Epic win

Read on for every story we posted in an eventful week. Paid subs get extra thoughts on how you can dodge Apple's 30% commission in the US App Store – and what the Epic ruling means for the ecosystem.

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This week’s stories:

Save the date: Off The Record is coming to LA on June 10

Our second event is coming soon - apply for a ticket here.

New game digest: Flappy Bird, Overwatch, Starcraft, Umamusume, new Puzzle & Dragons, Sonic Rumble, Game of Thrones, more

Also this week: What The Clash, Might and Magic, World of Goo 2 and plenty more besides.

It’s official: Apple has removed US App Store payment restrictions

The changes apply to the US storefront only, and effectively mean developers can bounce players over to alternative payment providers on the web without restrictions or ‘scare screens’.

Scopely’s Monopoly Go hits $5bn in just two years

It’s the fastest mobile game to hit $5bn to date. Consumer spending on Monopoly Go is greater than the cash dropped on Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and the Barbenheimer box office cycle combined, says Scopely.

Epic to launch webshops and zero commission scheme next month

The new launches follow yesterday's landmark Epic vs Apple ruling.

Royal Match maker Dream Games is now part-owned by private equity firm CVC

Update: A source has clarified that while CVC is now Dream’s “sole equity partner”, it is still a minority stakeholder. Bloomberg has also reported that the deal is worth $2.5bn in debt and equity, valuing the firm at $5bn.

Epic claims victory as US court nukes Apple’s control over App Store payments

“We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week”, says Tim Sweeney after the landmark ruling.

Sensible Soccer veteran Hare is back and ready to tackle EA Sports FC Mobile

Now leading the charge at Sporty Games, Hare's next arcade football game is soft launching this year and will target younger players while leaning on his previous work.

Data digest: Scopely tops publisher list, Disney Solitaire’s hot start, Color Block Jam leads hybridcasual, MTG, Stillfront, more

This week's need-to-know numbers in one place.

What happens to a game about pandemics when there’s an actual pandemic

Plague Inc was already a hit before COVID. But it went ballistic during the pandemic – that is, until a “mysterious government agency” in China pulled it from the App Store.

How much are celebrities getting paid for mobile game ads?

One source estimates LeBron James earned up to $4m for his Royal Kingdom ad. The likes of Chris Hemsworth, Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell and Kylie Jenner are banking millions, too.

The soft launch games you need to know about

Take a peek at the games in testing from Supercell, Playrix, EA, Ubisoft, Rovio, Miniclip and more.

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Epic win

What an extraordinary week for the mobile games business.

Suddenly, it feels like the US App Store has been cracked wide open – and in the next few weeks, we’ll see how developers use their newfound freedoms to claw back the billions they have given over to Apple in store fees since the App Store launched in 2008.

Take a liberal reading of the updated, post-Epic ruling App Review Guidelines and there are a load of different ways to dodge the 30% App Store tax. Obviously there’s webshops, but there are spicier suggestions out there, too.