In this week’s roundup: Barcelona-based studio Cheer Games secures $4.5 million in funding to develop new puzzle franchises, Google moves to reduce Play Store service fees following developer antitrust disputes, and The Pokémon Company announces Pokémon Champions, a competitive battle title headed to mobile later this year.

Cheer Games raises $4.5M for new mobile puzzle franchises

Barcelona-based mobile studio Cheer Games has raised $4.5 million in pre-seed funding to develop a portfolio of mobile puzzle titles. The funding round was led by Makers Fund with participation from Play Ventures and several angel investors.

The company was founded by developers behind the puzzle game Hexa Sort, and plans to use the capital to expand its team and build multiple puzzle-game franchises rather than single standalone releases. Investors say the strategy targets the puzzle category, which remains one of the largest and most durable segments in the mobile games market.

Google to reduce Play Store service fees in settlement with developers

Google has agreed to reduce service fees for developers using the Google Play Store as part of a legal settlement related to antitrust claims from U.S. developers.

Under the agreement, Google will maintain lower commission rates for certain developers and expand alternative billing options, allowing some app makers to process payments outside of Google’s standard in-app billing system. The changes affect revenue sharing on mobile apps and games distributed through the Play Store.

The settlement is part of a broader series of legal challenges targeting app-store commissions (app store tax) which have historically been around 30% for many transactions. The changes could slightly improve margins for mobile game developers that rely on in-app purchases.

Pokémon Champions confirms mobile version later in 2026

The Pokémon Company has announced Pokémon Champions, a competitive battle-focused Pokémon title launching first on Nintendo Switch in April 2026 with a mobile version planned later in the year.

The game focuses on player-versus-player battles, emphasising competitive matches rather than exploration. The reveal came during a Pokémon Presents broadcast, with the company positioning the title as a new competitive platform for Pokémon battles across devices.

A mobile release would expand the franchise’s presence on smartphones, where it already operates major titles including Pokémon GO.