TheGamingEconomy’s Daily Digest brings you the trending stories in gaming. In today’s edition: PUBG Mobile now the highest grossing battle royale title; Annapurna Interactive parent company exploring bankruptcy protection; and Discord launches Go Live streaming service.

PUBG Mobile now the highest grossing battle royale title

Tencent’s battle royale title PUBG Mobile has grossed USD$860m (£714.6m) since launch, overtaking competitors such as Fortnite (USD$725m/£602.4m) and Knives Out (USD$771/£640.6m) to become the leading title within the genre, according to data from analytics firm Sensor Tower.

The growth in revenue has been attributed to the title’s launch in China as 'Game for Peace', which in just 60 days now accounts for approximately 28% of the total revenue grossed. However spending has also increased in established markets for the game, including a 565% year-on-year increase in spend last month from USD$4.8m (£3.99m) to USD$38m (£31.6m). The game’s total monthly revenue for July reached USD$167m (£138.8m), which equates to roughly five times greater than spending on Fortnite during the same period.

Annapurna Interactive parent company exploring bankruptcy protection

The parent company of indie publisher Annapurna Interactive, Annapurna Pictures, is reportedly exploring bankruptcy protection. Since its launch in 2019, Annapurna Interactive has released a number of critically-acclaimed titles, such as the BAFTA winners Florence and What Remains of Edith Finch. Annapurna Pictures is also highly regarded in the independent film industry, having been nominated a total of 52 times at the Academy Awards, and funding films such as Zero Dark Thirty, Amarican Hustle, and Vice.

In a brief statement on Twitter, an Annapurna Interactive spokesperson said: “We’re not going anywhere!” Moreover, in a letter to employees, Megan Ellison, founder of Annapurna Pictures, said, “It is of tremendous importance to me that you all know we are as committed as ever to this company and are in full support of our future. Regardless of whatever comes out in the press, the truth is that we are well on our continued path towards success. There will always be speculation, misinformation and personal jabs in the press – that’s part of the business.”

Discord launches Go Live streaming service

Discord announced on Friday 9th August that it is launching a streaming service dubbed ‘Go Live’, which offers a more personal small-scale broadcasting option than other platforms such as Twitch and Mixer, as users can host a maximum of ten friends. Streams will be automatically set to 720p, with 1080p and 4K options unlocked for users with Nitro subscriptions.

The service is due to be launched to select users on 15th August, with all users having access by August 30th. A mobile version of the service is expected to launch thereafter, however the release date for this has not yet been announced.