on September 26, 2019. It accumulated 54 million downloads in its first week and reached 81.8 million downloads by the end of its first month. To date, Mario Kart Tour has surpassed 274 million downloads and generated approximately $268.4 million in revenue for Nintendo, as reported by AppMagic. Despite a lack of new content in recent times, the game reportedly earned $650,000 for Nintendo in the last 30 days. Nintendo's mobile gaming strategy appears to be waning since its entry into the market in 2016 with Super Mario Run, the first official Mario platformer on non-Nintendo hardware. Nonetheless, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa reaffirmed in February 2025 that the company has not abandoned mobile gaming, highlighting that its apps have been downloaded over 900 million times globally as of September 2024. Nintendo Japan is estimated to have generated around $1.59 billion from its mobile apps, with Fire Emblem Heroes being noted as the company's first mobile title to surpass a billion dollars in revenue. The latest mobile release from Nintendo was Pictonico, a photo-based minigame collection, which launched on iOS and Android in May.

News Wed, Jul 8, 2026

Pokémon Go Celebrates 10 Years of Evolution and Community Impact

Launched on July 6, 2016, Pokémon Go has reached a significant milestone, celebrating its 10th anniversary while maintaining its status as one of the most profitable mobile games. Over the past decade, it has generated more than $9 billion in revenue across the App Store and Google Play, according to AppMagic estimates. Players have collectively walked over 30 billion miles, demonstrating the game's successful encouragement of outdoor activity. As recently as 2025, when Scopely acquired Niantic's flagship game in a deal worth $3.5 billion, approximately 10 million players were still engaging with Pokémon Go weekly. Kim Adams, a key figure at Scopely and part of the Pokémon Go team since 2022, reflected on the game's profound impact, saying, "Early signals for us were pretty clear. It became a global phenomenon." Adams noted that the game's initial success was evident with 21 million players within the first three days of its launch, leading to widespread community engagement. The game has since evolved to include features such as a friends system, trading, PvP battles, and Raid Hours, enhancing its social connections. The phenomenon of Pokémon Go, often seen as a revival of the 90s Pokémania, has successfully attracted both nostalgic fans and new players. It has created a sense of community, with players forming friendships through shared experiences in the game. Adams shared stories of players who met through Pokémon Go, leading to significant social connections, such as attending weddings together. Despite its success, the journey has not been without challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic posed a significant hurdle, as it halted outdoor exploration and group meetups essential to the game’s concept. Adams recounted how the team pivoted to virtual events and adapted gameplay mechanics to allow players to engage from home. During the lockdown, the game saw its most profitable year, driven by features like expanded Pokémon spawn radii and Remote Raids that allowed global participation. Looking ahead, Pokémon Go continues to thrive under Scopely's stewardship, with a focus on long-term sustainability and player-centric development. Kurlemann emphasized the importance of making games that resonate with players of all ages, underscoring the ongoing ambition to innovate while maintaining the core aspects of the game. As Pokémon Go enters its next decade, it remains committed to evolving its gameplay and fostering its vibrant community.