Get ready for the new week with our roundup of the latest mobile industry news and updates.
To prepare you for another week in mobile gaming, we’ve handpicked the most significant stories from the past seven days.
1) Helsinki’s Order of Meta secures $3.3 million
Helsinki-based Order of Meta has raised $3.3 million to complete the development and launch of its debut mobile cross-platform game, Cargo Hunters. The funding round was led by GEM Capital with participation from Korea Investment Partners, Play Ventures, and The Games Fund.
Cargo Hunters, described as a “PvPvE extraction shooter,” is set to be released this year, three years after the studio’s founding by industry veterans from Wargaming and Panzerdogs.
2) 8SEC receives €1.5 Million investment from Kwalee
French mobile games studio 8SEC has secured a €1.5 million investment from Kwalee, allowing the studio to tap into Kwalee’s expertise in game design and user acquisition. Kwalee’s CFO Matthew Farrow and VP of mobile publishing John Wright will join 8SEC’s board as part of the investment.
With over 90 mobile games and more than 50 million downloads, including titles like Trivia.io, Hero Squad, and Idle Army, 8SEC has established itself as a major player in the mobile gaming market.
3) Fire Emblem Heroes celebrates 7th anniversary, reaching new milestones
Nintendo and Intelligent Systems’ Fire Emblem Heroes is marking seven years of operation with the addition of a new character type and promotional spin from the latest anniversary celebrations. The game has generated over $1 billion, outperforming the series’ highest-selling console title, Three Houses.
4) Layoffs in the games industry in 2024: A summary of the major cutbacks
2024 has been a challenging year for many game developers and publishers, with a significant number of layoffs across companies such as Thunderful Group, Devsisters, Playtika, Netspeak, Riot Games, Google, and Unity. The total number of layoffs between Google and Unity has already reached close to 3,000.
5) Sony Innovation Fund invests in Carry1st to support African gaming market
Sony’s venture capital arm, Innovation Fund, has made a strategic investment in Carry1st, targeting the development of the gaming market in Africa, which currently comprises over 200 million players. The investment reflects Sony’s commitment to tapping into the untapped potential of the gaming market in Africa.
