It wouldn't surprise me if the publisher in question had contracts with big mobile operators/content platforms and had promised to deliver these games by a certain date. If the publisher doesn't deliver the games on time, the operators/content platforms might blacklist that publisher for future mobile releases.
I have been around the industry long enough (as an outsider, never actually worked in it) to know that publishers (and especially their legal departments) can be a nightmare to deal with. (both publishers who publish on behalf of others and big publisher-developer shops like EA and Activision Blizzard)