Gameloft vs Scopely

Gameloft Sunsetting Minion Rush After 13 Years

Gameloft is shutting down Minion Rush, its long-running mobile game based on the Minions franchise, after 13 years. The game will be removed from app stores and in-app purchases disabled on October 30, 2026, with servers shutting down on January 29, 2027. Players can continue playing offline after server closure, but no content updates will follow. A special farewell event will run in October, with potential price and reward adjustments. Gameloft cited the evolving mobile gaming landscape as the reason for the wind-down. The game has nearly 500 million downloads and generated over $45.7 million in in-app purchases, according to AppMagic estimates.

• Gameloft will remove Minion Rush from app stores and disable in-app purchases on October 30, 2026.
• Minion Rush servers will shut down on January 29, 2027.
• The game has been downloaded nearly 500 million times and generated over $45.7 million in IAP revenue.

Data Digest: Pokémon Go at $9bn, Gameloft Profits, GungHo Stake Sale

This weekly data digest presents key mobile gaming industry metrics. Pokémon Go surpassed $9 billion in lifetime revenue per Sensor Tower. Gameloft reported $153.5 million in H1 2026 revenue with an EBITA of $10.5 million. Sony Music Japan acquired a 23.29% stake in GungHo Online Entertainment for about $179 million. Burlingame Studios secured $12 million in non-dilutive user acquisition financing. Newzoo forecasts the global games market to reach $213.9 billion in 2026. Roblox creators contributed $752 million to the US economy. Niko Partners predicts Southeast Asia's games market to pass $7 billion by 2030.

• Pokémon Go generated over $9 billion in lifetime revenue and 800 million downloads per Sensor Tower.
• Gameloft reported $153.5 million revenue in H1 2026, up 10% year-on-year.
• Sony Music Japan acquires a 23.29% stake in GungHo Online Entertainment for ~$179 million.

Rovio: Live Ops Shifted Mobile Games to Event-First

At Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona, Anastasiya Kara, lead product manager at Rovio, argued that live operations (live ops) have transformed mobile games from a core-first model to an event-first model, driven by time-limited events, offers, content updates and retention strategies. She traced modern live ops features back to social casino titles like Slotomania and cited Clash of Clans, Coin Master and Royal Match as examples of escalation in social, gating and monetisation mechanics. Kara highlighted a new wave where hypercasual cores are adopting full live ops — Color Block Jam is the cited example — and predicted further cross-genre feature adoption (mini-games, merge mechanics, pets) and continued copycatting across studios.

• Anastasiya Kara is lead product manager at Rovio and spoke about live ops at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona.
• Kara argued live ops shifted mobile games from a core-first to an event-first model centered on time-limited events, offers, content updates and retention tactics.
• She traced many modern features back to social casino titles such as Slotomania and cited Clash of Clans, Coin Master and Royal Match as influential examples.

Marvel's Project COMET Mobile Game Trailer Leaks Online

A trailer for the upcoming Marvel mobile game 'Project COMET' appears to have leaked online, first appearing on Chinese video site Bilibili before spreading to YouTube and X. The footage, which has been taken down from some platforms due to Disney copyright claims, showcases the game as a 'next-gen mobile ARPG' featuring playable superheroes like Wolverine, War Machine, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange. The game is reportedly developed by Scopely, known for Monopoly Go and Marvel Strike Force, targeting iOS, Android, and PC. Scopely has previously collaborated with Marvel through in-game events in Monopoly Go, and has a partnership with Disney for Star Wars-themed content. The leak suggests the game follows the Fantastic Four's disappearance, leading to a rise of supervillains, with players able to team up in four-player co-op. Scopely has not yet commented on the leaked trailer.

• A trailer for Marvel's Project COMET mobile game has leaked online.
• The game is described as a 'next-gen mobile ARPG' and features playable heroes like Wolverine, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange.
• Project COMET is reportedly developed by Scopely for iOS, Android, and PC.

Scopely News: MONOPOLY GO! Monster Mash season with KPop Demon Hunters and Ghostbusters collaboration

Scopely's news page highlights the launch of MONOPOLY GO!'s new Monster Mash season featuring collaborations with KPop Demon Hunters and Ghostbusters, along with other updates including a Pokémon-ESA partnership and Star Trek Fleet Command contest.

Scopely News: Pokémon partnership with ESA, Monster Hunter Now anniversary, and more

Scopely's news page now features multiple press mentions including a new Pokémon partnership with the European Space Agency sending Pikachu to the ISS, Monster Hunter Now's three-year anniversary, and a Fast Company Best Workplaces for Innovators recognition.