Deconstructor of Fun

GTA VI just proved it can break Netflix, the EU just put Roblox under its strictest rulebook, and one of the best reviewed games of the year is already falling apart behind the scenes.The crew breaks down the numbers behind GTA VI's Netflix trailer drop and what it means for pre-orders, why PlayStation is quietly winning the entire hype cycle, and how rising RAM prices could delay the PS6. They also cover Gamescom's attendance numbers and the shift toward Eastern exhibitors, the EU's new Roblox designation, Star Wars Zero Company's strong launch undone by a founder lawsuit, Brian Ward's exit from Savvy Games Group, Tencent's new AI tool portfolio and NCSoft's $300 million mobile studio buying spree.Topics Covered:• GTA VI's Netflix trailer drop and the pre-order numbers behind it• Why PlayStation is quietly winning the GTA VI hype cycle• Rising RAM prices and what they mean for the PS6• Gamescom 2026 attendance and the shift toward Eastern exhibitors• The EU designates Roblox a very large online platform• Star Wars Zero Company's strong launch and Metacritic scores• The founder lawsuit quietly sinking developer Bit Reactor• Brian Ward steps down as Savvy Games Group CEO• Tencent's new AI tool portfolio for game development• NCSoft's $300 million mobile studio buying spreeCHAPTERS:01:24 Episode 400 Teaser02:08 Shills and New Content03:59 Gamescom Stats Recap07:03 Mishka Gamescom Takeaways09:28 Cologne Logistics and Hotels11:20 GTA VI x Netflix Drop17:14 PlayStation Wins the Cycle21:28 EU Targets Roblox24:56 EU Market Fragmentation28:38 Star Wars Zero Company Launch32:16 Studio Furloughs Lawsuit36:46 Savvy CEO Steps Down49:18 China AI Platform Bets54:36 NCSoft Strategy Skepticism56:10 Episode 400 Tease Wrap

Shooters are having one of their best summers in years, and every major franchise still can't agree on what to do about it.The crew runs through the battle pass shakeup hitting Call of Duty, Battlefield and Overwatch, breaks down why Battlefield is quietly beating Call of Duty on Steam, and picks apart Apex Legends' run as the most consistent live service in the genre. They also dig into Gears of War: E-Day's beta results against Helldivers 2, unpack why War Bonds aren't actually battle passes, and argue about why Western studios keep playing it safe while Eastern developers experiment their way to the top.Topics Covered:• The battle pass shakeup across Call of Duty, Battlefield and Overwatch• Why Battlefield is outperforming Call of Duty on PC despite the franchise's rocky years• Ranked play, Battlefield Labs and the Elite Top 250 leaderboard• What's next for Battlefield now a new mainline entry isn't landing next year• Call of Duty's tech unification and the tradeoffs it created down the line• Apex Legends' revenue consistency, live ops machine and collab strategy• Apex's growth potential in China and Japan, and the case for reviving Apex Legends Mobile• Why battle royale modes outperform arena shooters on retention• Gears of War: E-Day's beta numbers and the inevitable Helldivers 2 comparisons• The PvP versus PvE tradeoffs facing E-Day's live service• War Bonds versus battle passes and how Helldivers 2 redefined seasons• Why Arc Raiders can't copy the Helldivers playbook• The West's monetization risk aversion versus the East's willingness to experimentCHAPTERS:01:13 Battle Pass Shakeups02:33 Battlefield Engagement Surge04:13 MAU Charts Breakdown05:28 Why Battlefield Retains06:47 Ranked Mode Returns08:44 Battlefield Next Moves11:04 COD Tech Unification Lessons14:19 Extraction Mode Debate15:35 Apex Revenue and Consistency17:00 Apex Live Ops Machine29:18 BR Movement Thesis30:20 Why Arenas Feel Worse31:17 Social Sandbox vs Zero Sum33:15 TDM Translation Problem34:06 Gears E-Day Catch Up34:54 Market Size and Modes37:07 Helldivers Comparison Debate40:51 Live Service Monetization Risks44:40 Battle Pass Changes Roundup47:51 War Bonds vs Battle Passes52:58 Arc Raiders and Extraction Limits54:33 Western Monetization Fear59:13 Next Episode Tease

Mattel owns Barbie, Hot Wheels, UNO, Masters of the Universe and Street Sharks. Marcus Liassides runs its digital business, which now Roblox, Fortnite, and a licensing program that puts Mattel IP in creators' hands without approving what they build with it. This episode is about how a studio actually gets an IP deal with Mattel, and what you get beyond the logo.00:00 - Why Mattel is at a games summit01:13 - The Roblox bet04:18 - Why studios stay skeptical06:22 - AI and why IP matters more10:46 - What Mattel actually wants pitched13:57 - Where pitches go wrong17:40 - Beyond the license19:15 - MGs, rev share and dev funding23:57 - The approvals question26:44 - Barbie's UA guardrails29:29 - Exclusivity

Rockstar is fighting a leak it cannot plug, and the leaker has turned the whole thing into a token economy.Episode 398 covers a week where the data says growth and the job market says something else. Newzoo puts 2026 at 214 billion, Makers Fund closes another 250 million that looks nothing like venture capital, Google Play turns RAM into a store requirement, and Gamescom hands us Nodusfall, Palworld on mobile via Garena, and one more round of the HD on mobile argument that never ends.Topics Covered:• CyberLeek posts 16 GTA 6 clips and runs crypto-paid polls on what leaks next• Take-Two subpoenas Microsoft, Discord and Google to unmask whoever is behind it• Newzoo's 2026 forecast hits 214 billion with North America growing slowest• Why layoffs keep coming in a market still growing 6 percent• Makers Fund raises 250 million and shifts into project and UA financing• Google Play makes memory optimization a store requirement in February 2027• Opening Night Live and the endless pile of tactics spin-offs• HoYoverse reveals Nodusfall while its mobile portfolio drops 24 percent• Garena picks up Palworld for mobile and Roco Kingdom goes global• Localization and UI as the real barrier for Eastern games in the West• The HD on mobile fight nobody at the table is winningCHAPTERS:01:12 Today's Topics Rundown02:19 Gamescom Pics and Shoutouts03:01 Sponsor Updates05:57 GTA6 Leeks16:11 Layoffs and Market Maturity20:10 Makers Fund Raises $250M28:18 Google Play RAM PSA29:29 Gamescom Opening Night Live36:16 Western Appeal Debate37:04 Roco Kingdom Goes Global37:47 Palworld Mobile Licensing38:52 Cozy Combat Audience Shift41:35 Portfolio Decline And Cannibalization51:33 Localization And UI Barriers01:01:18 Wrapping Up And Next Week

Everyone's telling you cohort financing is free money to scale. It's not, and the contract fine print is where that story falls apart.Josh Chandley (President & COO, Wildcard Games) sits down with Phil Mohr (CEO & Co-founder, Metica) and Martin Macmillan (Founder, Pollen Capital) to break down what cohort financing actually costs, who really takes the risk, and how founders keep getting burned by deals they don't fully understand. Martin lent almost $1B through Pollen VC with zero credit defaults over a decade. Phil looked at 40-50 games before Metica stopped writing new cohort deals altogether. Between them, they unpack the math the sales guys don't want you to run.Topics Covered:• UA financing vs cohort financing• Why receivables lending scaled down• The 80/20 mechanics of a cohort deal• Who actually takes the risk on a cohort• Cross-collateralization and disguised liens• What makes a good candidate for financing• Breakeven windows and LTV curve shape• The real annualized cost of cohort financing• How financing cost raises your effective CPI• Why finance and UA teams don't align• Getting free debt from your ad networks• Red flags in cohort financing contracts• What happens when a cohort underperforms• Debt plus equity hybrid dealsCHAPTERS: 00:00 Cohort Financing Hype00:36 Meet the Experts02:20 UA Financing Explained03:45 Receivables vs Cohorts05:20 How Cohort Deals Work09:04 Hidden Risks and Recourse11:06 Contract Traps to Watch15:39 Who Qualifies for Funding17:49 Payback Windows Sweet Spot18:54 LTV Curve and Game Types22:45 True Cost and IRR Math29:19 Financing Cost in UA Bids32:15 Data Truth and Real-Time Stops36:09 Cohort Risk And Timing37:01 Free Credit From Ad Networks38:40 Why Credit Lines Aren't Enough43:42 VC Versus Lender Mindset47:05 Questions For Cohort Lenders53:10 Bad Terms And Red Flags56:40 Evolving Financing Stack59:25 Exit Clauses And Flexibility01:02:42 Modeling Downside Scenarios01:07:54 Debt Plus Equity Strategy01:10:18 Final Advice And Wrap Up

In March 2025, Jon Bellamy became CEO of Jagex and Alexis Bonte became CEO of Stillfront. Both inherited companies with legacy, scale, and a long list of things that needed to go. This episode is about what actually happens in a games industry CEO's first 100 days.Timestamps00:00 - The first 100 days05:24 - Knowing the company09:15 - Cultural shift15:16 - Choosing focus19:33 - Public versus private24:52 - Board communication30:44 - Evaluating leaders36:15 - Head coach mode39:17 - Three success markers

Crew breaks down another packed week in games. Roblox faces mounting pressure over child safety as Congress launches an investigation, Apple rewrites its EU App Store economics while Germany forces changes to ATT, and Netflix Games keeps shrinking with two more studio closures. Meanwhile, Webtoon makes a $100 million bet on gaming, Devolver Digital heads for the exits after a brutal public-market run, and Mishka goes deep on Voodoo's latest hybrid-casual hit. Topics Covered:• Roblox's congressional investigation and growing child-safety pressure• Roblox's Discord problem • What higher opt-in rates could mean for Meta and mobile UA • Apple's new EU App Store fee structure• Webtoon buying up to 60% of RI Games Holdings • Netflix Games closing Night School Studio and Moonlit • Devolver Digital delisting after its stock fell roughly 97% • Castle Crushers, Voodoo's hybrid-casual formula and its path toward a $100M run rate • What Voodoo's evolution says about the French hyper-casual ecosystem• Kingdom Hearts' new animated series and Kingdom Hearts IV targeting late 2027CHAPTERS:00:00 Welcome and Hosts01:02 Episode Agenda Preview02:37 Jury Duty and Snake Heroics04:03 Seattle SLICE Conference Plug04:48 Mishka Updates and Events06:24 Corrections on Turkey Funding09:21 Roblox Under Investigation14:03 Roblox Safety Measures Debate21:13 ATT Changes in Germany27:18 EU App Store Fee Overhaul36:56 Markets and Monetization37:29 Webtoon Buys Game Studio40:07 Funding and UA Reality43:35 Mid Market Myth Busting46:44 Transmedia LTV Strategy49:36 Netflix Games Retrenchment54:01 Devolver Delisting Lessons56:32 Castle Crushers Deep Dive01:01:11 Voodoo and France Squeeze01:06:14 Wrap and Next Week

Jen sits down with WEBTOON and Square Enix to break down a channel that reaches mobile, PC, and console at once.UA is saturated and everyone is hunting for new reach. WEBTOON has 160 million MAU, about 90% under 34, and roughly 69% of its readers play games across all three platforms. Christine Yu (WEBTOON) and Melanie Gordon (Square Enix) walk through how the Visions of Mana and Dragon Quest VII Reimagined campaigns actually came together, what the branded epilogue format is, how long these collabs take, and how the Coin Hunter offerwall is driving 10,000 verified Steam wishlist adds a week.Topics Covered:• The vertical scroll format and why Gen Z never touched a comic book• 160M MAU and how WEBTOON monetizes like a free to play game• $2.7B paid out to creators and 124,000 new episodes a day• Creators as influencers and why the comment section matters• The branded epilogue and the Visions of Mana collab results• Dragon Quest VII Reimagined and the Tabletop partnership• Timelines, approvals, and what marketers need to bring to the table• Licensing collab creative for paid media, owned social, and UA• Coin Hunter, the offerwall, and pay per verified Steam wishlist• Where WEBTOON sits in the funnel and why ROAS is the wrong first questionCHAPTERS:01:33 — What Is WEBTOON04:21 — Mel's Fan Origin Story06:26 — WEBTOON as an IP Engine09:17 — Creators as Influencers11:24 — Turning Fandom Into a Marketing Channel13:14 — Case Study: Visions of Mana x The Greatest Estate Developer15:20 — Inside the Collab Process17:33 — Western Market Performance20:00 — Case Study: Dragon Quest VII Reimagined x Tabletop24:07 — Campaign Types and Timelines27:32 — Repurposing Collab Content for UA/Social30:18 — What Makes It Feel Authentic (Not Cheesy)32:00 — Performance, ROAS, and Funnel Placement34:00 — Beyond Anime: Genre and Demographic Diversity37:08 — Audience Demographics38:00 — Lower-Funnel Product: Coin Hunter / Steam Wishlist41:00 — What's Next & Wrap-Up Wishlist 42:00 — Recap and Closing (Brandformance)

Affan Butt has advised on 110+ gaming M&A deals worth $40 billion. He breaks down how game studios actually get sold, what acquirers pay for, and why earnouts wreck founders. We go through a studio acquisition from the founder's side of the table. How M&A processes really start, what due diligence looks like, why inbound corp dev interest is not validation, how bidding wars backfire, and the way earnout structures quietly turn against the people who signed them.0:00 Loom Games sale to Scopely3:21 What creates FOMO in a deal10:58 Investment banker in gaming 21:14 Supercell story 26:26 Peak Games story 39:03 Private equity in gaming 42:12 Deal timelines48:21 Due diligence53:54 When to say no to a sale 68:10 Why deals fail74:20 Earnouts and incentives86:28 The changing exit landscape94:35 Where the gaming cycle is now

Crew breaks down a packed week in mobile and games. AppLovin's stock craters despite the SEC closing its inquiry with no action, Unity sells Supersonic to Tripledot for a shockingly low $40 million, and Take-Two's GTA VI presales are on fire even as its mobile business slows. Topics Covered:• AppLovin's Q2 earnings and stock drop despite growth• Unity's Vector model closing the gap with AppLovin• Unity selling Supersonic to Tripledot for $40M• Take-Two's Q2 earnings, Zynga portfolio trends and GTA VI presales• GTA VI's Netflix trailer exclusive• Blizzard's leaked internal email and its quiet turnaround• Ubisoft Barcelona's layoffs and the birth of Puzzle Mage• Royal Smash and the rise of cannon physics puzzlesCHAPTERS:02:06 Spider-Man numbers debate03:23 Why Spider-Man wins03:53 Odyssey movie review05:28 Seattle roundtable recap07:34 Audience Qs and Roblox08:55 Corrections and Royal Match12:08 AppLovin earnings breakdown18:52 Unity Vector and D2827:14 Unity sells Supersonic34:21 Unity Supersonic Bargain35:09 Take Two Bookings Breakdown36:19 Zynga Portfolio Reality Check39:07 Old Games vs New Hits46:36 GTA VI Preorders and Netflix49:41 Blizzard Comeback Email53:31 Ubisoft Barcelona Fallout56:05 Royal Smash New Subgenre01:00:45 Farm Team and Monetization01:08:51 Wrap Up and Banter

Emmanuel De Maistre didn't build Scenario by choosing between Silicon Valley ambition and European pragmatism. He learned to use both.In this conversation, the Scenario founder breaks down what years of building in the US taught him about ambition, failure, and venture-scale thinking, and why European founders often bring the grounding that Silicon Valley lacks. We also get into what AI adoption actually looks like inside top game studios, why buying tools rarely translates into real usage, what happens to creative teams when AI enters production, and why today's AI economics may be hiding problems that surface when cheap tokens disappear.This is a conversation about AI, gaming, and startup culture from a founder who has already learned what happens when growth outruns fundamentals. Fewer than 20 people, near-zero customer churn, profitable before a Series A. No “AI will replace everyone” predictions, no ARR theater. Just a founder making the case that the best operators combine American ambition with European grounding.

Xbox prices in Europe jumped as much as 50%, and the console math now writes itself.The crew digs into a rough week for hardware and a strange one for puzzle. PS5 is suddenly the obvious pick while a global RAM crunch threatens the entire next console cycle. Capcom is printing money off seven-year-old games. Roblox got its stock cut 30% after guiding bookings down, and the fight over its algorithm change turns into a bigger argument about platform health versus shareholder duty. Then Phil and Kress go to war over whether Merge-2 is real innovation or the same mechanic in a new skin, while it quietly overtakes Match on downloads for the first time.Topics Covered:• Xbox price hikes of 30 to 50% across Europe• Why PS5 is now the obvious console pick this generation• The RAM crunch that could break the next console cycle• Capcom's back catalog driving 90% of unit sales• Roblox stock crashing 30% after earnings• Retention thresholds and the collapse of viral hits• What the child torture games actually are• Roblox platform health vs fiduciary duty• Japan slowly opening up to foreign capital• Merge-2 climbing to 20% of the US puzzle market• Merge downloads overtaking Match for the first time• Whether Merge is innovation or reskinned mechanics• China flooding UA channels and taking Western shareCHAPTERS: 00:00 Cold Open Introductions00:45 Headlines And Banter02:48 EA Deal Layoff Rumors03:51 Creator Tools And Events07:22 Netflix FIFA Studio Shutdown10:39 Sony Earnings Xbox Prices13:33 Memory Crunch Console Future20:22 Capcom Catalog Dominance27:43 Roblox Earnings Slump35:17 Algorithm Chaos Fallout37:08 Retention Threshold Reality40:00 Child Torture Games Explained42:41 Profit vs Platform Health44:37 Valuation and Downside Risk47:38 Scopely Bets on Japan52:16 Merge 2 Takes Over Puzzle54:46 Is Merge Actually Innovation56:39 Meta Systems Drive Growth01:05:04 China Floods UA Channels01:06:17 Wrap Up and Goodbye

After years of saying not yet, Sensor Tower finally estimated mobile ad revenue, and the number is $12 billion for 2025.Sam, their lead gaming insights analyst, walks through how the estimates were built and why $12 billion is a conservative floor. We get into why puzzle pulls more than half of all gaming ad revenue, how AppLovin keeps eating share while smaller networks shrink, the non-gaming advertisers like Temu, Shein and finance apps flooding into gaming inventory, and why AP-focused hybrids out-earn ad-first hybrids by 4x.CHAPTERS: 00:00 Why Ads Were Opaque01:07 How Sensor Tower Models Ads02:31 The 12 Billion Headline04:00 Coverage Countries Networks06:07 Ads Versus IAP D2C08:52 Non Gaming Demand Surge12:55 Network Share Winners15:15 AppLovin Take Rate Debate19:04 Puzzle Dominates Ad Revenue26:17 Hybrid Casual Economics30:25 Studio Strategy And Wrap

The crew breaks down Sensor Tower's big H1 2026 report, digs into why downloads keep falling while nobody seems to want new games, and asks whether ad revenue was ever going to save anyone. Plus a Warframe live service masterclass and the arrow craze that Kress would very much like everyone to stop talking about.Topics Covered:• Disney Solitaire cannibalizing Solitaire Grand Harvest • Where the diligence went on the SuperPlay deal and who is left • Washington State suing Playtika and Aristocrat over social casino• Sensor Tower H1 2026 with downloads down 12% • The 4X surge stalling out while puzzle keeps compounding• The D2C debate and whether the market ishealthier than it looks• AppLovin and AdMob running two-thirds of gaming ad revenue and what that consolidation does to CPIs• Why the top ad revenue games are smaller than anyone expected• Warframe as the live service masterclass Destiny never pulled offCHAPTERS:00:00 – Intro & welcome (Jen, Kress, Phil, Mishka)01:00 – Mishka's Greece trip & DoF event updates (Seattle Roundtables, Gamescom, Grand Slam, Supper Club)08:00 – Playtika update: Solitaire Grand Harvest cannibalized by Disney Solitaire12:00 – M&A Masterclass callback (Chris Petrarca) & licensing math on Disney deal14:00 – Washington State's gambling lawsuit vs. Playtika — social casino legal risk17:00 – Sensor Tower H1 2026 report: overview & app discovery is "broken"20:00 – Direct-to-consumer (D2C) web shops: how big is the impact really?23:00 – D2C by genre: 4X, social casino, Marvel Strike Force example25:00 – Genre trends: strategy down, puzzle up, Block Blast highlight26:00 – The "Arrow" hyper-casual craze — Block Blast install decline29:00 – UA costs spiking: ad spend up, downloads down30:00 – AppLovin & AdMob's growing duopoly over UA33:00 – Social casino's steepest genre decline & D2C revenue shift36:00 – Top publishers by ad revenue (King, Easy Brain, Huuuge)39:00 – Sensor Tower report wrap-up & praise42:00 – Warframe/Digital Extremes: Destiny comparison & live-service execution44:00 – Warframe monetization model breakdown45:00 – Digital Extremes' mobile SKU built with Finland's Nitro Games46:00 – Warframe mobile growth numbers (PC halo effect)48:00 – Squad RPG/gacha mechanics critique — mobile "solved this years ago"50:00 – Why no Western studio has cracked mobile shooters (Fortnite, Roblox Rivals)51:00 – Warframe's marketing-driven themed content drops52:00 – Shoutout: Christopher Dring's podcast52:00 – Outro & next week preview (Castle Clashers, Capcom)

Why is Toon Blast still growing while every other Blast game is fading away?In this episode of Puzzle Monthly, we break down Toon Blast's remarkable resurgence, from its early days challenging Toy Blast to its recent revenue explosion fueled by Super Light Ball, LiveOps innovation, and relentless experimentation. We explore why Peak Games continues to outperform the entire Blast genre, and what every puzzle developer can learn from it.Topics Covered:• The evolution of Blast games: Pet Rescue Saga, Toy Blast, and Toon Blast• Why Toon Blast continues to grow while the rest of the Blast genre declines• Super Light Ball and how it transformed engagement and monetization• How LiveOps, Collection Meta, Wild Journey, and new progression systems fueled Toon Blast's resurgence• Why Peak's continuous experimentation has kept the game relevant for over a decade• Whether there's still room for new Blast games or if studios should look elsewhereCHAPTERS:00:00 Meet The Hosts00:40 Why Toon Blast Still Wins02:33 Blast Games Origins02:56 Pet Rescue Vs Fun Luck04:06 Toy Blast Changes Everything08:26 Why Others Couldn't Copy11:43 Revenue Surge Explained12:33 Super Light Bulb Deep Dive17:13 ARPDAU Jumps And Data20:58 Live Ops And Collections25:39 Wild Cards And Monetization31:25 Events Cadence Overhaul34:13 Future Outlook And Wrap

Convoy says 85 million copies in 60 days. That means 63% of every console owner alive buys GTA 6, and the closest anyone has come without a bundle is half that.The crew digs into the Newzoo and Convoy numbers behind GTA 6 and finds projections that would require almost every active console owner on earth to buy it. Then Playtika, where a badly negotiated earn-out turned Superplay's success into a balance sheet problem big enough to put the studio on the block. Plus Unity 7's roadmap, Netflix throwing out gaming metrics that mean nothing, and what Township's match mode says about where mobile is heading.Topics Covered:• GTA 6 pre-orders skewing 89% to the $100 SKU• Why the projected attach rates are fantasy• The Ultimate Edition as soft price increase• UGC as the real GTA 6 story nobody is telling• Unity 7 roadmap, MCP integration and no-code web shops• Why Unity cannot scale against AppLovin• Tencent circling Superplay at up to $1.5 billion• The earn-out that broke Playtika's balance sheet• Disney Solitaire's trajectory into 2026• Netflix reporting 11x growth on numbers it will not disclose• Township bolting match onto a builder and printing money• Playable ads becoming actual game modesCHAPTERS: 00:24 Show Intro and Agenda01:38 Banter Marvel Trailers02:49 Announcements and Roundtables04:26 Xbox Hire Update06:14 GTA6 Preorders Pricing15:01 Ultimate Edition Strategy17:33 UGC and Online Upside19:15 Unity 7 Roadmap26:03 Playtika Superplay Rumor27:26 Superplay Earnout Breakdown28:11 Earn Out Math28:59 Tencent Deal Questions29:38 Disney Solitaire Outlook30:49 Why Sell Superplay34:48 Superplay Hits Breakdown36:02 Valuation Reality Check39:13 EA Predicts Winners40:49 Netflix Gaming Metrics43:26 What Metrics Matter46:49 Netflix Versus YouTube48:06 Township Versus Top Tycoon50:41 Match 3 Monetization Engine52:43 Hybridization And Playable Ads56:15 Fortnite Obsession Collab57:43 Wrap Up And Goodbye

Bungie built the defining live shooter of the decade, then spent ten years surviving its own crises. This one plays like the eulogy.The crew runs the full ups and downs of Bungie from Myth to Marathon, with an ex-Bungie insider walking through every near-death moment, why Destiny endured far longer than anyone predicted, why it finally fell off, and whether Sony and Marathon can pull the studio back from the edge.Topics Covered:• The end of Destiny and whether Bungie is actually done• The hot take that Xbox is in decline and Bungie should return to make Halo• The full Bungie crisis history from the Myth 2 uninstaller disaster to Marathon• The internal Destiny Supercut that blew up 14 months before launch• The Taken King and Forsaken redemption arcs• Sony's acquisition, the Lightfall flop, and The Final Shape as the ending• Why Destiny survived when its narrative and monetization kept misfiring• The free-to-play misfit problem and DLC warbond monetization• Promising the future as the real retention engine• The maintenance mode debate for aging live service shooters• What Marathon actually needs to rebound

InnoGames didn't reach for AI to chase a trend. They reached for it because the alternative was shutting down a game people love.Thomas Lehr walks through how InnoGames kept Sunrise Village alive after the business case stopped working, taking the team from 25 people down to 3 and stabilizing a title that was slipping. This is the rare AI adoption story told with actual numbers, actual workflows, and no hiding the parts everyone else leaves out. No people pushed out, no game handed to the agents, no hype. Just a methodical breakdown of where the time went and what AI could realistically take off the table.Topics Covered:• Why the game was declining and what options were on the table before AI• What happened to all 25 people on the team• Going from 25 humans to 3 humans plus AI without killing the game• Decomposing the production pipeline to find where time actually goes• The six-step AI stage designer covering story, quests, balancing, maps, placement, and cinematics• Why building custom tooling beats subscribing to 15 shiny products• Sticking with GPT-4o for years while the pipeline just worked• What it actually costs to run the pipeline every month• The 84% of developers who reject AI at any stage, and the pushback inside the company• A direct playbook for a stuck studio making 500k a month

Jen, Eric, and Phil break down a week where EA torched a premium launch, Sony declared the disc dead, and Riot reminded everyone that nostalgia is still the most reliable growth lever in games. Monetization is the throughline all the way down: who actually has a lever left to pull, and how badly you can blow it up when you pull it wrong.Topics Covered:• League of Legends Classic and the nostalgia playbook• Why WoW Classic and Fortnite OG print money• Whether a Classic mode can actually monetize• eFootball and FC Mobile riding the World Cup• FIFA leaving interactive money on the table• Ultra local live ops and the halftime spike• Pokemon Champions and Nintendo's monetization ceiling• EA College Football 2027 and its pay to progress disaster• The Battlefront II lesson EA forgot• Phil's gunpowder model for monetization backlash• Why premium publishers have no lever left but ARPU• Sony killing the physical disc by 2028CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome and Hosts00:23 Episode Agenda01:12 Euro Summer Banter02:42 Seattle Roundtable Plug04:20 Corrections and Clarifications05:27 Xbox Bethesda Strategy10:08 League Classic Nostalgia17:31 Classic Modes Monetization21:57 World Cup Game Boost27:40 Ultra Local Live Ops30:56 Pokemon Champions Reveal31:32 Pikmin and Pokémon Benchmarks32:17 Why Monetization Falls Flat33:42 Switch SKU and Tencent Playbook34:31 EA College Football Backlash40:02 Marketing vs Design Debate43:20 Phil's Gunpowder Model48:10 Premium Games Need ARPU51:20 Sony Ends Physical Discs56:00 Digital Wins and Final Wrap

AppsFlyer just took attribution off mobile and put it on the open web, and it might be the biggest unlock D2C web shops have seen yet.Josh Chandley talks with Adam Smart, Global Director of Product for Gaming at AppsFlyer, about the company's new web attribution product and its bigger bet on becoming a "Modern Marketing Cloud" spanning web, PlayStation, Xbox, and Oculus.Topics Covered:• AppsFlyer's new web attribution product• The shift from MMP to Modern Marketing Cloud• Why D2C web shops are the biggest day one unlock• Mobile UA mindset vs web UA mindset• Fraud and accountability on mobile vs web• Connecting web attribution to in-app ad networksCHAPTERS: 00:19 Why Web Attribution Matters00:33 Modern Marketing Cloud Vision03:28 Web vs Mobile Measurement Basics03:59 Neutral Attribution and ROAS Truth05:59 Why Launch Web Now08:13 D2C Web Shops and Growth11:49 Day One Studio Changes13:38 Mobile vs Web Mindsets15:15 Accountability and Fraud Reality17:37 Connecting Web and In App Ads19:54 Modern Marketing Cloud Explained23:42 Future of UA with AI28:32 AI Agents and Automation in Outlier29:30 Wrap Up and Where to Learn More

Xbox just got torched, and the math says new games can't win.Jen and Eric (two for TWIG this week) break down the biggest restructuring in Xbox history: 4,800 jobs cut, Asha Sharma unwinding Phil Spencer's entire studio buying spree, and King and Minecraft pulled in to report directly to her. Is this the setup for an Activision Blizzard 2.0 spin-out? Then they dig into fresh Newzoo data on why only 6% of the market is open to new IP, why forever games keep winning, and how growth has become an ARPU story instead of a new-player story.Topics Covered:• Microsoft cuts 4,800 jobs and 20% of Xbox's workforce• Sharma's memo and the "apex predator" restructuring playbook• King and Minecraft reporting straight to Sharma• Compulsion and Double Fine go independent with their IP• Helen Chang named Xbox's first COO, and what a single P&L signals• The spin-out theory and Activision Blizzard 2.0• Game Pass is stuck at 30 million and devaluing the $80 game• Why only 6% of the market is open to new IP• 60% of revenue coming from games five years or older• Growth as an ARPU story in the West and China• Last War, Whiteout Survival and Kingshot are proving the UA arbitrage gameCHAPTERS:00:00 - Werlcome & Agenda01:57 - World Cup Keeper Highlights03:35 - Kress's New Setup & Family Updates05:42 - NYT Games Shill07:30 - Xbox Rumors to Reality10:51 - Layoffs & Studio Shuffles13:26 - GamePass Stalls at 30 Mil14:45 - King, Mobile, and Minecraft Blindspots19:40 - Vanity Metrics Reality Check21:52 - COO PnL and Platform Model Critique24:22 - Booty Portfolio Shrinks & Next Steps25:46 - Gamepass Devalues Games27:01 - Publishers abandon Xbox28:25 - Spinout and Activision 2.030:04 - Microsoft & King Strategy32:29 - Embracer Parallel Lessons36:14 - Easy Cuts & Creative's Hard Work46:28 - Pipeline Worries for New Hits50:27 - ARPU & GTA Monetization53:11 - Mobile UA Arbitrage Reality54:58 - What Could Save the Industry

Zoe Bell is the Executive Producer of Games at The New York Times. If you've played Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Strands, Letter Boxed, the Mini, or the Crossword, you've played something she helped build or bring to life. NYT has nearly 13 million subscribers, which includes the game business that features some ads but no in-app purchases and no battle pass.The players run from your group chat to the Vatican. The Pope has mentioned doing the Wordle in interviews, and Carol Burnett's celebrity Wordle group, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Charlize Theron, went on Jimmy Kimmel to accuse her of cheating. Her defense: there's no way to cheat at Wordle, and solving it in one guess is just an accident.Zoe sits down with Jen Donahoe to explain how a newspaper that has run for 175 years became one of the biggest names in games. They get into why the team kills 96% of the games it tries, how a subscription model reshapes the way they design and measure success, and what it takes to launch Crossplay, a full multiplayer layer on games that are fundamentally solo.They also talk about making every puzzle by hand while the rest of the industry automates, and where AI earns a place when human craft is the whole point. For anyone building games, this one is a window into the economics and the discipline behind one of the most envied portfolios in the business.CHAPTERS:00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:03 From Zynga to Times03:40 Culture Shock at NYT05:53 Respecting Game Expertise07:36 Apps and Platforms10:13 Subscription Monetization14:13 Who Plays These Games18:31 Democratic Game Ideation21:13 Greenlight to Launch Pipeline24:36 Testing Markets and Kill Rate26:00 Killing Prototypes Fast26:37 Morale With Low Hit Rates28:43 Testing Before Soft Launch29:19 KPIs And Portfolio Fit30:31 UA In Subscription Games36:46 Streaks And Crossplay Bonds39:14 AI Human Puzzles First46:32 What's Next And Submissions48:17 Hiring And Tech Stack

Destiny is dead, Xbox is about to make the largest layoff in gaming history, and Google Play just completely changed how it charges developers.In this episode, we break down:• Why Sony's $3.6B Bungie acquisition was doomed from the start• What Destiny's gradual player decline actually looked like on the data• Where hundreds of laid-off Bungie developers go from here• Which five Xbox studios are being closed or sold• Why Xbox raising the Series X to $750 might be the final nail in the coffin• The unionization debate: is now the worst time to organize?• Google Play's new fee structure explained • Why Kress thinks Apple and Google wasted 20 years of developer goodwill• How a 2-person team sold 10 million copies of Mecha Chameleon in 16 days with zero marketing spend• Why the Adidas x Brawl Stars collab may have just hurt Supercell's brand• Ubisoft's surprising new hire from Amazon GamesCHAPTERS:00:00 Mobile Giants Rant00:16 Show Intro and Agenda02:39 Soccer Sidetrack04:03 Quick Shills and Corrections07:04 Sony Cuts Bungie13:15 Destiny Trends and Mobile15:37 Where Talent Goes Next17:25 Xbox Layoffs Rumors19:51 Strategy Behind Closures26:03 Unionization Debate29:51 Xbox Price Hike Fallout33:21 Console Pricing Speculation34:24 Switch Sales And Price Hikes36:09 Google Play Changes Breakdown38:53 New Vs Existing Install Fees40:33 Web Billing And Rankings41:18 Why So Complicated44:08 Level Up Program Requirements45:26 Sidekick Overlay And Data46:24 Rollout Dates And Reactions49:20 Stores Value And 30 Percent53:22 Steam Viral Hit Mecha Chameleon55:49 VC Project Financing Debate58:50 Ubisoft Hires Amazon Games GM01:00:18 Adidas Brawl Stars Marketing Lesson01:03:30 Wrap Up And Next Topics

In this episode of Puzzle Monthly, we trace Good Job Games' path from two clean exits to a struggling Match 3 launch, and break down why the studio that built Zen Match and sold its hypercasual portfolio for billions in downloads can't get Match Villains to monetize like Royal Match.Topics Covered:• Good Job Games' history, from hypercasual hits to Zenmatch's $100-150M exit• Wonder Blast and why it never escaped soft launch purgatory• Match Villains' aggressive difficulty curve and the push to shorten payback period• Why polish alone didn't save Match Villains, and what Royal Match actually got right• Royal Match vs Royal Kingdom vs Match Villains vs Piggy Kingdom• Whether Good Job Games is actually out of money, and what comes nextCHAPTERS:00:01 - Intro00:40 - Good Job Games' History and Two Exits09:11 - Match Villains Launches with $83M Raised13:27 - Wonder Blast and the Soft Launch Trap19:41 - Match Villains Gameplay Breakdown21:58 - Aggressive Funnels and Payback Period Pressure30:31 - Royal Match vs Royal Kingdom vs Match Villains41:14 - Sensor Tower RPD Data Comparison47:56 - Is Good Job Games Running Out of Money

GTA 6 finally has a price tag, Steam Machine lands with a $1,000+, and Tencent is quietly pulling out of Japan.In this episode, we break down:● Why GTA 6's $80/$100 pricing is good news for the industry● What the deluxe edition actually includes (and what it's missing)● The attach rate debate for GTA 6 on PS5 and Xbox● Why Tencent is exiting its Japanese gaming investments● Who's actually still buying game studios right now● Unreal Engine 6 and what it means for developers● Epic's new AI tools shown at Unreal Fest● Tim Sweeney's "Team Open" pitch and his war on Roblox● Who the Steam Machine is actually built for● General Intuition's $320M raise and what it means for AI in gaming● Roblox's new brand integration tax and why creators are worried● Why Queen Digital Entertainment shut down after burning $50MCHAPTERS:00:20 Welcome and Agenda02:14 Canada and World Cup Banter03:40 Seattle Roundtable Plug05:07 Mishka LinkedIn Apology07:42 LA Roundtable Recap10:15 Audience Polls and GTA Hype11:38 GTA 6 Pricing Details14:32 Deluxe Edition and Monetization17:05 Attach Rate and Online Revenue20:23 Tencent Divestment Rumors22:22 Who Still Buys Studios25:47 Bull Case and Buyouts26:06 Tencent Strategy Shift26:35 Unreal Fest Highlights26:55 Unreal Engine 6 Roadmap27:53 AI Tools in Unreal28:36 Tim Sweeney vs Roblox29:04 Team Open Vision31:26 Interoperability Debate35:00 Epic Reality Check40:53 Valve Steam Machine Pricing46:41 Who Is It For48:05 General Intuition Funding50:21 Roblox Brand Runtime Fees54:38 Creator Impact and Risks58:26 Queen Digital Shuts Down01:00:14 Wrap Up and Goodbye

Andrew Bowell, CEO of Iconic, who spent 15 years at Havok and a decade at Unity, discusses the future of game development, AI integration, and the challenges of building new game engines. He shares insights on technological shifts, AI's role in creating immersive worlds, and why his company is building an engine to “craft intelligent, living worlds”.https://iconicgames.io/02:10— The shift toward dynamic, emergent, personalized gameplay04:39— Why Iconic won't end up in the “engine graveyard”10:13— “Intelligent living worlds” explained16:12— Dogfooding and building the engine through its own game19:35— Deterministic vs open-ended gameplay23:11— What Unity got right about AI26:52— The real paradigm shift in gaming37:59— Player-first, not technology-first46:26— Where AI adoption in games stops today51:56— Remote vs hybrid culture at Iconic

Roblox's Chief Safety Officer and VP of Safety Products join the podcast to answer the question every parent is asking: Is it actually safe?What's covered:● Why Roblox's safety chief uninstalled the app for his own daughter● The new Roblox Kids and Select accounts launching in June● How facial age verification works at scale, and how parents keep breaking it● AI moderating 150 million daily users across every server, every second● The "predator hunters" YouTube show that went viral, and why Roblox banned them anyway● How bad actors move kids off-platform to Discord and Snapchat, and what Roblox does about it● Why Roblox faces more scrutiny than TikTok or YouTube despite tighter restrictions

Microsoft is laying the groundwork to spin Xbox off, Supercell just cut 70% of Metacore's staff after burning through $180M. Meanwhile, EA just launched a real ad platform for sports games.In this episode, we break down:● Why Xbox keeps losing its top studio leadership● Whether Microsoft is actually preparing to spin off Xbox● What Sharma's first 100 days reveal about her real strategy● Why Believer raised $55M to ship an AI plugin instead of a game● How Supercell's Metacore acquisition turned into a 70% staff cut● Why EA's new in-game ad platform might actually make sense, for once● Why microdrama apps are growing fast but can't fix their retention● Why Konami's eFootball is quietly beating FC Mobile in revenue● Why Netflix's FIFA World Cup game became an instant disaster● Why the consumer apps "threat" to gaming doesn't hold up under the dataCHAPTERS:00:42 Topics Preview02:04 Shills and Events03:01 Roblox Safety Podcast04:08 Puzzle Monthly Updates06:05 Conference Island Recap08:48 Xbox News Rundown11:49 Kress on Xbox Spinout20:07 Sharma 100 Days Analysis25:32 Believer AI Plugin29:40 Metacore Acquisition Fallout33:38 EA Advertising Debate35:02 Ads In Sports Games36:34 Why In Game Ads Failed38:08 Roblox Brand Detour40:37 Micro Drama Boom41:45 Retention And Monetization44:18 Merge Drama And Subscriptions47:57 Konami Strategy And Collabs51:03 FIFA Netflix Game Rant54:38 Consumer Apps Threat Myth58:59 Attention CPI And Webshops01:02:19 IDFA Rumor And Farewell

Gossip Harbor is beating Candy Crush, Merge Mansion is going to Supercell, and the Merge genre is at an inflection point.In this episode of Puzzle Monthly, we break down the real state of Merge games in 2026, from the history of the genre to why Gossip Harbor succeeded where others failed, and what the next Merge hit might look like.Topics Covered:● The history of Merge — from Tripletown to Merge Dragons to Merge 2● Merge 2 vs Merge 3: how the economies actually differ● Why Gossip Harbor surpassed Candy Crush while Merge Mansion collapsed● The no-fail-state problem and how live ops try to solve it● Board clutter, storage frustration, and persistent board design● Sensor Tower data: Travel Town vs Gossip Harbor vs Merge Mansion● Hard order labeling and whether Match 3 lessons apply to Merge● What the next Merge game should look likeCHAPTERS:01:07 Merge Takes Center Stage02:07 Origins of Merge Games02:38 Merge Two vs Three03:48 Core Loop Explained06:03 Merge Mansion vs Gossip Harbor07:54 Live Ops Without Fail States09:40 Why Merge Feels Boring11:51 Progress and Board Order15:45 Dog Quest and Board Clutter17:45 Persistent Boards and Storage19:24 Monetization Paradox20:11 What's Next for Merge21:28 Soap Opera and Generator Ideas22:12 Persistence Makes UX Hard22:48 Persistent Boards Shift23:32 Making Merge Feel Dynamic24:28 Separate Boards Live Ops25:06 Lucky Catch Event Design26:02 Battle Pass Segmentation26:38 Why Gossip Harbor Won28:17 Merge Engine Under Hood36:24 Next Genre Innovations39:00 Cannibalization By Sequels40:53 Hard Labeling For Orders43:13 Generator Overcharge Ideas44:04 Future Focus Areas44:48 Wrap Up And Farewell

Nintendo's stock is getting hammered without a new Mario, Monopoly GO is going all-in on The Simpsons, and Liftoff is back on the public markets. Meanwhile, Xbox finally seems to be doing what it should have done years ago.In this episode, we break down:● Liftoff's IPO and the AppLovin challenge● Monopoly GO's Simpsons mega-event● How Scopely uses IP for reactivation● Apple's crackdown on low-quality apps● Xbox's biggest Summer Showcase in years● Why Xbox is bringing exclusives back● Fable, Gears, Persona 6, and Minecraft Dungeons 2● Nintendo Direct's biggest announcements● The growing mystery of missing Mario● Why Nintendo investors are getting nervous● Paramount's new gaming division● TMNT, Star Trek, Avatar, and Marvel projects● Why Hollywood struggles to make games● The missing mobile strategy at Paramount● Apple IDFA rumors and what they mean for UA● The future of AppLovin, Meta, and Google adsCHAPTERS:01:36 Minecraft Summer Parenting03:22 Quick Correction Bond Sales05:18 Liftoff IPO Breakdown06:41 UA Ecosystem and AppLovin08:37 Private Equity Red Flags10:41 Simpsons Takes Monopoly Go11:53 Why the Crossover Works15:20 UA Reactivation and Celebs19:12 Apple's App Store Purge21:54 Xbox Showcase and Strategy25:57 Xbox Margin Unlock26:38 Platform Strategy Risks27:29 Minecraft Sales Reality28:30 Nintendo Direct Highlights30:42 Where Is 3D Mario36:12 Paramount Games Revealed38:17 Execution Over Press41:48 Mobile Missing Piece43:19 IDFA Rumor Rant46:20 If IDFA Returned48:10 Rumor Season Noise50:24 Closing The Episode

Two mobile games with a $500M annual run rate in just two years, with a fivefold revenue increase in the last 12 months alone. If you're building in mobile gaming or just want to understand what a genuine rocket ship looks like from the inside, this one's worth your time.Grand Games' founder Batuhan Çelebi built one of the fastest-growing mobile game studios in history. In this episode, Batuhan breaks down exactly how Grand Games did it: the multi-studio structure that keeps teams small and ownership real, the game greenlight process that filters out imitation before it starts, and why Turkish mobile gaming talent is pound-for-pound best in the world. We also get into the honest stuff. The capability gaps they're still closing, what happens if growth flattens, and brutal seasons of raising his first round.

Two thirds of Americans now play video games every week. That is more than 212 million people, the average player is 37, and among Boomers, more women play than men. These numbers come from the ESA's 2026 Essential Facts report, the kind of audience and demographic data most companies pay a lot of money for, free to anyone.Jen Donahoe sits down with Stanley Pierre-Louis, President and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the group that has represented the U.S. video game industry since 1994. He is a media and IP lawyer who leads the organization that defends games in Washington, runs the ESRB rating system, and makes the industry's case to lawmakers and parents.In this episode:Why "gamer" means something different than it used toThe older and female players reshaping the audienceWhat a $20 monthly median spend says about gaming's valueHow the ESA fights online safety and loot box legislationInside iicon, the ESA's new event connecting games to the wider economyHow to use this free data in your next project, especially for marketersLearn more about the ESA and find the report at The ESA website https://www.theesa.com/

Call of Duty is getting back to basics, Sony is pulling the plug on PC ports, and Bungie is laying off staff after Destiny 2's final update. Meanwhile, Summer Game Fest is here, and everyone has something to announce.In this episode, we break down:●  Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4, kill blocks, DMZ is back, no last-gen SKUs●  Why dropping PS4 and Xbox One could hurt units but help revenue●  GTA 6 pricing debate, is $70 leaving money on the table?●  Sony State of Play, Wolverine, God of War's female lead, and first-party sales in freefall●  Why Sony killed PlayStation games on PC and whether that math makes sense●  Xbox's content problem and why Matthew Ball won't fix it●  Summer Game Fest and the new platform are trying to make marketing spend attributable●  Niko Partners Asia and MENA report; 13 markets, $103B by 2030●  Why Western publishers still can't crack Asia●  Female gamers now make up nearly half the market in regions that were 80% male five years ago●  007 First Light, 1.5M units at launch, but does it pencil at $200M dev spend?●  Bungie layoffs, end of Destiny 2, and what happens to the studio next●  Forza 6 at 5M units and why the racing genre is basically spoken forCHAPTERS:01:52 Banter02:55 Roundtables And Updates06:01 Modern Warfare 4 Reveal09:11 Dropping Old Gen Support11:56 GTA Pricing Side Debate14:16 Branding And Korea Setting16:25 State Of Play Highlights18:18 Sony Sales Charts Breakdown19:04 PC Ports And Platform Math26:43 Xbox Strategy Argument30:03 Microsoft Content Crisis30:55 Summer Game Fest Schedule31:46 Player.gg Marketing Hub35:49 Niko Asia MENA Report38:02 D2C Mini Games AI40:56 China Growth Debate43:28 Why West Fails Asia47:58 Racing Market Locked50:44 Bond Game Economics55:11 Bungie Layoffs Fallout

Most studios still treat influencer marketing as an experiment. Match Masters, a top 150 grossing game globally, has run it as a permanent growth pillar for 8 years. Jen Donahoe sits down with Candivore's Aviv Vidro and consultant Marion Balinoff to break down the playbook behind one of mobile gaming's most disciplined influencer programs.Studios that treat influencer as a permanent pillar see compounding returns. The ones that test once and cut the channel watch their installs decline 2.7x faster. Aviv walks through Candivore's 8 year always on model, the blitz approach where 20 creators go live on the same day, and the product marketing funnel his three person team built around creators. Dedicated welcome pop ups, skill based leaderboard giveaways with tangible prizes, and retargeting mechanics that drive 6x higher in app purchases from returning players.Marion breaks down why the standard 24 hour click window is broken for influencer content, why 7 days is the floor, and why day 365 installs run 75% higher than day 30. The two also tackle vertical testing (true crime crushed it for Match Masters with female audiences aged 30 to 55, tech reviewers flopped), country penetration strategy, why TikTok still doesn't work for performance, and where influencer marketing ends and UGC begins.If you've ever been told influencer marketing doesn't work after a single test campaign, send this episode to your CMO.

Griffin just handed $100M to indie developers, Lilith is back with a pachinko creature collector that's turning heads, and Toon Blast hired Gus Fring for reasons that actually make sense.In this episode, we break down:● Griffin Gaming Partners' $100M indie fund and why project financing beats VC math for games● Why the tourists are gon,e and the OG gaming VCs are back● Embracer's endless restructuring and the Fellowship Entertainment spin-off● The full Embracer collapse timeline, 44 studios closed, 80 projects canceled● Google Play's AI-powered game discovery and what it means for your ASO strategy● Why keyword stuffing is dead and how to write for Gemini● Clash of Critters: Lilith's pachinko-core creature collector and the casualization of mid-core● Why Chinese studios didn't invent advanced casual — they just perfected it● Monopoly Go's decline and what levers Scopely has left● Coin Master Board Adventure vs Monopoly Go, is there any real competition?● Toon Blast's Gus Fring campaign and whether celebrity UA still moves the needle● Why re-onboarding lapsed players matters as much as acquiring new onesCHAPTERS:01:39 Banter Roblox and Xbox Takes02:47 Roundtable Events and Consulting Talk05:14 Quick Correction It Takes Two07:20 Google I O Play Updates10:58 ASO SEO for AI Debate14:01 Griffin Fund for Indies17:57 Why VC Math Broke21:10 Embracer Splits Again24:13 Embracer Fallout and Asset Timeline29:02 Mobile Game Data Setup29:30 Lilith Clash of Critters Deep Dive30:25 Portfolio Reality Check30:49 Grim Metrics Decline31:33 Pachinko Creature Collector32:35 Gacha And Meta Layers35:27 Why It Works Now38:01 Advanced Casual Debate41:19 Graphics And Monetization44:25 Coin Master Vs Monopoly Go48:08 Franchising And Growth Levers55:38 Toon Blast Celebrity UA01:00:21 Wrap Up And Next Week

The gaming industry has seen 24,000+ layoffs in 2024–2025 alone, and a wave of new consultants has followed. But how many of them actually chose this path?Michail Katkoff sits down with John Wright to unpack the raw, honest reality of gaming consulting: the anxiety, the income rollercoaster, the identity crisis, and the strategies that actually work.In this episode, we break down: ● Why 70% of gaming consultants are in survival mode (not thriving)● The psychological shift from exec to consultant, and why it's harder than it looks● How to avoid "doing yourself out of a job" when you succeed● The pipeline trap: when to walk away from a lead● Equity vs. cash: the risk of taking options over fees● Why fractional work is the key to staying sharp● How to build your personal brand before you need it● Who consulting is NOT for

Turkey's game industry is overheating, Xbox just hired a chief strategy officer that has the panel in meltdown mode, and Roblox is betting big on a HD pivot that could blow up in their face.In this episode, we break down:● Why Turkey is dominating the gaming landscape and what's fueling its growth● The talent shortage threatening Turkey's gaming boom● Why West Coast game development costs are becoming unsustainable● Xbox's sweeping leadership shakeup and what it signals● Why bringing in non-gaming tech executives won't fix Xbox's core problem● Matthew Ball joining Xbox as Chief Strategy Officer, and why Kress is losing his mind● Whether Xbox's real problem is content, platform, or leadership● Why Roblox's push into HD content may be fundamentally misaligned with its audience● The failure of AAA-style games on Roblox and what it reveals about the platform● Whether Roblox's Incubator and Jumpstart programs can actually attract the right developers● The tension between monetizing a young, income-capped audience and growing into a new one● Arc Raiders' content update slowdowns and what it means for the West● Why child safety compliance is becoming a bigger issue for game platformsCHAPTERS:01:34 Shilling And Updates02:56 Shooter Monthly Check In05:31 Corrections And Credits07:24 Istanbul Event Recap12:24 GamesBeat LA Highlights16:32 Supercell NA Rumors20:21 Xbox Leadership Shakeup24:28 Xbox Content Crisis25:42 Talent Exodus Warnings28:04 Matthew Ball Shock Hire33:39 Predicting the Ball Playbook37:28 Roblox HD Pivot Risks38:44 Wall Street Versus Virality41:06 Three Reasons It Wont Work45:41 Incubator Programs Reality49:44 Frontlines AAA Lesson53:09 Monetization Limits Debate54:33 Safety Tools And Wrap Up

Marathon's player numbers are collapsing, Apex Legends is surging again, and rumors suggest Disney may be entering the extraction shooter genre.In this episode, we break down:● Why Marathon's retention and onboarding may be fundamentally broken● Whether Bungie can still save Marathon● How Arc Raiders became the first mainstream extraction shooter hit● Why extraction shooters still struggle with accessibility● The debate around wipes, PvP pressure, and economy design● Why Apex Legends is suddenly exploding again in DAU● How Apex keeps balancing casual and hardcore players● The hidden importance of movement and traversal in shooters● Why Apex's live service design is still among the best in gaming● The rise of bots, softer matchmaking, and more accessible BR systems● Why Disney may be working on an extraction shooter● Whether sci-fi shooters are still too niche for mainstream success● Why the extraction shooter genre may still be in its early evolutionCHAPTERS:03:11 Marathon In Trouble06:30 Why Players Bounce08:23 Saving Marathon09:42 Onboarding Versus Difficulty11:08 Marketing Retention Reality15:32 Cryoarchive Endgame Explained17:01 Tarkov Side Project Reveal22:46 Arc Raiders Update Check27:21 Live Service Reengagement30:10 Why Arc Raiders Clicks31:44 Accessibility Push Needed33:23 Sandbox Health Ideas36:19 Apex Season Surge39:02 Movement and Progression42:33 Market Forces and China46:35 Bots and Softer BRs49:02 Disney Extraction Rumor50:35 Star Wars and Fortnite Link52:21 Wrapping Up

John Wright and Vincent join Josh Chandley for the monthly deep-dive into what's actually moving the needle in mobile user acquisition.Questions we answer in this episode:● Is Sensor Tower now a monopoly, and should you be worried about pricing?● Why did Google reinstate Freecash but Apple still won't?● Is there one person at Apple secretly controlling which apps live and die?● Is Misplay buying its way to relevance, or is this a smart strategic pivot?● Does Misplay have a window to capitalize on Freecash's iOS ban?● AppLovin added more revenue this quarter than all of Unity's ad networks combined, so why are we still comparing them?● Can anything, or anyone, actually stop AppLovin at this point?

Supercell enters the toy business, Playtika fully embraces casual games, and Turkey's puzzle game machine keeps printing hits and billion-dollar studios.In this episode of TWIG, Jen is joined by Adam, Phill, and LT to break down the biggest stories in mobile games, from Grand Games' massive $70M raise to the deeper economics behind hybrid casual, DTC monetization, and why puzzle games are evolving beyond traditional match-3 design.Topics Covered:● Grand Games raises $70M, and why Turkey has become the world's most concentrated puzzle game ecosystem● How government subsidies, repeat founders, and UA rebates are fueling Turkey's gaming flywheel● Why hybrid casual puzzle games are breaking classic casual game design rules and still winning● Playtika shifts away from social casino and doubles down on casual hits like Disney Solitaire● Royal Kingdom's aggressive celebrity UA campaign and whether it actually moved the needle● Royal Match quietly launches web shop payments and new event monetization systems● Why DTC revenue is becoming critical for casual mobile games● The “worldification” of live service games after Genshin Impact and whether open worlds are sustainable● Sega and Rovio are restructuring after disappointing mobile performance and failed synergy bets● Supercell partners with Spin Master for Clash and Brawl Stars toys● Angry Birds teams up with Subway Surfers in a new crossover event● Wordle gets a TV show because apparently everything becomes IP nowCHAPTERS: 00:13 Welcome and Episode Lineup02:08 Health Updates and Travel Plans03:03 Adam Check-In and AI RAG Tool05:25 DOF Roundtables Announcement08:55 Gran Games Funding Breakdown09:49 Turkey Puzzle Flywheel12:04 Hybrid Casual Design Debate23:47 Emotional States in Puzzle Play26:30 Playtika Shifts to Casual28:30 Playtika pivots casual29:55 D2C Mix hits 40%30:47 Royal Kingdom check-in32:44 Cannibalization and UA blitz35:11 Match 3 needs weird38:01 Royal Match goes web shop42:54 Worldification debate49:41 AI and open worlds50:50 Quick hits Wordle and toys54:18 Rovio Sega restructure59:40 Wrap-up and goodbye

Why are gaming VCs shifting capital to consumer apps? In this episode, Henric Suuronen and Harri Manninen, founding partners of Play Ventures, one of gaming's top venture funds with $500 million under management and over 100 portfolio companies, break down how they evaluate founders, why they require a two-year vesting cliff, and what co-founder conflict really looks like from the investor side. We discuss the venture capital math behind gaming startup funding, why consumer apps trade at higher multiples than games, how to read founder chemistry during a pitch, and what Play Ventures looks for in early-stage teams from Istanbul to Singapore. A personal conversation between friends who funded my startup, Savage Game Studios, before its acquisition by PlayStation.CHAPTERS: 01:54 From Mobile Games to Apps08:04 Backing Younger Hungry Teams10:45 Founder Dynamics Due Diligence15:54 Reading Founder Chemistry20:44 Giving Clear Nos and Feedback26:22 Board Truths and Founder Conflict32:31 Impulsive Founder Decisions35:54 Early Stage VC Role41:48 Ecosystem Golden Eras45:25 Scaling the VC Firm49:41 Culture Without Hierarchy55:14 Closing, Thanks, and Wrap

Supercell absorbs Merge Mansion, Xbox fires its veterans and hires from Instacart, and the math behind gaming's VC collapse finally gets laid out in full.In this episode of TWIG, Mishka is joined by Josh Chandley, John Wright, and Ethan Levy to break down the biggest moves in games this week, from Finland's most beloved merge studio quietly running out of road to why gaming VC funding has dropped 95% since 2021.Topics Covered:● Supercell acquires Metacore and why a profitable $30M a month game still couldn't survive● What the 70% layoffs tell us about liveops competition and the limits of celebrity UA campaigns● Xbox replaces 24-year veterans with Instacart execs, and whether growth engineering can fix a content problem● GameStop bids for eBay with no synergy pitch and why the meme stock era never really ended● Roblox voluntarily takes a billion dollar hit on bookings and why it might be the smartest long-term bet in the room● The math that broke gaming VC funding, from $12.5B in 2021 to $627M in H1 2025 and what founders should do insteadCHAPTERS:00:00 Cold Open Jail Joke00:11 Meet the Hosts01:47 Episode Headlines02:21 Theme Park Mario Talk03:13 Line Monetization Schemes04:40 Istanbul Events Plug05:37 Consulting Shoutout07:03 Supercell Buys Metacore08:38 Metacore Rise and Stumble10:51 UA Cuts and Layoffs20:00 Strategic Investor Dynamics23:14 Xbox Leadership Shakeup24:42 Game Pass and Content Gap26:48 Microsoft IP Live Service Vision28:59 Xbox IPs Need Long Runs29:55 GameStop Buys eBay Meme32:22 Roblox Safety Overhaul Fallout35:32 Age Verification Debate37:02 Roblox Monetization and 18 Plus43:03 Ustwo Cuts Costs Reality45:16 Freelancers Bands Model47:25 Premium Math Doesn't Work51:19 VC Funding Math Broke59:06 Is This the New Normal01:01:56 Wrap Up and Thanks

Xbox doubles down on a DAU strategy with no real plan to get there. Ubisoft keeps cleaning house while its franchises collect dust. And the most doom-and-gloom post ever written about the games industry lands on LinkedIn, and it's hard to argue with.Topics Covered:● Xbox's public memo: Rebranding back to Xbox, shifting to DAU as a north star● UK games subsidies: £28.5 million, three funding tracks, and why Turkey is still running laps around everyone● Ubisoft Canada shakeup: Four big departures, Assassin's Creed Hex in trouble, and why Tencent might be the only real solution● Marvel Rivals vs Overwatch 2● China vs the West: The structural advantages nobody talks about and what Western developers can actually do about it● The doom post: 10 reasons western gaming is structurally uninvestible, and where the guys agree and push backCHAPTERS:00:20 Show Intro and Agenda01:35 Boys Only Banter02:56 Shills04:03 Istanbul Trip Plans04:38 Division Resurgence Update07:59 Xbox Memo Breakdown17:33 UK Games Subsidies23:45 Fortnite Shampoo Ads26:55 Habi's New Game30:58 PC Pivot Reality Check32:06 China Publishers Paper Tigers32:42 Marvel Rivals vs Overwatch34:47 Blizzard Momentum Update37:24 Ubisoft Canada Shakeup43:59 Why China Dominates Mobile46:29 Creativity vs Pragmatism50:23 Game Industry Doom List

Match-3 is harder than ever to win, clones are getting taken down, and Royal Kingdom is scaling toward the top of the puzzle market.In this episode of Puzzle Monthly, we break down the real state of puzzle games in 2026, from Turkish startup funding to Supercell's latest attempt, Pixel Flow clone drama, and whether Royal Kingdom can actually challenge Candy Crush.Topics Covered:● Turkish puzzle startups raise fresh funding and why the ecosystem keeps producing hits● Supercell tries puzzle again with Hay Day Match, and why timing might be wrong● Is Match-3 innovation dead? The debate on risk vs scale in today's market● Pixel Flow clone gets taken down. Are copycats finally under pressure?● The real monetization strategy: UA costs, clones, and ad funnels explained● Royal Kingdom's explosive growth and whether it can ever reach Candy Crush level● Why most new puzzle games fail, and what it actually takes to win todayCHAPTERS: 01:35 Turkish Seed Funding Wave02:13 Cheer Games and Hexa Sort Playbook05:23 Supercell Tries Heyday Match09:45 Why Match Three Is Stuck10:47 Innovation vs Scale Debate12:52 King Sequels and Meta Lessons15:56 Farm Heroes Saga Hits $2B21:08 Pixel Flow Clone Takedown23:27 Trade Dress And Platform Rules24:57 Why Copycats Make Money26:54 Clone Ads As Strategy29:52 Royal Kingdom Relaunch Story31:39 Growth Charts And Celebrity UA33:13 Can It Beat Candy Crush33:30 Paid Installs Profitability Math35:00 Organic Fame And Payback Window37:08 Cannibalization Versus Incremental38:42 Live Ops Similarities And PVE43:14 Wrap Up And Next Episode

Game Pass just got cheaper, China is rewriting the mobile market, and Ubisoft ships one of the most polished mobile games in years.Topics Covered:● Xbox drops Game Pass Ultimate by 23% and pulls Call of Duty from day one, but none of it actually fixes what's broken● Chinese, Hong Kong, and Singapore publishers now own 30% of Western mobile revenue, up from 16% in 2019● Pokémon Go surged 52% in downloads during its 30th anniversary, and why it's bigger than just one marketing event● Why the US should stop competing on mobile content and start owning platforms like Roblox, Steam, and Unreal instead● Division Resurgence is a genuinely great game with no audience in the West and one last hope, China● Disney quietly pulls 30 licensed games from Steam with no explanationCHAPTERS:01:56 Phil's China Trip Takeaways04:19 Joachim Shoutout and Sponsor06:52 Xbox Game Pass Price Cut News10:55 Call of Duty Math Debate15:52 Mobile Market Q1 Snapshot19:53 Top Games and Pokemon Spike22:49 China Dominance and New Hubs36:43 EU: Stop Killing Games41:21 Does Preservation Matter43:55 Division Resurgence Numbers45:18 Why Shooters Need China49:42 PC Port and Controls51:02 Mobile vs Console Culture53:29 What Makes a Platform54:16 Mods Create Mega Hits59:21 Japan Builds Game IP01:01:53 Licensing vs Hybrid Bets01:03:09 Disney Steam Purge01:04:01 Hasbro Hybrid Critique01:06:33 Final Wrap and Thanks

Two kids. Zero filter. All the takes. Rocky and Mickey are back for Twig Jr., and they didn't hold back. From aging out of Roblox to explaining brain rot to calling out in-game money grabs, this is how Gen Alpha actually thinks about games.Topics Covered:● Roblox's highs and lows and what's actually gone downhill● Friend Slop and how it's replacing traditional multiplayer● Brain-rot games and why kids are starting to walk away● Why Rocky and Mickey have mostly quit mobile gaming● Discord vs iMessage and how Gen Alpha talks while gaming● Graphics vs style and why fidelity isn't everything

The mobile gaming ecosystem is shifting fast this month. We break down the shocking deplatforming of Freecash, a $500M+ rewarded ad network, and what it signals for the future of user acquisition. Then we dive into Unity's major strategic pivot: shutting down ironSource and going all-in on Vector. Is Vector actually working, or just great marketing?Topics Covered:● Freecash ban: what happened and why it matters● The future of rewarded ad networks● Unity shutting down ironSource● Vector performance, growth, and real-world results● The ongoing battle with AppLovin

We sit down with Joakim Achren, serial entrepreneur, former GP at F4 Fund, and now AI-first founder, to talk about why he walked away from venture capital and what he's building next.Topics Covered:● The founder-turned-VC trap: why it sounds like a natural progression but has a flaw nobody warns you about● Micro-fund economics: a $10M fund pays you less than a startup salary, and you spend half your time fundraising for the next one● Why industry clout doesn't move LP capital, and the relationship mistake that cost him the raise● Gaming VC right now: why LPs burned in the COVID boom aren't writing new checks● The three-legged stool of VC — LPs, founders, co-investors — and why you're competing and cooperating with the same people simultaneously● How Claude Code became his entire publishing company and let him ship a book solo● Distribution is the last human moat: why creativity and authenticity are what AI keeps failing at● The AI productivity trap: working 18-hour days, thinking less, producing more mediocre output faster● Why he wrote a sleep book for founders, and what chronic bad sleep does to your brain in the long term

A lot happened this week in games. Kids are outsmarting Roblox's age verification, Xbox is cracking under its own pricing, and Pokémon is running laps around everyone else's marketing. Topics Covered:● Roblox age tiers: Three new segments, parental controls, and why lawsuits from 8 states still aren't the biggest threat● AAA dominance debate: Is the top 20 really losing ground, or is Newzoo misleading everyone?● Xbox Game Pass: A leaked memo, two price hikes in 15 months, and ad-supported tiers on the horizon● Borderlands Mobile: A surprise US stealth launch with no monetization and onboarding straight out of 2018● Pokémon's 30th: Five games in nine months, a Super Bowl ad, Tiffany collabs, and a masterclass in franchise marketing● Destiny Rising: NetEase guts its monetization after an 80% revenue drop - too little too late?CHAPTERS: 02:26 Boss Mode Nomination04:49 Twig Jr Roblox Shill09:04 AAA Dominance Debate15:47 Roblox Age Tiers18:21 Roblox Safety and Workarounds22:45 Roblox Stock and Regulation Risk28:50 AI Tools and Kids Next32:01 Xbox Internal Memo Leak37:57 Borderlands Mobile Stealth Drop42:21 Gameplay Praise Franchise Doubts46:29 Pokemon Champions Cross Platform Push51:20 Pokemon 30th Marketing Blitz55:57 Destiny Rising Monetization Pivot58:14 Wrap Up Life Updates Florida

We sit down with Ben Porter, Director of Consulting at Newzoo, to go through their 80-page 2026 PC & Console report page by page.Topics Covered:● Newzoo calls it an Inflection Point but we call it winner-takes-more on a flat engagement base● Roblox is the #1 most played franchise on PC & Console with 50%+ playtime growth YoY but is it even a game?● The Roblox generation actively avoids AAA narrative games and what that means for traditional developers● Free-to-play is dying on consoles while premium live service titles like Arc Raiders and Helldivers steal the spotlight● Game Pass is great for playtime, terrible for premium revenue and the data proves it● The $30-$50 mid-price sweet spot is quietly becoming the most interesting battleground in gaming● 43% of PC growth came from China which wasn't even in the report

This week, we go two-on-two for a lighter, looser TWIG, but there's nothing light about the topics.We break down the biggest shifts across film, platforms, AI, and where attention is really going. Topics Covered:● Don't ever put Mario in the corner; he crushed it at the Box Office● Aream and Investgame report ● Take Two takes an Axe to its AI team and lets them go in advance of GTA6● Monopoly Go launches a chat App and it wasn't an April Fools Day joke as it hits #2 in top social downloads in the US+Bonus: The life of a consultant vs. the life of a corporate employee