01
Compliance update
Target API level, 16 KB page size support, Play Billing Library and Android behaviour changes, so Google Play shows and accepts the game again.
What is a deprecated API
Mobile LiveOps
Keep your game on Google Play.
Older Android games are disappearing for new players on current phones. We move your game to a newer engine, bring it up to Google Play’s requirements and help you add new content, so it keeps finding players and earning.
Trusted by studios and publishers
Older games, current phones
Three steps to keep a mobile game alive. Without remaking it from scratch.
Get back in front of new players, make the game future-proof, then give everyone a reason to return. Take one step or all three.
02
Engine upgrade
The game moved to a newer version of its engine, or to a new engine altogether, with current plugins and SDKs, so the next requirement isn’t another emergency.
What is an engine upgrade03
New content & LiveOps
New levels, events, in-app purchases or a DLC on top of the refreshed build, plus ongoing updates whenever Google Play raises the bar again.
What is LiveOpsGoogle Play moved on
Your game still has players. New ones just can’t install it.
Since August 31, 2026, Google Play only offers games to new players on newer Android versions if they target API level 35 or higher. If your game’s last update shipped before September 2025, it almost certainly targets API 34 or lower - and every month it reaches fewer new players. Shipping an update now means API 36, 16 KB page sizes and the latest Play Billing, which older engine versions often can’t deliver.
- Back in front of new players on current phones
- Able to ship updates on Google Play again
- A modern engine that is ready for the next requirement
- New content and in-app revenue from a game you already own
What we do
Everything an older Android game needs to stay on the store.
We start with what Google Play requires, then fix what stands in the way. Each part is scoped with a flat fee and clear milestones.
Target API update
The game rebuilt to target the current API level, with Android 15 and 16 behaviour changes such as edge-to-edge display handled.
Engine upgrade or migration
A newer version of your engine, or a move to a maintained one, with the project, scripts and assets carried over intact.
16 KB page size support
Native libraries and engine binaries rebuilt for 16 KB memory pages, required for updates that target Android 15 or higher.
Play Billing update
In-app purchases and subscriptions moved to the current Play Billing Library, tested end to end.
SDK & plugin refresh
Ads, analytics, Firebase, login and notification SDKs updated or replaced when they no longer build or are no longer supported.
Performance on current devices
Rendering, memory and loading tuned for today's phones and screens, including high refresh rates and tall aspect ratios.
QA on real devices
Compatibility and regression testing across Android versions, chipsets and screen sizes before anything reaches players.
Release & LiveOps
Play Console submission and staged rollout, then new content, events and updates whenever requirements change again.
The long tail
An outdated build doesn’t fade out. It drops off.
A mobile game’s audience usually declines slowly after launch. Missing a target API deadline turns that slow decline into a cliff for new installs. An engine upgrade resets the clock, and every update after it is a new chance to be featured, talked about and played.
50+
Games shipped to new platforms
20+
Global publishers & developers
3days
To a free, scoped estimate
0
Hourly surprises - flat fee per milestone
Why publishers trust us with their back catalogue
Here are some of the factors that make us a reliable partner for an older game.
01
Single point of contact
One dedicated producer and lead developer stay with your project from kickoff to the Play Store release - no hand-offs, no lost context.
02
Free, fast assessment
We check your game against Google Play’s requirements and share a scoped, accurate estimate within 3 business days - free of charge, no commitment.
03
Engine experts
Unity, Unreal, custom engines and legacy frameworks: we have shipped 50+ games to new platforms, so old code doesn’t scare us.
04
Delivery guarantee
If we miss the agreed scope or deadline, we fix it or refund it - it’s written into the agreement, not a promise.
How it works
From “hidden on new phones” to live and growing again.
- 01
Free assessment
3 business daysSend us the store link. We check the target API level, engine version, plugins and billing, and come back with a scope, a timeline and a flat fee.
- 02
Project review
We go through the source project, its native libraries and third-party SDKs, and decide together: engine upgrade or migration.
- 03
Engine upgrade
The game moves to a current engine version with updated plugins and SDKs, with weekly updates and builds you can play.
- 04
Google Play compliance
Target API level, 16 KB page size support, Play Billing and Android behaviour changes, checked against Google Play’s current requirements.
- 05
QA & release
Testing on real devices across Android versions, then Play Console submission and a staged rollout to protect your ratings.
- 06
New content & LiveOps
New levels, events or in-app purchases on top of the refreshed build, and updates whenever Google Play raises the requirements again.
engines & platforms
Whatever engine your mobile game was built in.
Get a free estimate
Engines
+ customengines
Platforms
Words from the people
we build for.
Get a free estimateLynci made porting far more cost-effective and easier to manage, letting us bring the release to more platforms. The game also passed certification on the first attempt - proof of how reliable the tool is.
Ewa Buczkowska
Producer | Untold Tales
Working with LYNXBYTE GAMES allowed us to successfully outsource key parts of the porting work for War Mongrels and 63 Days without compromising product quality. The collaboration reduced the workload on our internal development team while ensuring reliable technical support and efficient problem-solving throughout the projects.
Pawel Olszewski
Business Development Manager | GOG
Got an older game on Google Play?
Bring it back in front of new players.
Send us the store link. We’ll check where the game stands and come back with a scope and a flat fee, free, within 3 business days.
Get a free estimateFrom the blog
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Our Delivery Guarantee: How "Fix or Refund" Works in Practice
Most porting partners promise to deliver. We write it into the agreement: if we miss the agreed scope or timeline, or the launch draws 15%+ negative technical reviews, a dedicated hotfix team responds within 24 hours at no cost - and if it can't be fixed, you get a refund. Here is how that works, step by step.
Read nowDelivery Guarantee
One Game. Any Engine. Any Platform. No Exceptions.
Game porting shouldn't mean coordinating multiple vendors, chasing deadlines, or discovering problems after launch. Here's what it looks like when one team takes full responsibility instead.
Read nowGame Porting
Halloween Special: Survival Horror Classics That Deserve a Remaster
Survival horror is having its best decade since the PS1 era - and remasters are a big reason why. For Halloween, our Head of Design picks six classics still waiting for a modern return, and explains the technical traps a horror remaster has to avoid.
Read nowRemaster
What we need to estimate the update
You don’t need a full brief. A store link and a few details about the project are enough to get started.
We’ll review your request and share a scoped estimate within 3 business days.
- The Google Play link and the platforms the game ships on today
- Engine and engine version the game was built with
- Access to the source project and the latest build
- Third-party SDKs: ads, analytics, billing, login, notifications
- Any new content or features you’d like to add
- Timeline and budget range
What is Mobile LiveOps?
A service for publishers and developers with older mobile games that still have players. We bring the game up to Google Play's current technical requirements - target API level, 16 KB page size support, Play Billing Library - usually by upgrading or migrating its engine, and then help keep it updated and growing with new content.
Why can't new players find or install our game on Google Play anymore?
Since August 31, 2026, existing apps must target Android 15 (API level 35) or higher to stay available to new users on devices running a newer Android version than the app targets. If your game targets an older API level, people who already installed it can usually keep playing, but new players on current phones can't install it.
How do I know which API level my game targets?
It is the targetSdkVersion in your Android build settings, and it is also shown for each release in Google Play Console. As a rule of thumb, if your game's last update shipped before September 2025, it almost certainly targets API level 34 or lower. Send us the store link and we'll check it for you.
Isn't it enough to just change the target API level?
Rarely for an older game. A new update must target API level 36 since August 31, 2026, support 16 KB memory page sizes when it targets Android 15 or higher, and use Play Billing Library 8 or newer if it sells in-app purchases. Older engine versions and plugins often can't produce a build that meets all of these, which is why the engine usually needs an upgrade.
Do we have to change engines?
Not always. Often the right move is upgrading to a newer version of the engine the game already uses, such as a supported Unity or Unreal Engine release. If the game was built on an engine or framework that is no longer maintained, we migrate it to one that is. The free assessment tells you which case you're in.
Can you add new content while the game is being updated?
Yes, and it is the best moment to do it. A refreshed build can ship with new levels, events, in-app purchases or a DLC, which gives the update something to announce and gives players a reason to come back. Each addition is scoped separately with its own flat fee.
How is Mobile LiveOps priced?
As a flat fee agreed before we start and billed per milestone - no hourly surprises. Send us the game and its store link and you get a scoped estimate within 3 business days, free and with no commitment.
