Konami vs Light & Wonder

Japan Mobile Game Revenue Tops $10B Despite Download Decline

Japan's mobile gaming market generated over $10 billion in in-app purchase revenue over the past 12 months, a 5.1% year-over-year decline, yet significantly outpacing South Korea and Taiwan. According to Sensor Tower's Japan Gaming 2026 report, downloads fell 5.4% to 585 million, ranking ninth in Asia. Player engagement remained stable at 16.7 billion hours. Konami's eFootball became the highest-grossing game, driven by World Cup activities, while Block Blast! led downloads. Puzzle games dominated downloads, while 4X strategy led revenue growth. The market's maturity is evident, with growth reliant on established titles and high spending rather than new installs.

• Japan generated over $10 billion in mobile game IAP revenue in the past 12 months, down 5.1% YoY.
• Japan recorded 585 million mobile game downloads in the same period, down 5.4% YoY.
• eFootball by Konami became Japan's highest-grossing mobile game from January to July 2026.

Konami to remove Grimoire of Souls from Apple Arcade

Konami announced that its Apple Arcade-exclusive title Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will be removed from Apple Arcade on August 20, 2026 and will go offline entirely on September 3, 2026, after which the game will no longer be playable. Konami thanked players and the development and operations team in a public statement but gave no reason for the removal. Grimoire of Souls originally launched in September 2019 in Canada, was discontinued a year later, and was relaunched on Apple Arcade in September 2021 with microtransactions and in-game currency removed and graphical/layout updates applied.

• Konami will remove Grimoire of Souls from Apple Arcade on August 20, 2026.
• The game will go offline entirely and become unplayable on September 3, 2026.
• Konami relaunched Grimoire of Souls on Apple Arcade in September 2021 after an earlier discontinuation.

Light & Wonder Puts Iconic Brands and Powerhouse Franchises Center Stage at G2E 2026

Light & Wonder announced its participation at G2E 2026, highlighting iconic brands and powerhouse franchises. Additionally, the company appointed Muthu Palanichamy as SVP & GM of Global Systems, and was selected to replace table games technology across multiple Delaware North properties.

Light & Wonder Appoints Muthu Palanichamy as Senior Vice President & General Manager of Global Systems

Light & Wonder announced the appointment of Muthu Palanichamy as Senior Vice President & General Manager of Global Systems, effective September 17, 2026.

SciPlay Cuts 20 Jobs in Israel

SciPlay has cut about 20 jobs at its Ramat Gan development hub, roughly 7% of the site's ~300-person workforce. SciPlay Games Israel — described as a strategic development and growth centre that arose partly from Light & Wonder’s 2014 acquisition of Dragonplay — accounts for about one-third of SciPlay’s global headcount and handles engineering, product, data science/analytics, UI/UX and digital marketing. The studio develops and operates free-to-play social casino titles including Quick Hit Slots, 88 Fortunes and Hot Shot Casino, and its Israeli operations are managed by Chief Revenue Officer Noga Halperin. The reductions, which affect multiple disciplines, follow a separate round of cuts in June and come after parent company Light & Wonder reported a 7% year-on-year revenue decline to $187m in the first quarter; SciPlay has not publicly tied the latest cuts to any strategic review.

• SciPlay cut about 20 jobs at its Ramat Gan site, roughly 7% of the ~300 local workforce.
• SciPlay Games Israel accounts for roughly one-third of SciPlay’s global headcount.
• The centre develops and operates free-to-play social casino titles including Quick Hit Slots, 88 Fortunes and Hot Shot Casino and covers engineering, product, data, UI/UX and marketing.