Hot Five: Supercell’s first CMO departs, Unity 6 goes back to basics, and Azra Games raises $42.7 million

To help get you primed and ready for another week in mobile gaming, we’ve curated the biggest stories you need to know from the last seven days.

1) Unity 6 goes live: Under the hood of the game engine’s latest AI, web and mobile tools

Unity 6 has arrived almost a full decade on from Unity 5, marking a return to old branding and a renewed commitment to developers. After last year’s Runtime Fee fiasco, the game engine maker has been working to win back favour and show that democratising games is still its core value.

We spoke with Unity VP of product Ryan Ellis all about the latest AI, web and mobile tools in Unity 6, as well as the company’s goal to “really reconnect with our customers and recommit to them”.

2) Free Fire to introduce baby hippo Moo Deng as in-game collectible next month

Garena’s Free Fire has reportedly landed a deal with the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand to bring the viral Thai baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng in-game this November.

The popular hippo will be made available as a collectable in Free Fire next month following her rise to fame on Facebook, where the three-month-old’s photos were shared rapidly by news outlets, celebrities and others across the platform.

3) Supercell’s first-ever chief marketing officer departs

Supercell’s first-ever chief marketing officer Fernanda Romano has left the company within a year of taking up the role, and just five months after Squad Busters’ release.

Leveraging her experience at King, Romano joined Supercell last November in the newly created CMO role with responsibilities spanning every title in the company’s portfolio.

The role marked one of many management changes at Supercell these past 18 months and in that time, Brawl Stars has seen a resurgence but the newly released Squad Busters hasn’t quite lived up to its predecessors.

4) Azra Games raises major $42.7 million in Series A to create a mobile RPG for Western audiences

Azra Games has secured a huge $42.7 million in its Series A round on a mission to deliver its debut RPG known as Project Legends. The title aims to stand apart by targetting Western audiences over Asia, donning a gritty, mature art style that veers away from the anime look.

Harkening back to Western 70s fantasy media, with hints of Web3 elements afoot, the title helped drive this oversubscribed investment round in a company founded by Mark Otero.

5) Ex-Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes GM on raising $42m and building the fourth generation of mobile RPGs at Azra

A veteran of EA and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, Mark Otero’s goal with Azra Games is to define the “fourth generation” of mobile RPGs.

“Mobile devices are now catching up with consoles in terms of the types of gameplay they support. We are excited to be at the forefront of this next generation,” he said.