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The mobile puzzle game phenomenon may be past its prime, but die-hard fans are still stacking in 2025—with new Star Wars events and collectible plushies keeping the lights on.

The Mobile Hit That Never Fully Fizzled

Once a global sensation, Disney Tsum Tsum has quietly held onto a corner of mobile gaming culture—even as the rest of the world moved on. The Japan-born match-3 puzzle game, which launched back in 2014, hit a peak with $2.5 billion in total revenue by 2019, thanks to a mix of mobile earnings and plushie-powered merch sales. But in 2025, it’s more of a niche pastime than a mainstream juggernaut.

Even so, it’s not dead. Far from it.

The Disney Tsum Tsum Wiki still logs regular monthly updates, including themed events and new characters. The latest? A Star Wars Tsum Tsum Event in May 2025, hot on the heels of April’s “Tsums Challenge: The Dark Scene.

Danny Boyle is back pushing cinematic boundaries — and this time, he’s doing it with an iPhone. In an exclusive behind-the-scenes sneak peek from 28 Years Later, which becomes available to buy or rent on the Apple TV app today, Boyle breaks down how his team utilized the iPhone to film select scenes of the highly anticipated follow-up to his genre-defining zombie classic. The footage shows the Oscar-winning director experimenting with a custom 20-camera rig built around the iPhone, which allowed his crew to move with lightning speed and a level of agility not always possible with traditional camera systems. And watching the movie, you'd be staggered to think he's making this epic movie from the thing you keep in your pocket to play Candy Crush.

Boyle explains in the clip that the small form factor and powerful performance of the iPhone made it possible to shoot in more immersive, diverse...

It's now confirmed that Microsoft is laying off more Xbox staff as part of wider cuts at Microsoft. The company has experienced multiple rounds of layoffs over the past two years, beginning in January 2024 and mostly affecting employees at Activision-Blizzard studios. That May, a second round of layoffs saw the closure of four studios: Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dogs, and Roundhouse Games, the latter of which was absorbed into ZeniMax. Finally, more layoffs hit the Activision-Blizzard sector in September.

According to Gamespot (via Variety), in this fourth round of layoffs, Microsoft is cutting under 4% of its workers worldwide - likely about 9,000 people. Most of the Xbox cuts appear to be focused on King, the developer of Candy Crush, which Microsoft acquired in a landmark deal in 2023 (via Bloomberg). Further layoffs are also expected at ZeniMax, best known for its work on The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. Strangely, this comes...

In Helldivers 2, diving onto a planet may seem like an automated process, but it’s not. Players have some say in where they land, thanks to ship module upgrades. However, thanks to a few issues, Arrowhead severely minimized the options. As a result, players now find themselves landing in safer, but less exciting spots.

Fans are calling on Arrowhead to make adjustments so they can land on more exciting and tactical terrain like tall buildings, rocks, and other structures. While there are bigger issues to fix, this request has gained traction. Will it make it to the top of the devs’ to-do list, or get sidelined like the Hellpod?

Fans call for a change in Hellpod maneuvering in Helldivers 2

If players are not familiar with the Power Steering ship upgrade, it essentially allows players to steer their hellpod during descent. This was intended to give players an edge, letting them drop onto more advantageous spots,...

It wasn’t long ago that video games were seen as a niche hobby, often stereotyped as something only teenagers played in dark bedrooms. Fast forward to today, and digital gaming is everywhere, from phones and consoles to films, music, fashion, and social media. Gaming has grown into one of the most influential forces in pop culture, with its imagery, characters, and stories recognized by millions. Whether you’re a casual player or a competitive pro, gaming is now part of everyday life. So, how did this once-underground scene become so dominant in mainstream culture? Let’s take a closer look.

Games Moved from the Couch to the Cloud Photo by Alena Darmel.

In the past, gaming meant buying a console, cartridges, and plugging into the TV. Now, with cloud services and downloadable titles, anyone with a phone or tablet can join in. This shift made gaming more accessible and affordable.

You’d have to look far and wide to find a film as aggressively confrontational as “Yes.”

Director Nadav Lapid wouldn’t have it any other way – staging his latest feature as a wail against his audience, his country, and above all, himself. Premiering at the tail end of Cannes’ independent and more outré Director’s Fortnight sidebar, if only because a film this incendiary might have burned up the whole Palais, “Yes” takes aim at post-Oct. 7 Israel, relaying civic dissent through primal screams.

Now living in France, the filmmaker has made national identity his chief artistic concern, wrestling with similar questions in his Berlin winner “Synonyms” and his Cannes acclaimed “Ahed’s Knee,” though never with the same ferocity he brings out here. One need hardly ask what changed in the years since Lapid last picked up a camera – a shift the filmmaker emphasizes by giving his lead character a child born on Oct.

Viola Davis turns into an action star in G20, as Hollywood grapples with Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Here’s our review.

I am the worst possible reviewer for a film like G20. I look at it, and fully appreciate that in the 1990s the script would have gone to Nicolas Cage. In the 2000s, to The Statham, and by the late 2010s, it’s Gerard Butler’s. I’d watch each version of those, obviously.

In 2025, G20 accepts the trade-off that Viola Davis (deservedly) gets the lead role, but it’ll be bypassing cinemas and instead be a heavily-backed streaming release instead. It’s not the ideal quid pro quo, but still: G20 is thoroughly enjoyable bollocks. The casting of Viola Davis is, of course, inspired. She could kill Liam Neeson in the Taken films with a mild glance, and I’d recommend exploring spin-off films where she takes down traditional action stars.

When police officers say that they want to “clean up the streets,” are they really willing to put their money where their badges are?

Despite how the series masterfully satirized the mundane insanity of daily life in New York during the 1990s, the beloved sitcom Seinfeld was never the show where viewers would go for overt political commentary — at least, not in regards to the issues that made national headlines. No, the hot-button topics that Seinfeld tackled were of the profoundly local variety, such as the fascistic rule of a New York soup restaurant or the demands of strikers at a specific bagel shop. The characters of Seinfeld never debated the decisions they would make in the ballot box, but if the personal is truly political, then, in its own subtle way, Seinfeld was one of the most opinionated and politically active shows of all time, just so long as...

Publisher and pioneering manga and anime media brand Tokyopop has announced that it has hired Owais Farooqui as its Director of Marketing & Sales. The executive is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience driving brand growth, awareness, and demand generation.

Farooqui will spearhead efforts to expand the global audience for Tokyopop’s portfolio. He will lead all marketing and sales initiatives across publishing, ecommerce, merchandise, and anime promotion with an additional focus on emerging opportunities in the video game arena. Key responsibilities include strategic planning, furthering brand and product awareness, expansion of ecommerce, supporting channels partners and Tokyopop distributor Penguin Random House. Farooqui will report to Tokyopop COO and Publisher Marc Visnick.

Farooqui previously held senior roles at renowned companies such as King Digital (developers of the globally successful game Candy Crush), Yahoo!, Atari, and Discovery Communications. With a deep passion for manga, anime, gaming, and pop culture, Owais...

I can understand why people love mobile games like Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, the many HoYoverse titles, and an assortment of popular premium games like Balatro and Dead Cells. It's a device that many people have with them at all times, even when performing the most menial and mind-numbing tasks. So, sneaking in a quick session while at work, on the bus, in the bath, or on the toilet is an appealing prospect.

However, for as long as I've had a phone, I've always hated gaming on it. It's a low-effort unsatisfying experience peppered with egregious advertising, dull gameplay, and a plethora of bugs and glitches. Yet, I so desperately want to enjoy playing on my phone just like everyone else, especially as my time for gaming is growing more and more limited, and I'm frequently away from my consoles. Luckily, there is one game that has the potential to...

The gaming industry is right now in heavy turmoil. Major companies like Microsoft are enforcing a huge array of layoffs. They even went on to shut down its four highly beneficial gaming studios as well. Amidst these unfavorable circumstances, games are getting hugely expensive as well.

Microsoft is right now in a distressed situation. | Credit: Microsoft.

However, despite going through a rough patch, Microsoft isn’t holding down the salary of its CEO. This step by the long-hailed company has made the fans disgusted, keeping in mind the critical cost-cutting norms by the company.

Microsoft CEO Gets a Whopping 63% Salary Raise Satya Nadella gets a staggering hike in his salary. | Credit: Microsoft.

This fiscal year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will receive an extravagant $79.1 million (£60.9 million), a 63 percent increase over his 2023 salary. However, Nadella presented a more optimistic picture in Microsoft’s 2024 Annual Report, which was made public last night:

We...

On Friday October 18 2024, Fox broadcasts Pictionary!

Candy Crush Season 3 Episode 30 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Pictionary,” titled “Candy Crush,” promises to deliver fun and laughter. This popular TV version of the classic drawing game features celebrity captains King Bach and Carson Kressley. Fans can expect an entertaining showdown as these two well-known personalities lead their teams in a series of drawing challenges.

In this episode, the game revolves around candy-themed prompts, adding a sweet twist to the usual drawing antics. King Bach and Carson Kressley will showcase their creativity and humor while trying to guess what their teammates are illustrating. With their unique styles and playful banter, both captains are sure to keep the energy high and the audience engaged.

As the teams compete for points, viewers can look forward to some hilarious moments and unexpected surprises. The combination of King Bach’s comedic flair and Carson Kressley’s...

Microsoft has settled an antitrust lawsuit brought by gamers challenging the tech giant’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

The two sides on Monday notified the court of a deal to dismiss the lawsuit “with prejudice,” meaning it can’t be refiled. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed. “Each party shall bear their own costs and fees,” agreed the lawyers in a court filing.

The lawsuit, filed in California federal court in 2022 by gamers across multiple states, stressed that the merger will create among the largest video game companies in the world, with the ability to raise prices, limit output and reduce consumer choice. One example cited in the complaint was the possibility that Microsoft makes certain titles exclusive to Xbox. It was filed less than two weeks after the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the deal.

That case fell apart when U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott...

It’s time for a candy fix. To celebrate its third annual Music Season tournament, Candy Crush Saga is teaming up with artists Kimbra, Tokimonsta, and Łaszewo to unveil three new tracks inspired by the sounds of the world’s biggest mobile game.

The tracks will premiere in-game today, Sept. 19, for an exclusive 24-hour window as part of the new seasonal music-themed tournament, featuring an illustrious prize in the form of the Sweet Sound Passport — a free-to-enter competition that rewards the top 10 winners tickets to three concerts of their choice...

The widely celebrated game of 2014, with over 100 million downloads, is set to make a comeback this year in autumn. The game will be coming without the involvement of its original creator as he distances himself from it.

Flappy Bird is still one of the most celebrated mobile games. Image Credit: The Flappy Bird Foundation Group

Flappy Bird rose to fame in the early 2010s and was making a lot of money from advertisements. However, despite its successful run, its creator, Doug Nguyen, decided to shut it down.

Flappy Birds Return Brings A Lot of Drama With It Flappy Bird is landing soon after 10 years of shutting down. Image Credit: The Flappy Bird reveal trailer via IGN Yt

There has been a lot of drama amidst the news of Flappy Bird’s return as its original creator, Doug Nguyen, publically announces his distance from the game. He announced that he is...

Mobile puzzle games are lifesavers, whether you’re stuck on a crowded bus or just trying to keep your brain busy while waiting for dinner. They’re the perfect bite-sized distraction to squeeze into those little pockets of downtime in your day.

From complex, full-scale games ported from other platforms to low stakes but addicted brainteasers, here are nine mobile puzzle games that you won’t regret installing.

9) A Good Snowman Is Hard to Build Never before has snowman-building been so hard. | Credit: Draknek & Friends.

Also known as A Good Snowman. In this game, you’re tasked with the job of building snowmen—surprise, surprise—but it’s not as simple as it sounds.

You need to roll snowballs to make them bigger while checking the terrain to make sure you don’t accidentally make them too big to stack. It’s a charming and meditative puzzle experience.

8) the Sequence...

Xbox has seen its fair share of delays this year, but one in particular is flying under the radar.

While fans wait for the release of Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed, another major project quietly slipped past its initial launch date without much noise. We’re talking about the Xbox Mobile Store, which was supposed to debut in July but is still nowhere to be found.

Where Is the Xbox Mobile Store? Did Microsoft think everyone would forget about this Xbox project? | Credit: Xbox

Earlier this year, president Sarah Bond confidently announced that a new mobile store under Microsoft’s gaming brand would launch in July.

However, as we step into August, there’s still no sign of this mobile marketplace. Microsoft has remained tight-lipped about the delay, making it difficult to understand why exactly it hasn’t launched yet.

Recently, a website for the Mobile Store website popped up. It...

When PS5 was announced it was believed that would outshine Xbox in every aspect, however, recent statistics paint a different picture. The console wars have taken a new turn as Xbox fanboys hang on the user numbers pointing out the superiority of the console.

A recent tweet has re-ignited the debate by comparing the active users of PlayStation Network (Psn) and Xbox, with the latter dominating the pool with 500 million users against Psn’s 123 million. Nevertheless, numbers do not reveal the full picture as yet again this kind of superiority is pointless.

Console Wars Rage On As Fans Debate User Numbers

The intense battle over active users between Psn and Xbox is always on. According to reports, Psn had the highest number of 123 million in December 2023, while Xbox supporters celebrate a staggering number of 500 million.

The difference between PlayStation & Xbox Active Users.

Psn 123m < Xbox 500m pic.twitter.com/Vq...

Bleach fans have been blessed in July with numerous announcements and trailer releases, adding the first-ever gameplay trailer for Bleach Rebirth of Souls ahead of its upcoming release. It marks the first game made for consoles since Bleach Brave Souls in 2016.

Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. debuted the first Bleach Rebirth of Souls gameplay trailer via YouTube on Jul. 24, 2024. No release date is confirmed; the game will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. It's officially described: "Awaken the blade within you and reverse your fate in Bleach Rebirth of Souls! Engage in thrilling battles with powerful sword abilities and characters from this legendary anime franchise." Readers can check out the first Bleach Rebirth of Souls gameplay trailer below.

Related Demon Slayer Fan Spends 1 Year Building the Infinity Castle in Minecraft Mobile

A Demon Slayer fan has gone viral on TikTok after posting a tour...

Brawl Stars is the latest mobile game release from SuperCell, the makers of Clash of Clans and Clash Royale.

You might not see it on any top 10 games of all time-style leaderboard, but it’s got a pretty sizeable and dedicated fanbase that loves its fun-filled craziness. Apart from being completely different from its predecessors, the game also does something quite different in one facet that its player base loves.

Brawl Stars Fans Have Bragging Rights for This One Unique Aspect

Depending on what type of games you play, they can let you live out your ultimate power fantasy.

Most of us have dreamt of wielding a gigantic sword ten times our size with ease, while others would love to wield a deadly katana.

Or, maybe you want to beat the living daylights out of someone with an ice cream cone. Not many games would cater to something as unique as that,...

The movie theater. A place of magic, wonder, and imagination where anything can come to life. Picture yourself engrossed in a plot, staring at the silver screen as two actors engage with one another, when all of a sudden out of the corner of your eye you see the bright lights of a cellphone come to life and Bam! Youre sucked out of the story, annoyed that technology has dared to rear its ugly head right when you were getting to the good part of Twisters (opening in theaters this weekend).

This shouldnt be an issue in 2024, but alas, the human race is what it is, and despite the warning before every single movie that says, "Hey, put your phone away and just enjoy the magic," people still take out their mobile devices to snap pictures, text their friends, and play Candy Crush if the plot isnt enough to hold their short attention span.

Capcom’s Resident Evil 7: Biohazard attempt to take on mobile gaming has failed as the game has bombed on the big stage. The mobile game has sold just under 2,000 copies, proving that you cannot just port any game to mobile devices and expect great results.

Fans were already skeptical about a mobile port for the game, and it’s reflected in the sales, as only a few converted their free version into a paid one. Despite having a decent number of downloads, Resident Evil 7 has failed to replicate its success on mobile devices from other platforms.

Resident Evil 7 Becomes the Latest Game to Flop on Mobile Devices

According to Mobilegamer.biz, which used Appmagic to track data, less than 2,000 players have become a paid customer of the game. Resident Evil 7 was made available on iOS starting July 2.

SUGGESTEDTencent Has Already Ruined Many Games With 1 Most Hated Feature and Elden...

The popular ongoing Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime series is set to receive a new tile-matching game in an official announcement and first trailer reveal from KLab. Reminiscent of major titles like Candy Crush or Bejeweled, the new game will be made available worldwide in English (among other languages), in addition to news of an exciting upcoming social media campaign.

Bleach: Brave Souls developer KLab has announced a new game inspired by the franchise called Bleach Soul Puzzle, which is slated to be released in over 150 countries in 2024. Bleach Soul Puzzle is a three-tile-matching game, reminiscent of some of the most addictive titles like Candy Crush and Bejeweled, and will feature characters from the ongoing TV series, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. The new game will be released internationally, including in the United States and Japan. Readers can pre-register on the Play Store and App Store, which lists an expected release date of Sep.

Once Human players express concerns about privacy policy including data mining allegations. NetEase assures users that data privacy is taken seriously, only collecting necessary information. Despite controversy, Once Human still gaining popularity with positive reviews on Steam.

While Steam users have flocked to the new free-to-play survival game Once Human, members of the community are expressing concerns about the title's privacy policy. Whenever a game is released as "free" to an audience, many users will begin to question how the developers are making the necessary revenue to continue supporting their creation despite not charging any money for the core experience. In most cases, profits are generated through microtransactions, seasonal battle passes, or even adverts, but some Once Human players are concerned there's more going on.

Over on the Once Human Steam page, the game is currently sitting with an average review score of "Mixed" as members of the player base question the terms-of-service,...

You might never have thought that a day would come when Candy Crush would not just be competing with triple-a games, but be outperforming them by a mile, yet here we are.

According to some recent sales data estimates from Appfigures, it turns out that smartphones aren’t the best place for Aaa games to thrive. It’s not like this was a very obvious outcome, right?

Mobile Gamers Shun Aaa Games Triple-a games are not welcome in the mobile gaming space. | Credit: Capcom Co., Ltd.

When it was revealed that games like Resident Evil and Assassin’s Creed were being ported to iOS, it was shocking to say the least. I mean, who wouldn’t want to hunch over a tiny screen, trying to parkour across Baghdad without fat-fingering the controls?

Sarcasm aside, it would be a lie to deny that the very idea of porting such high-fidelity games to a tiny,...

Lara Croft seems to be everywhere but in her own games lately. From her appearances in Fortnite and Call of Duty to her recent addition in Dead by Daylight, fans are beginning to wonder when she’ll return to her roots.

Fans have started to joke about her next appearance, with some humorously suggesting she might even show up in casual games like “Candy Crush”. While her appearances in crossovers and collabs are definitely nice to see, the longing for her to return to a new, dedicated Tomb Raider game is growing stronger each day.

Lara Croft Hasn’t Had a Tomb Raider Appearance Since 2018 Shadow of the Tomb Raider was Lara Croft’s last appearance. | Eidos-Montreal

Lara Croft’s appearances across numerous franchises have sparked a mix of excitement and impatience among the fanbase. While it’s thrilling to see the iconic adventurer in different gaming environments, many are...

Vue Names Ian Fraser As Chair

Former Kwik Fit CEO Ian Fraser is the new Non-Exec Chairman of British cinema chain Vue. He succeeds Stella David, who is exiting to run gambling biz Entail. Fraser is currently working for infrastructure business M Group Services, but is best known as CEO of car servicing business Kwik Fit and COO of Orange UK. He takes up his new post on June 1, leading a non-exec board also including Katrina Cliffe, Henry Birch and Tom Singer and working alongside Vue CEO Tim Richards, CFO Alison Cornwell and COO Matt Eyre. Vue recently underwent a debt restructuring that saw about £50M ($63.5M) of debt converted into equity. This came after The Hollywood labor strikes, which hit cinema operators hard. However, the likes of Dune: Part Two and Kung Fu Panda 4 have helped the sector bounce back in 2024. UK-based Vue has well over 200 multiplexes in Europe and Taiwan.

Exclusive: Moonbug Entertainment is making a move into the consumer products space with the hire of Ashley Maidy.

The Riot Games industry veteran has joined the CoComelon company as Managing Director of Consumer Products. In the role, she’ll be responsible for expanding the Candle Media-owned company’s Cp business, connecting licensing and retail partners to its brands.

She’ll also lead the consumer products team, developing strategies for Moonbug’s kids brands, which has developed huge online followings while branching out on to services such as Netflix.

Maidy will report to Moonbug founder and CEO Rene Rechtman.

A former studio exec, she was previously Global Head of Consumer Products at Riot Games, the company behind League of Legends, Valorant and Emmy winner Arcane. Before that, she spent nine years at Activision Blizzard, leading licensing and partnerships for the Call of Duty, Skylanders and Candy Crush brands.

At Fox...

A leaked Honkai: Star Rail 2.3 event may introduce a Candy Crush-like minigame with Origami Birds. These event-focused Origami Birds seem to be inspired by characters like Blade, adding a unique twist to the activity. It is uncertain if the competitive mode will be PvP or Npc-focused, but the event adds a different gameplay aspect.

A rumored event in Honkai: Star Rail 2.3 is apparently bringing in a very unexpected game mode to players, even if the turn-based RPG by HoYoverse consistently offers different types of gameplay through such activities. Version 2.3 will be the next patch for the game, following the conclusion of the main Penacony storyline and the releases of both Robin and Boothill in Honkai: Star Rail 2.2. It is uncertain what path the game will tread in terms of narrative for the next few patches, but some of the upcoming content, specifically regarding Version 2.3, has already started to leak.

Democratic political consultants have some advice if you’d prefer not to have companies track your every move and sell that data to campaigns: avoid mobile games like Candy Crush.

“Political campaigns are a perfect microcosm of the data economy,” Raffi Krikorian, the host of the Technically Optimistic podcast tells Rolling Stone. “You have data brokers who are gonna sell you information, so I can create a model of who I should persuade and turn out and an election. How does that data flow? Where did the data brokers get all this information?...

Warning: binge-watchers only. Contains major spoilers for ITV1’s Passenger.

As Passenger’s Riya (Wunmi Mosaku) says in her 40th birthday party speech at The Dog and Duck, life hasn’t gone quite as she’d hoped. Five years ago, Riya left her job and spacious city apartment to move in with her husband and his mother-in-law in the remote Lancashire town of Chadder Vale, where the most exciting crimes to investigate involve stolen wheelie bins. Her husband soon legged it to Spain with his mum Sue’s carer, leaving Riya alone in a tiny terraced house to look after Sue.

Sue Goodheart (Clare Burt) isn’t well. She’s paranoid and hallucinates, phones Riya roughly 20 times a day, and has to be administered specialist medication for her degenerative condition. But as the Passenger finale shows in the briefest of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments, there’s a very good reason for all that.

Realm, the industry-leading audio entertainment studio and one of the world's fastest-growing independent podcast networks, announced today the addition of Peter Levin, a trailblazer in the podcast and interactive software industries, to its Board of Advisors. Levin, a Managing Director and co-founding partner at Griffin Gaming Partners, brings with him a deep understanding of how to grow media franchises into global powerhouses and sees podcasts as a key touchstone with fans.

With a distinguished career spanning various roles at the intersection of gaming and media, Levin has continually pushed boundaries and helped shape the industry. As the former President of Interactive Ventures, Games, & Digital Strategy at Lionsgate, and the Co-Founder and CEO of Nerdist Industries (subsequently acquired by Legendary Entertainment), Levin was a leader in the earliest days of podcasting. Since then, he’s been integrally involved in adapting gaming intellectual property into traditional media form factors. These properties include...

The hot new trend in entertainment is trashy, (very) short-form soap operas on TikTok. It’s a weird business that has proven lucrative for the Chinese-owned ReelShort.

The app specializes in junky romance, revenge, and werewolf stories targeting young women — and their smartphones. It’s working: ReelShort in November actually surpassed TikTok on the Apple Store’s download charts, and its creator says the app is already profitable. The copycats are coming.

ReelShort was developed by the Crazy Maple Studio, which is Beijing-backed and California-based. And its reel momentum has resulted in some very reel profiles in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. You can’t get very far into any article on ReelShort without a mention of the word “Quibi,” the short-lived, short-form app from DreamWorks founder Jeffrey Katzenberg that launched — and died — in 2020. Katzenberg blamed Covid for its swift demise.

The cautionary tale is now history,...

Bobby Kotick, the longtime CEO of Activision Blizzard, is stepping down Dec. 29 following the company’s drawn-out $69 billion sale to Microsoft that closed in October. The exec — who oversaw some of the industry’s most popular games from Pitfall to Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Candy Crush Saga and Farm Heroes Saga — had said previously he would stay on through the end of 2023.

“I’d like to thank Bobby—for his invaluable contributions to this industry, his partnership in closing the Activision Blizzard acquisition and his collaboration following the close—and I wish him and his family the very best in his next chapter,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer wrote in a memo Wednesday where he confirmed Kotick’s exit date, according to press reports.

“I’ve long admired the work of Activision, Blizzard, and King, and the impact they’ve had on gaming, entertainment, and pop culture.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick is stepping down from his role on Dec. 29, as the company further integrates into Microsoft.

Microsoft closed its $68.7 billion acquisition of the video game publisher in October, after overcoming several regulatory hurdles. The acquisition creates a gaming powerhouse by bringing together Microsoft, which owns the Xbox game platform and Xbox Game Studios, and Activision, maker of the Call of Duty, Diablo, Warcraft and Tony Hawk franchises and owner of Candy Crush.

In a note sent to employees Wednesday, Kotick, who has been head of the company for more than 30 years, expressed gratitude for his employees and also praised the skills of Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming. Kotick and the Activision team report to Spencer, as announced when the deal closed.

“Phil shares our values and recognizes our talents. He is passionate about our games and the people who make them. He has bold ambition,...

The App Store offers a wide variety of mobile games for iPhone users, covering different genres and price points. Pricing and genre are important factors to consider when choosing a new mobile game to play. Despite the limiting form factor, iPhone games of all genres, including racing, platforming, puzzle, and action adventure, can be incredibly fun.

The Apple App store has many amazing mobile games available for playing on the iPhone, covering nearly every gaming genre there is. From the action of Mario Kart Tour to the puzzles of Candy Crush, there is something for everyone to enjoy right there on the phone. The industry of video games has come a long way in the past couple of decades, making boredom-busting games much more accessible.

Games on the iPhone are sometimes free, sometimes have a one-time cost, often have microtransactions, and sometimes require a subscription, such as with the Apple Arcade game subscription program.

Microsoft’s Xbox sales declined by 7 percent, while the gaming system’s content and services grew 13 percent in revenue, the company said on Tuesday as part of its earnings report.

Total revenue for the gaming division grew 8 percent for the latest financial quarter, which follows the tech company becoming a video games powerhouse by closing a $68.7 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard.

The largest transaction in the history of Microsoft, led by CEO Satya Nadella, will make it the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony.

The takeover brings together Microsoft, which owns the Xbox game platform and Xbox Game Studios — owner of Starfield developer Bethesda Softworks and 343 Industries, among other game publishers — with Activision, maker of the Call of Duty, Diablo, Warcraft and Tony Hawk franchises, among others, and owner of Candy Crush and Farm Heroes Saga maker King.

During the first quarter, Microsoft...

Microsoft won the FTC court case, allowing them to proceed with the purchase of Activision Blizzard, despite concerns about monopolistic control in the video game market. The UK Competition and Markets Authority also approved the deal, with Microsoft making concessions to address regulatory concerns. The ruling sets a precedent for console exclusives, potentially impacting future antitrust cases and increasing competition between rival consoles.

The decision in Microsoft's legal case against the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a historic one, but for those who don't have a law degree, it can be hard to understand. The case surrounds the Microsoft Corporation's attempt to purchase the game developing and publishing powerhouse Activision Blizzard, Inc., an enormous conglomerate that counts Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Candy Crush among its flagship properties. Microsoft first announced its plans to buy Activision Blizzard in January 2022, and the FTC's review began shortly thereafter. The legal battle...

As of today, October 13, 2023, Microsoft has officially completed its nearly $70 billion acquisition of publisher Activision Blizzard. Though the two sides reportedly agreed to an acquisition way back in January 2022, the deal has been modified, scrutinized, and debated by a number of regulatory bodies (not to mention other gamers) since then. Following an exhaustive process that required the Microsoft team to make quite a few concessions, the deal is finally complete.

There is so much to say about this deal, and we hope to be able to share much of that information with you in the coming days and weeks. However, you’re not alone if the first question that popped into your mind is “What games and franchises do Microsoft and Xbox now control as part of the Activision Blizzard deal?

The full answer to that question is long and complicated. As noted above, there are a number of provisions...

Software and technology giant Microsoft has reached the end of a long and rocky road, closing its $68.7 billion acquisition of video game publisher Activision Blizzard, led by CEO Bobby Kotick, on Friday, 21 months after it had unveiled the mega-deal.

Activision unveiled the close of the transaction in a regulatory filing early on Friday.

The takeover brings together Microsoft, which owns the Xbox game platform and Xbox Game Studios (owner of Starfield developer Bethesda Softworks and 343 Industries, among other game publishers) and Activision, maker of the Call of Duty, Diablo, Warcraft and Tony Hawk franchises, among others, and owner of Candy Crush and Farm Heroes Saga maker King.

The largest transaction in the history of Microsoft, led by CEO Satya Nadella, will make it the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony. Kotick and the Activision team will report to Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

Proof that fan petitions definitely work! A mere 12 years after behind-the-scenes Doctor Who companion show Doctor Who: Confidential was cancelled due to BBC budget restraints, the powers that be have finally listened to all of our moaning and brought it back!

Or at least, they absolutely didn’t listen to all of our moaning, but Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies is in charge now and has Disney money to spend, so we’re finally getting a new documentary companion series. Hooray and huzzah for that.

Doctor Who: Unleashed is a 30-minute doc series that will air on BBC Three immediately after every new Doctor Who episode from November 2023, as well as being available to stream on BBC iPlayer (and presumably Disney+ around the world). David Tennant let the plans for this revival slip some time ago, but he’s forgiven – the man is spinning a lot of plates right now.

On Thursday, Microsoft opened a weeklong hearing that will decide whether its $69 billion bid to purchase video game behemoth Activision Blizzard should be temporarily blocked with a warning: If a federal judge grants the injunction that the Federal Trade Commission is seeking, the deal won’t go through.

“If we can’t close by July 18, and the court enjoins the transaction,” Microsoft’s lead attorney Beth Wilkinson said, “nobody can withstand that and we certainly can’t.” She stressed that siding with the FTC in the case will drag the company into a “three year administrative nightmare” that will doom the deal.

The argument set the stage for a mini trial in federal court in San Francisco between Microsoft and the FTC. The agency in December sued to block the merger, arguing that it will enable the tech giant to suppress competition in gaming. If approved, the deal will marry Microsoft,...

Microsoft’s $69 billion bid to buy video game publisher Activision Blizzard has been temporarily blocked, allowing more time to review whether the deal violates antitrust laws.

U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley found on Tuesday that pausing the merger is “necessary to maintain the status quo” and preserve the FTC’s ability to permanently stop the deal.

After announcing plans last year to acquire Activision, maker of Call of Duty, Candy Crush and Diablo, Microsoft has been engaged in a worldwide blitz to secure approval of the purchase poised to make the company a gaming powerhouse. It’s been greenlighted in several countries, including the European Union, Japan and China, but the U.K. blocked it due to concerns that it would allow the company to corner the cloud gaming market in a decision that was appealed by Microsoft.

Corley’s decision to issue the restraining order doesn’t weigh...

Warning: spoilers ahead for Titans season 4, episode 10.Titans season 4 has a villain problem, and only the long-awaited return of Trigon can solve it. Taking on a more mystical flavor compared to previous seasons, Titans recruited Mother Mayhem and Brother Blood for main antagonist duties in season 4 - now confirmed as the HBO Max show's final run. Picking up the loose threads of Raven's backstory and the mysterious "Organization" from Titans season 1, Franka Potente's Mother Mayhem was introduced as the devout follower of Trigon who bore the demon's son. Reuniting with her child as an adult, Mayhem duly turned Joseph Morgan's mild-mannered Sebastian Sanger into the villainous Brother Blood.

Upon returning from its midseason break, Titans presented this menacing mother-son duo as a united front. Making up for lost time, Mother Mayhem took her boy to Caul's Folly, and came away with the Horn of Trigon as a memento of their trip.

In a surprise move, Microsoft’s planned $68.7 billion acquisition of video game publisher Activision Blizzard has been prohibited by the British regulator, which earlier in the year warned that the mega-deal “could harm U.K. gamers” and “substantially reduce” competition.

Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its final findings well more than a year after the technology giant had unveiled a deal to acquire Activision Blizzard, led by CEO Bobby Kotick.

In its report, the CMA said it found that merger may be expected to result in a “substantial lessening of competition” in cloud gaming services in the U.K., and Microsoft would find it “commercially beneficial to make Activision’s titles exclusive to its own cloud gaming service.” With Microsoft already having an estimated 70-80 percent market share in that market, it claimed that “even a moderate increment to Microsoft’s strength may be expected to substantially reduce competition,...

Wild Bunch International, which bid farewell to its legendary company moniker at a bash in Paris in January, has announced its new name.

Taking inspiration from Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated 1990 hit, the international sales company has been renamed as Goodfellas.

Related Story Wild Bunch’s Vincent Maraval & Brahim Chioua Talk New Era As They Move On From The Company’s Iconic Name: “I’ve Been Through My Period Of Mourning” — Deadline Q&a Related Story Series Mania Festival 2023 Winners Announced Related Story France Bans TikTok & Other "Recreational Apps" Such as Netflix, Candy Crush & Twitter From State Employee Work Phones – Updated

The dropping of the original name marks the final act in the company’s departure from the pan-European Wild Bunch Ag film group that began in 2019.

“The international sales company will now be called Goodfellas. There are no other changes to the structure created in 2019,” the company said in a short statement.

Updated with French ministry clarification on impacted apps: France has announced a measure banning all recreational apps from the work phones of the country’s 2.5 million civil servants.

The move, seemingly sparked by recent concerns over TikTok, also impacts a raft of other social media and content platforms.

“Among the recreational apps, we find game apps like Candy Crush, streaming apps like Netflix, but obviously content apps like TikTok, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat. Dating apps are also affected,” France’s Civil Service Ministry clarified in response to a Deadline query on the extent of the ban.

The ministry said the list of banned apps would be updated in step with the evolving offering of apps on the market.

Related Story After TikTok CEO’s Congressional Testimony, Lawmakers Say Momentum Is Growing For A Ban On The App — Update Related Story French Film & TV Stars Get Behind Petition Decrying Macron Pension...

Famed Watchmen writer Alan Moore is no stranger to denouncing superheroes, but in an upcoming interview with Screen Rant, he ups the ante on even his most comprehensive criticisms, declaring the superhero industry’s overall effect on culture to be analogous to that of a damaging addiction. Speaking about his newest release, a collection of short stories entitled Illuminations, Moore goes into surprising depth regarding his revulsion for the very concept of superheroes, making the comparison that the industry follows similar methodology to drug dealers, and stating that it may be responsible in part for the rise of fascist ideologies across Britain and America in recent years.

In our interview, Moore analyzes his own impact on the industry, saying that after he wrote Watchmen - a work which many critics point to as the best-made and most influential story in the history of the medium - the industry decided that...

Daniel Fienberg With nearly 600 scripted shows to distribute across the calendar, TV networks and streamers haven’t made the winter into a wasteland — but with many of the biggest titles being saved for spring releases ahead of the May 31 Emmy eligibility deadline, the months of January and February have become as topsy-turvy as the industry itself.

Look around! The winter’s most critically acclaimed series is a video game adaptation; the comeback kid of streaming services is Peacock; the busiest TV star in all the land is Harrison Ford; and TV fans are spending much more time obsessing over which shows are being pulled from the digital space than which shows are being added.

What we need to discuss first is HBO’s The Last of Us. Because otherwise the winter narrative for Warner Bros. Discovery would center on disappearing shows on HBO and the fact that new episodes of...

Former HBO Max executives Jennifer O’Connell and Rebecca Quinn have joined forces to launch production banner Vhm, which will focus on unscripted series, documentaries and special events.

O’Connell and Quinn will serve as co-CEOs of the company, which is based in Los Angeles. Vhm stands for Velvet Hammer Media.

“We have spent our entire professional lives in the content business, building and nurturing vital relationships with creatives and executives, and we look forward to furthering those collaborations and friendships through Vhm,” O’Connell and Quinn said in a joint statement. “At this pivotal moment in our business, we’re excited to bet on ourselves and leverage our complementary strengths.”

O’Connell was previously executive VP of nonfiction and live-action family originals for HBO Max; Quinn was senior VP of nonfiction original programming. The two were among the many executives whose jobs were eliminated in the restructuring prompted by the merger...