A couple of weeks ago, Christian Lövstedt, Midjiwan CEO, wrote an open letter challenging industry bias towards mobile games, which often falls by the wayside when it comes to award shows and discussions surrounding representation in the gaming world at large. 

We sat down with Christian to get his thoughts on industry bias against mobile and its impact on creativity, funding, and recognition.

Given mobile’s global scale and cultural reach, why do you think it rarely receives recognition at major awards? 

Mobile gaming is a big industry. It represents 55 percent of the global market and has 3.0 billion players. But, the industry seems biased against it, with major awards giving the impression that they look down on it or ignore it completely. I think that with so many games out there, a lot of the decision makers at these shows are not aware of all the great mobile games. But, it’s possible the reputation mobile gaming has, with predatory and ad-ridden games, created assumptions that most mobile games are not good.

With the growing similarities between console and mobile economies, why has the stigma against mobile not converged with it? 

Many people think mobile is mostly low quality games, using predatory monetization methods. This is why they look down on it. However, many big "AAA" console games now use similar, if not the exact, forms of monetization. But rather than assuming all console and PC games are like this, most players correctly separate the bad from the good, in a way they don’t with mobile games. I think this happens because console and PC gaming has a longer history than mobile so is seen as a bigger part of the industry, even though it actually isn’t. Because it is seen as bigger, it isn’t judged as quickly as mobile.

Do you think that award categories limit the way mobile games are perceived, regardless of their design or genre achievements, and how? 

Yes. Mobile games usually only get nominated for a designated "Best Mobile Game" category. They are rarely nominated for the best of their own genre or for a category like art direction. It sends a message that they are not "real gaming" or that they are separate from the rest of the industry. I think early in mobile gaming history, when games like Angry Birds and the first Monument Valley came out, it was better. But now, mobile games really struggle even though many phones are just as powerful as consoles or PCs at running AAA experiences. 

In some cases, like the BAFTAs, the “Best Mobile Game” category is cut entirely. This should put mobile on the same level as consoles and PC, but in practice it just means less mobile games get to appear. 

What are the commercial effects of mobile games getting visibility at awards? 

Awards decide what counts as valuable. When mobile is left out, it tells investors and publishers that mobile is not a place for ambition or art. This narrative changes who gets hired and who gets funding. Recognition is important because it leads to more investment and innovation.

There have been moments in the past where mobile titles have broken through, like Pokémon GO or Angry Birds HD. What do those moments tell us? 

These games were very successful and important to culture. However, of all the major, non-mobile specific award shows, D.I.C.E. was the only one to nominate either of those titles for Game of the Year. This shows us that even when mobile games are huge hits, most other award bodies still choose to not acknowledge them.

What needs to shift, both industry wide and within mobile, to avoid repeating the same pattern in 2026? 

The industry must stop using a small definition of what "real gaming" is. It needs to value creativity wherever players find it. Also, people inside the mobile sector need to push for change against bad monetization practices. If the industry wants a future, it must care about the mobile platform. If both mobile developers and industry figures work together to clean the reputation of mobile gaming, gamers will stop perceiving it in a negative light. Shining a light on the great games in a mobile, alongside the console and PC games, is a great way to do this.