Deconstructor of Fun

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 Apps

08:04 Backing Younger Hungry Teams

10:45 Founder Dynamics Due Diligence

15:54 Reading Founder Chemistry

20:44 Giving Clear Nos and Feedback

26:22 Board Truths and Founder Conflict

32:31 Impulsive Founder Decisions

35:54 Early Stage VC Role

41:48 Ecosystem Golden Eras

45:25 Scaling the VC Firm

49:41 Culture Without Hierarchy

55:14 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 instead
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Cold Open Jail Joke
00:11 Meet the Hosts
01:47 Episode Headlines
02:21 Theme Park Mario Talk
03:13 Line Monetization Schemes
04:40 Istanbul Events Plug
05:37 Consulting Shoutout
07:03 Supercell Buys Metacore
08:38 Metacore Rise and Stumble
10:51 UA Cuts and Layoffs
20:00 Strategic Investor Dynamics
23:14 Xbox Leadership Shakeup
24:42 Game Pass and Content Gap
26:48 Microsoft IP Live Service Vision
28:59 Xbox IPs Need Long Runs
29:55 GameStop Buys eBay Meme
32:22 Roblox Safety Overhaul Fallout
35:32 Age Verification Debate
37:02 Roblox Monetization and 18 Plus
43:03 Ustwo Cuts Costs Reality
45:16 Freelancers Bands Model
47:25 Premium Math Doesn't Work
51:19 VC Funding Math Broke
59:06 Is This the New Normal
01:01:56 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 back
CHAPTERS:
00:20 Show Intro and Agenda
01:35 Boys Only Banter
02:56 Shills
04:03 Istanbul Trip Plans
04:38 Division Resurgence Update
07:59 Xbox Memo Breakdown
17:33 UK Games Subsidies
23:45 Fortnite Shampoo Ads
26:55 Habi's New Game
30:58 PC Pivot Reality Check
32:06 China Publishers Paper Tigers
32:42 Marvel Rivals vs Overwatch
34:47 Blizzard Momentum Update
37:24 Ubisoft Canada Shakeup
43:59 Why China Dominates Mobile
46:29 Creativity vs Pragmatism
50:23 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 explanation

CHAPTERS:

01:56 Phil’s China Trip Takeaways
04:19 Joachim Shoutout and Sponsor
06:52 Xbox Game Pass Price Cut News
10:55 Call of Duty Math Debate
15:52 Mobile Market Q1 Snapshot
19:53 Top Games and Pokemon Spike
22:49 China Dominance and New Hubs
36:43 EU: Stop Killing Games
41:21 Does Preservation Matter
43:55 Division Resurgence Numbers
45:18 Why Shooters Need China
49:42 PC Port and Controls
51:02 Mobile vs Console Culture
53:29 What Makes a Platform
54:16 Mods Create Mega Hits
59:21 Japan Builds Game IP
01:01:53 Licensing vs Hybrid Bets
01:03:09 Disney Steam Purge
01:04:01 Hasbro Hybrid Critique
01:06:33 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

Joakim's new book available now: https://sleepagain.co

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 Nomination

04:49 Twig Jr Roblox Shill

09:04 AAA Dominance Debate

15:47 Roblox Age Tiers

18:21 Roblox Safety and Workarounds

22:45 Roblox Stock and Regulation Risk

28:50 AI Tools and Kids Next

32:01 Xbox Internal Memo Leak

37:57 Borderlands Mobile Stealth Drop

42:21 Gameplay Praise Franchise Doubts

46:29 Pokemon Champions Cross Platform Push

51:20 Pokemon 30th Marketing Blitz

55:57 Destiny Rising Monetization Pivot

58:14 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

What to do, what to do about Marathon? The crew considers radical shock therapy with surprising answers and solutions. Deadlock pushes systems design to its logical extreme in a few shooters that are just starting to play with, but does it actually have an audience? Take bets now.We discuss:● Deadlock’s systems-first design philosophy◦ Layered stat architecture across weapon, vitality, and spirit◦ Scaling curves that turn every component into a progression vector◦ The role of the Action and X-Y-Z plane crosshairs● Marathon’s core tension: retention without acquisition◦ Strong engagement signals versus weak top-of-funnel growth◦ Why extraction shooters remain a constrained TAM◦ Arc Raiders reframing the genre through accessibility◦ Why tuning economy variables won’t solve an acquisition problem● Extraction as a product, not a feature◦ Why the loop requires full-system commitment, not a side mode◦ The importance of PvE readability and social cooperation◦ Session design, server economics, and continuous player insertion

Roblox has over 150 million daily active users, a million concurrent hits, and some of the fastest game iteration cycles in the industry. So why do so many Roblox games still fail to become real businesses? We sit down with Nick Tornow, SVP of Engine and Creator Engineering at Roblox, and Zach Letter, CEO of WonderWorks, to unpack how discovery really works on the platform, why small teams are outperforming traditional studios, and what it actually takes to build a sustainable Roblox company in 2025.Questions we answer in this episode:● Is Roblox a place to build hits or a place to build real companies?● What do outsiders still misunderstand most about Roblox in 2025?● Why are small teams able to ship hit Roblox games in just 5–6 weeks?● How does Roblox discovery actually work, and which metrics matter most?● Why is user acquisition so different on Roblox compared to mobile gaming?● What kinds of games are working now that didn’t work a few years ago?● Can traditional mobile or AAA studios succeed on Roblox, or do they need to become “Roblox-native” first?● How important are community, influencers, and social co-play to growth?● Why is ad revenue still such a small monetization pillar for most Roblox studios?● What will a successful Roblox studio look like three years from now?Michail Katkoff | Nick Tornow | Zach Letter

The industry isn’t slowing down. This week, we break down the biggest shifts across games.

Topics Covered:

● Disney and Epic: Why the speculation is picking up and what a bigger Disney move into games could look like
● Unity’s latest shift: A strong earnings beat, the shutdown of Ironsource, and the sale of Supersonic
● Studio closures and shutdowns: What the latest cuts across VR, live service, and Embracer say about the market
● The Merge 2 rise: Why the category keeps growing and the debate over what’s really driving the revenue
● Cookie Run’s next step: Franchise expansion and the challenge of turning one hit into something bigger
● New soft-launch shooters: Ex-Supercell teams, familiar patterns, and questions about where action games fit on mobile

Plus ++
We also get into Tim Sweeney’s role in Epic’s future, Unity versus AppLovin in ad tech, card systems, soft-launch design, and Kress’s latest reality check on mobile.

CHAPTERS:

01:14 Mario Movie Backlash

03:45 Leroy Jenkins Capital

06:52 Housekeeping And Corrections

09:10 Disney Buying Epic Rumor

12:12 Tim Sweeney Control Fight

14:55 Entertainment Gaming Graveyard

17:46 Unity Dumps IronSource

23:22 Vector Versus AppLovin Scale

26:35 Shutdowns And VR Reality Check

30:46 Matthew Ball Metaverse Spat

33:38 Embracer Wildland Canceled

36:50 Merge Two Boom Explained

42:29 Cards Drive Revenue Debate

50:48 Cookie Run Franchise Bet

56:50 Soft Launch Shooter Doubts

01:00:22 Field Day Hands On Review

01:06:06 Kress's Mobile Reality Rant

01:10:16 Episode Wrap Up

The games industry is hitting another inflection point, and the "old rules" of growth are being rewritten. This week, we’re unpacking:

● Google’s "Level Up" Program: Is it actually a win for devs, or just more platform gatekeeping? We look at Sidekick and the new UA economics.

● The Epic Pivot: Layoffs, the UEFN "platform" gamble, and what the future of Fortnite actually looks like.

● Roblox’s New Play: Their latest brand integration strategy is a massive shift for creator monetization.

● The Newzoo Reality Check: PC is back, player behavior is shifting, and "mid-priced premium" is the new sweet spot.

Plus ++  We dive deep into UA multiplier theory, why CPIs are lying to you, and where real growth is actually hiding in 2026.

CHAPTERS:

00:26 Show Intro and Agenda

01:36 Quick Shills and Updates

04:05 Google Level Up Explained

07:27 Messaging Mess and Sidekick AI

09:06 UA Multiplier and CPI Debate

11:55 Sidekick Skepticism Extortion

14:39 Epic Layoffs Breakdown

19:05 Why Epic Lost Focus

26:14 Star Wars UEFN Toolkit

33:36 Newzoo Report Key Trends

37:31 Report Critique And TAM Reality

42:29 Premium Mid Price Debate

47:39 Roblox Brand Deal Revenue Cut

51:14 Creator Backlash And Platform Control

56:25 Why The Brand Tax Might Help

01:01:04 Final Debate And Wrap Up

The mobile ecosystem is experiencing some massive shifts this month. We dive into the real implications of Unity Vector's new D28 campaign, break down what Google’s recent fee cut actually means for your studio's growth trajectory, and unpack the wild news of AppLovin stepping out of the ad-network shadows to build its very own social network. Topics Covered:● Unity Vector's D28 campaign and its implications● Google's fee cut impact on growth● AppLovin's plans to build a social network

Michail Katkoff | Josh Chandley | John Wright

It's been 2030 days since Google pulled Fortnite, and the Epic vs. Google settlement is finally here. We sit down with AppCharge CMO Gil Tovly to read the fine print of Google’s new 15% fee, unpack the mandatory AI sidekicks in the "Level Up" program, and figure out if this is actually a win for developers going direct-to-consumer.

Questions we answer in this episode:

● What is the real cost of Google's new 15% fee structure?

● What exactly is the "Level Up" program and why are top studios hesitating to join?

● Do developers really have to integrate an AI sidekick into their games?

● What does the settlement mean for existing users versus new users?

● Does this change the math on building direct-to-consumer web shops?

● When (if ever) will Apple follow Google’s lead and lower their App Store fees?

● Is the Epic settlement a monumental win for the industry or just an anti-climactic sellout?

Michail Katkoff | Gil Tovly

The Deconstructor of Fun crew is back from San Francisco, recovering from a whirlwind GDC week to break down the massive shifts hitting the industry. No prep, no scripts. Just the real conversation on whether the "lowest attendance since 2011" is a sign of a dying conference or just a more efficient executive retreat.Questions we answer in this episode:● What is the "one word" to describe the GDC 2026 vibe?● Is the 30% drop in attendance a death knell or a much-needed "senior-only" filter?● Did Tim Sweeney actually win his fight against Google, or is a 5% discount just "mice nuts"?● How will the new Google Play fee structure actually work?● Did anyone actually see a compelling AI-native game on the show floor this week?● Why is it so expensive to run real-time LLMs in a live game?● Why is a hardcore Korean MMO giant like NCSoft splurging $200M on a German rewarded-play platform?● What is the LinkedIn engagement "hack" that everyone needs to stop doing immediately?Jen Donahoe | Phil Black | Eric Kress | Mishka Katkoff

The full Deconstructor of Fun crew, all six of us, recorded live and on-site in San Francisco at the end of GDC week. No prep, no scripts. Just the real conversations from a week of side events, back channels, and late nights.

Questions we answer in this episode:

• What's the one word that captures the mood of GDC 2025?
• Is GDC still relevant?
• What's the wildest rumor that we heard?
• Why is everyone at GDC publicly obsessed with AI?
• Did anyone actually see a compelling AI-native game this week?
• Where is investment money actually flowing in games right now?
• What's the one thing the industry needs to hear right now that nobody is saying out loud?

Mishka Katkoff | Jen Donahoe | Eric Kress | Adam Telfer | Laura Toranto | Phil Black

Extraction shooters are finally confronting their identity crisis. Is Marathon the answer, or just another branch of the same lineage?Phil, Sides, and Anjos break down a pivotal moment for shooters: Highguard’s collapse, Marathon’s high-stakes launch, and Overwatch’s unexpected resurgence. The debate rage on: are we watching the evolution of battle royale into something more persistent, or just another iteration of Tarkov’s legacy?

We discuss:

● Highguard’s shutdown and the limits of modern marketing

○ Hate-playing, sentiment collapse, and losing control of narrative post-launch

● Marathon’s design thesis

○ Persistent battle royale vs traditional extraction shooter lineage

○ Lower friction loops, faster re-entry, and softened risk systems

● The genre split

○ Arc Raiders as first-principles PvE extraction

○ Marathon as PvP-first with extraction layered on top

● The missing innovation question

○ What is Marathon’s true “Bungie leap” beyond sandbox combat + loot?

● Overwatch’s resurgence

○ Systems-driven live ops vs content arms race with Marvel Rivals

● The future of shooter ecosystems

○ Extraction, hero shooters, and the erosion of “black hole” games

We talk about how Pixel Flow scaled so quickly, why its core design works for monetization, and how games like Hexa Sort and Magic Sort helped push the sort puzzle genre forward.

The discussion also covers UA, the wave of Pixel Flow-style clones appearing in the market, and whether hybrid-casual puzzle design is starting to influence traditional puzzle studios. We also touch on what kinds of mechanics might lead to the next big puzzle hit.

We discuss Turkey’s new government subsidies for game developers and why the country may become one of the most attractive places to build a studio, the uncertain future of WB Games following major media consolidation, and Discord delaying its global age-verification rollout after backlash and regulatory pressure. We also discuss the Misfits seed round from an ex-Supercell/King team, a correction around Tilting Point’s recent deal, Playtika surpassing $1B in direct-to-consumer revenue, and Ubisoft reshuffling leadership on Assassin’s Creed, along with broader conversation around monetization, web shops, and the state of the games industry heading into GDC.

CHAPTERS

01:53 LA Dinner and Downtown Vibes

02:44 Mishka London Detour

04:10 GDC Shilling and Events

07:59 Tilting Point Deal Debate

11:34 Appcharge Web Store Ad

12:27 Misfits Seed Round Breakdown

20:45 Turkey Subsidies Update

23:17 Paramount Buys WB Fallout

28:16 Assassins Creed Leadership Shuffle

30:58 Discord Age Verification Backlash

34:33 Roblox Lawsuits And Regulation

36:25 Playtika DTC Numbers Breakdown

38:51 Supercell Web Shop Playbook

43:48 Marathon Server Slam Impressions

45:07 Sales Forecasts And Sony Stakes

50:58 Retention Wipes And Monetization

55:23 Skate Layoffs And F2P Trap

01:00:39 Gundam Collab And Sony PC Pivot

01:03:57 Wrap Up And GDC Plans

Guy Meiboom, Meta’s US EMEA Gaming Director, breaks down what actually happened to gaming performance after ATT and why Meta had to rebuild its gaming org from the ground up. From creative velocity and algorithmic reach to geo lift testing and UA funding, this episode focuses on execution. Not theory. Not slides. The uncomfortable middle between marketing, product, and capital allocation.

If you’re scaling a mobile game in 2026, this conversation is about the mechanics that matter and the habits you may need to unlearn.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Post ATT Reality Check

01:08 Why Gaming Needed Its Own Org

06:10 What Works Now In UA

09:34 AI Moats And Creative Diversity

14:34 Guardrails Versus Clickbait Ads

18:20 Attribution Mistakes Get Expensive

24:53 Long Term ROAS And Source Of Truth

27:08 Lift Testing Playbook

29:06 Future UA Roles Map

31:17 Macro Outlook for Gaming

35:04 Mobile Downloads and Scaling

39:05 UA Funding and Capital

41:12 Learning from China

43:49 Unlearning Marketing Habits

46:30 Apps vs Games Lessons

48:01 Challenge the Status Quo

Xbox is at a strategic inflection point. The question now is why, how, and what comes next. We break down the massive Xbox leadership shakeup, what it reveals about Microsoft’s real strategy, sharp critiques of the new CEO, and exactly what the brand must do to survive. Fresh off a hockey loss and curling cheating allegations, Adam returns to the podcast with a lot to answer for.

We unpack PlayStation’s shutdown of Bluepoint Games and the broader consequences of its live service overreach. Sweden is apparently now going to run Asian MMOs, Tencent shuts down Teamy, Nexon promotes Sutherland, Gossip Harbor dethrones King, and no one can solve why this studio didn’t sell out.

We tackle the Overwatch Rush debate, dive deep into Matthew Ball’s State of the Gaming, and close with one of the most unexpectedly uplifting self-care talks the game industry has heard plus a fiery argument over what the metaverse actually means.

Be sure to listen closely for our upcoming GDC plans and live show announcements!

CHAPTERS:00:00 Welcome and Agenda

01:43 Adam Returns and Olympics Banter

03:17 Puppy Update and AI Obsession

04:57 GDC Plans and Live Show

08:13 Corrections

10:19 Xbox Leadership Shakeup

12:45 Crest Rips the New CEO

21:48 What Xbox Should Do Next

27:44 Phil on Microsoft Motives

31:48 Jen on Leadership Brand Competition

38:38 PlayStation Shuts Bluepoint

42:41 Live Service Overreach

43:04 Tencent Shuts Teamy

45:59 Nexon Promotes Sutherland

50:03 Gossip Harbor Beats King

52:04 Overwatch Rush Debate

01:01:07 Matthew Ball Report

01:14:35 Metaverse Definition Fight

01:18:35 Wrap Up And Farewell

Dead as Disco went from 50,000 Steam wishlists to over 400,000 in less than a month, with over a million unique demo players and a 98% Overwhelmingly Positive rating. They are currently at 750k+ Wishlists today. Host Jen Donahoe sits down with Eden Chen, founder of Pragma and the FirstLook player relationship platform, and Adam Gershowitz, COO of Brain Jar Games, to break down exactly how they did it.Adam walks through Brain Jar's journey from a 300-person closed playtest to pulling the NDA and watching TikTok explode their community overnight, racking up over 200 million views on the Dead as Disco hashtag. Eden explains how First Look helps studios build a "golden cohort" of core fans, use in-game surveys and sentiment analysis to track player feedback at scale, and create organic referral loops that drive 10-25% community growth.The conversation also covers Discord bots as a community engagement and advertising channel, why TikTok beat Twitch for a music-based game, and how Eden is building paid inventory for core gamers in 2026 through creators, Discord servers, and player utility sites.Packed with specific tactics and real data for anyone rethinking their publishing platform and capabilities.Firstlook.gg and Dead as Disco https://store.steampowered.com/app/3404260/Dead_as_Disco/Adam Gershowitz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/agershowitz/Eden Chen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edechen/Jen Donahoe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdonahoe/

Meta’s apparent comeback runs headfirst into shifting UA economics, rising creative costs, and new pressure from platforms like Reddit, forcing marketers to rethink what “working” actually means. We unpack whether Meta is truly back or just delivering short-term dopamine, why in-app ads could reshape ad-monetized LTV, and how CPMs, payback windows, and creative volume are redefining the hyper-casual and hybrid playbooks. Cihan and Josh join to break down the latest Appsflyer data, Reddit’s Max campaigns, China’s UA surge, and Liftoff’s IPO and to debate whether AI is leveling the field or quietly squeezing the middle out of mobile marketing.Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to Deconstructor of Funds + UA Monthly kickoff00:17 Meet the guests: Jihan (Scaling.Games) & Josh (Wildcard Games)01:06 Today’s agenda: Meta’s return, Appsflyer report, Reddit AI ads, Liftoff IPO01:29 Is “Meta back” real? The 2.5 Gamers breakdown & the dopamine-hit spike02:52 What Meta’s actually doing: rollout strategy, templates, and market impact06:05 In-app ads explained: why Meta buying inventory could boost ad-monetized LTV07:48 Ad quality debate: intrusive formats, churn-per-impression, and broken incentives12:58 Can hyper-casual come back? CPMs, payback windows, and hybrid monetization18:38 State of Game Marketing report: shrinking US spend, growth in Turkey/India20:16 The creative arms race: AI variations, the ‘middle class’ squeeze, and rising noise23:25 AI Shrinks the Creative Gap: Small Teams Catch Up, Mid-Tier Stalls24:41 China’s UA Surge + iOS Outspending Android: Where the Scale Is Coming From25:38 30 Creatives a Day: The New ‘Tax’ of Competing in Mobile UA26:07 Ripoffs, Ethics, and Beating the Filters: The Dark Side of Creative Volume28:00 Hero Creatives Aren’t Dead—But Copy Speed Forces Smarter Variations30:16 Copying vs. Trends: When ‘Stealing’ Is Real (and When It’s Just the Market)31:40 Is the Market Really an Iceberg? US Spend Down, Web Shops, and the ‘Hidden’ Picture34:27 Reddit ‘Max’ Campaigns: Advantage+ for Reddit with a Promise of Transparency37:19 Top Audience Personas: Useful Insight or Just a Fancy Dashboard?39:34 How to Test Reddit Max: Onboarding Friction, Learning Periods, and Scalability Unknowns40:58 Liftoff Files to Go Public: Valuation, Margins, Debt, and the AI Black-Box Race45:44 What’s Liftoff’s Moat? Engine vs. Fuel, Data Advantages, and the AppLovin Comparison48:35 Wrap-Up: UA Monthly Feedback, What to Cover Next

We recap the Clash Royale creator controversy and CEO apology, dig into what’s broken with evolutions, heroes, and pay-to-win, and debate whether streamers can actually drive a comeback. We also cover Savvy’s rumored MoonTon deal, Blizzard’s updates across Overwatch, Diablo, and WoW, the slowdown in mobile games, the frozen state of M&A, and a reality check on AI in games - from hype to hard limits.

00:25 Welcome & Episode Lineup (No More Car Talk)

01:52 Rumor Mill + Why We’re Skipping Matthew Ball (For Now)

03:10 GDC Plans, Events, and Content Plug Roundup

06:00 Ad Break: Sensor Tower Pitch

06:20 Clash Royale Creator Controversy Recap + CEO Apology

09:44 What’s Actually Broken in Clash Royale: Evolutions, Heroes & Pay-to-Win

11:45 Do Streamers Drive the Revival? Twitch Data, Correlation vs Causation

13:02 PR Playbook Debate: Groveling vs Proactive Creator Celebration

21:53 Savvy’s Buying Spree: $6–7B MoonTon Rumor (Mobile Legends)

27:15 Overwatch Drops the “2”: DAU Surge, Live Ops, and Monetization Revamp

32:43 Blizzard’s comeback tour: Diablo drops, WoW housing & Overwatch’s 10-year arc

35:49 Mobile check-in: Habi’s 2026 slump and the post-Survivor.io reality

38:16 The real engine behind Habi: Gorilla Games and the “publisher outgrown” problem

40:36 M&A hypotheticals: Scopely, Savvy, and why deals feel frozen right now

42:36 AI in games debate: calling out the hype and what actually changes the medium

44:50 Why AI won’t make games cheaper: IP moats, attention scarcity, and AI-native platforms

49:17 East vs West AI reality check: layoffs, pipeline bottlenecks, and player backlash risk

57:03 Embark as an AI efficiency poster child? The smoke, mirrors, and AAA cost skepticism

01:01:43 Closing thoughts: mobile growth is over, share-of-time wars, and next week’s plug

User-generated content (UGC) isn’t “make anything.” It’s “make something that someone cares about.” In this Deconstructor of Fun conversation, Julia Polatovska, founder of Dorian, a creator platform for mostly women + Gen Z, goes past the pitch and into the operator questions. Who creates, who wins, what monetizes, and what breaks at scale when you're building a UGC platform.

Connect with Julia: www.linkedin.com/in/palatovska/

Supercell’s annual CEO blog post reads equal parts culture memo and a recruiting pitch. We break down what is behind the PR spin before zooming into Clash Royale’s Lil Wayne halftime show as a case study in where “brand” ends and product-led fandom begins.

From there, we triangulate the broader market: Newzoo’s year-end PC/console recap as a reminder that attention is consolidating, not expanding; Roblox’s growth story as it starts acknowledging gravity; and an update on Budge and PE as capital keeps rewriting the rules of what “good” looks like. We close by wishing the best to the team impacted by Riot’s 2XKO layoffs.

00:31 Podcast Overview and Today's Topics

00:58 Market News: Roblox Earnings and More

02:14 AI and Gaming Industry Insights

03:25 Unity's Financial Struggles

04:43 Community Engagement and Volunteering

20:44 Game Industry Updates: Budge Studios Acquisition

24:23 Roblox Q4 Earnings Analysis32:19 The Challenge of Monetizing Young Audiences

32:33 Roblox's Strategy to Age Up

33:02 Advertising Challenges for Under-18 Demographics

33:26 Negative Margin Users on Roblox

35:19 Upcoming Episode Teaser: Roblox's Algorithm Changes

38:23 Supercell CEO's Annual Blog Post

39:05 Clash Royale's Rebound and Marketing Strategies

44:14 Squad Busters: A Postmortem

44:54 Supercell's Future and Industry Insights

49:01 The Role of PR in CEO Letters

52:18 Supercell's Innovation vs. LiveOps Debate

01:02:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The evolution of art direction, the integration of AI in creative processes, and the balance between creativity and business acumen. That's on the menu as SciPlay's Sr. Art Director, Peter Franco, joins Michail Katkoff on the podcast.

Read more about Peter's work on modernizing a top-grossing game: https://tinyurl.com/mn2bdweb

Timestamps:

2:12 - Peter's journey into Social Casino

4:42 - Evolution of art direction roles

7:13 - Balancing creativity and business

9:23 - User feedback in design

12:07 - Importance of seamless UX

15:44 - Player behavior insights

20:28 - Benefits of using IPs

25:16 - AI in art pipelines

30:18 - Future skills for art directors

35:33 - Maintaining stylistic consistency

40:49 - Future of art direction

45:07 - Personal influences and career advice

53:25 - Advice for aspiring art directors

59:25 - AI and creativity

Mobile publishing isn’t dead, it’s mutating!

In this TWIG episode, we break down how Ares Interactive is trying to resurrect Glu with a $70M Series A and what that says about the current “publisher vs. studio” power balance.

We also tackle Google’s new immersive world model, Genie 3, and the industry’s first defensive reflex: how do you keep the genie in the bottle when the bottle is an API?

Phil drags us into Highguard Marketing, making us unpack the pitch, the incentives, and why “pseudo-defending” it still feels like a red flag.

Finally, we hit Arknights: Endfield launching off the back of a reported 35M pre-registrations, and what that number does (and doesn’t) predict once the game meets CPI, retention, and live ops gravity.

The question nobody in the West wants to answer honestly: the biggest shooters in the world are not the ones you argue about on Twitter.This episode rips into Highguard’s shadow drop, the “beta that isn’t labeled beta” problem, and the stubborn reality that the shooter market has converged into two and only two genres: Battle Royale and tactical.We talk Highguard and Spectre Divide as case studies for why “ex-Apex devs” is marketing copy, not a strategy, and why in 2026 a shooter doesn’t get a long runway to “fix it live.”Guest: Christopher Anjos, with Chris Sides and Feras Musmar.We discuss:- High Guard as a MOBA-raid shooter hybrid and why its best moments arrive only after five minutes of downtime.- Defense phase, resource phase, then the game finally becomes itself: mounts, CTF energy, base raiding.- Shadow drops vs. tech tests: why the Apex Legends playbook doesn’t port cleanly into 2026.- “Early access” is just launch, and Steam labels don’t save you from retention.- The 3v3 trap: high risk formats where one leaver or one death warps the whole match.- Why 3-person squads feel like a couple plus a third wheel, and when 3v3v3 or 5v5 might actually work.- The “two genres” thesis: Battle Royale and tactical shooters as the market’s default equilibrium.- The creator-credit illusion: “ex-Red Dead lead designer” as a brand signal that often means nothing.- Players want auteur vibes; production reality is thousands of hands and fuzzy accountability.https://graygoatgaming.com/

Sensor Tower Report 2026 breakdown with Jonathan Briskman. We unpack the biggest mobile app trends 2026 and mobile gaming trends 2026.

We discuss monetization shifts (IAP vs ads), market localization strategies that actually move the needle, and the rise of AI-powered apps changing consumer behavior and competition.

State of Mobile 2026: https://bit.ly/4bvjI2b

Chapters:

02:13 - Downloads plateau, in-app purchase revenue up

07:15 - Apps overtaking traditional gaming in revenue growth

12:05 - US market trends: AI, short drama, social media

15:14 - The rise of generative AI platforms

16:03 - In-app revenue growth comparison: apps vs. games

20:09 - Non-game monetization lessons from successful apps

26:49 - Top performers in downloads and IAP

32:50 - The attention economy

46:05 - The explosion of generative AI content in social media

60:13 - Trends in hybrid casual, hyper-casual, and ad spend efficiency

65:18 - Market barriers and the advantage of existing data for new entrants

73:35 - Investment opportunities

82:29 - Future outlook: differentiation through tailored, niche AI solutions

Ubisoft layoffs point to deeper problems in AAA, a16z fund performance shows VC money tightening up, and TikTok’s future as a growth channel for games looks far less certain — from ownership issues to slowing ads and algorithm risk. We talk about what this means for user acquisition, why AI video apps are starting to matter, concerns around GDC attendance and safety, The New York Times stepping into mobile games, and why monetizing word games remains so hard. We also cover the launch of High Guard and wrap up with what to watch next as the industry enters its next reset.

00:00 Welcome01:49 Meeting Mihir Va from EA05:50 PGC Recap and Rumors17:23 Ubisoft Layoffs and Critique21:28 A16Z Fund Performance Analysis30:44 TikTok's New American Entity31:18 TikTok's Impact on the Gaming Industry31:51 Ownership and Future of TikTok in the US33:37 Concerns Over Content Moderation and Algorithm34:36 TikTok's Stagnation and Advertising Decline35:36 Emerging Threats: AI Video Apps38:31 GDC Attendance and Safety Concerns43:46 New York Times Enters the Mobile Gaming Market49:36 Challenges in Monetizing Word Games52:13 Launch and Reception of High Guard57:33 Conclusion and Upcoming Topics

Zynga's EVP of Studio, Yaron Leyvan, shares his 13-year Zynga journey, from the early days to Zynga to today, where the company operates under Take-Two, and the acquisition strategy behind successful post-acquisition integration in mobile gaming.

Yaron breaks down how Zynga builds forever franchises: sustainable games powered by live ops, repeatable game development, and disciplined iteration, where innovation is real, and data-driven decisions don’t kill creativity.

We also get into studio culture after an acquisition: protecting speed, talent density, and decision-making while aligning with parent-company expectations.

Chapters:

00:20 Yaron's Journey

10:00 Creating Forever Franchises

19:40 Post Acquisition Studio Management

30:45 Day in the Life of a Head of Studios

47:38 Hubris and Humility

59:18 The Role of AI and Future Outlook

Did someone say Liftoff? Ok, well, Jen and Eric don’t think so. Heartopia is here, with a dramatic cross-platform launch in 2026, but what does it need to do to monetize? Does Design Home hold the key? Bobby Kotick gets sued by Sweden, with Phil and Eric cosplaying Phoenix Wright and Manfred von Karma. But who is who? Jen explains what the top Roblox charts mean, Phil reflects on the near-silent success of PUB:G, if Krafton should return shareholder money. And a special UA financing guest spot.00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview00:25 Drama with Bobby Kotick and Swedish Pension Fund00:36 Ad Tech Company Liftoff Files for IPO00:59 New Games and Industry Updates01:42 Mini UA Reunion in LA03:21 Corrections and Clarifications04:03 Epic Games and Prize Wheels Controversy08:08 Bobby Kotick's Legal Battles and Activision Sale18:07 Liftoff IPO and Ad Tech Industry Insights25:12 Resident Evil Showcase and Capcom's Future26:21 Roblox Corner: Latest Trends and Stats30:07 Crafton's Strategy and Investments31:30 PUBG's Evolution and Future32:33 Crafton's Mobile Focus and AI Direction38:17 The Role of Reddit in Game Development43:19 Heartopia: The New Cozy Game47:54 Challenges in Monetizing Cozy Games57:24 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

This week in games, we go all-in on the hottest industry shake-ups: Fortnite turns the monetization dial up, Meta slashes Reality Labs in a major XR reality check, and Pixel Flow emerges as a potential puzzle hit — if it can crack the retention challenge. We break down why strong core mechanics aren’t enough, spotlight the rapid rise of Turkish game studios, pull the most important takeaways from the latest AppsFlyer report, track where gaming investment is really flowing across mobile and PC, and wrap with a heated debate on how AI is already reshaping game development — who wins, who loses, and what it means for the future of games.00:00 Welcome01:15 Episode Intro & Shills05:54 Fortnite's New In-Game Transactions14:03 Meta's Reality Labs Layoffs25:54 Pixel Flow: A New Puzzle Game32:57 Balancing Magic Sort Gameplay33:35 Early Success and Retention Concerns34:06 Turkish Game Development Excellence39:30 Marketing Insights from Apps Flyer Report43:30 Investment Trends in Gaming48:35 AI's Impact on Game Development54:05 Debate on AI in Game Development01:02:10 Concluding Thoughts on AI and Gaming

The sharpest operators in predictive modeling, signal engineering, and post-ATT user acquisition unpack what actually breaks when campaigns scale. This is a dive deep into ROAS curves, attribution loss, modeling vs reality, SKAN-era signal decay, and why UA performance often collapses right when it looks like you’ve cracked growth. A must-read or listen for founders, growth leaders, and UA teams.

links:

www.kohort.io/

Chapters:

02:45 Understanding the ROAS Iceberg: Paid vs. Organic

05:55 Incrementality Testing and Blended ROAS

09:48 Gross vs. Net ROAS: The Misalignment Dilemma

12:49 CPI and LTV Elasticity: Teaching Teams to Adapt

16:42 The New UA Meta: Signals and User Behavior

19:29Collaboration Between UA and Product Teams

22:31 Evolving Strategies in LiveOps and Personalization

26:05 The Evolution of Live Operations in Gaming

31:05 the Single Source of Truth

35:40Key Metrics for User Acquisition Success

42:00Pacing Rules for Effective User Acquisition

45:53The Future of Predictive ROAS and Automation

From brilliant plays to questionable moves, embarrassing predictions to market reality checks, we’re handing out the most honest (and occasionally brutal) awards of the year in games — including a very special Limping Donkey Award for moments that… didn’t quite stick the landing.We cover the biggest wins, the hardest falls, and the trends shaping what comes next, with a deep dive into Roblox advertising and what it means for the market.00:00 Welcome00:42 Golden Twig Awards Overview01:10 TV Show Banter02:59 Event Announcements and Clarifications05:42 Golden Twig Awards: Talk of the Year08:32 Embarrassing Predictions10:11 Most Damage Taken in the Year15:18 Most Disappointing Game of the Year20:54 Most Questionable Move of the Year24:57 Most Brilliant Move of the Year27:56 The Limping Donkey Award33:09 Crushed It: Top Performers of the Year36:31 Listener Feedback and Future Plans43:51 Roblox Advertising and Market Analysis51:05 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

The crew discusses their off-air relationships, personal reflections, and New Year's resolutions.

00:00 New Year's Resolutions and Sarcasm
00:27 Introduction and Episode Overview
00:49 Listener Questions and Emotional Moments
01:46 Promoting CREs and Gen Alpha Insights
02:33 Supercell and Industry Dynamics
05:01 Predictions and Industry Trends
13:14 Off-Air Relationships and Dynamics
21:41 Running Bits and Personal Promises
26:50 Dream Interviews and Burning Questions
28:53 Showcasing Virtual Economics
29:34 Will Wright and the AI Founders
30:17 Super Executives and Industry Leaders
33:55 Personal Reflections and Challenges
43:24 Biggest Wins of the Year
48:41 Impactful Moments and Lessons Learned
58:52 Hopes and Dreams for the Future

Hiring is one of the most underestimated competitive advantages in startups, and one of the fastest ways to break a company.

In this episode, Michail Katkoff (Deconstructor of Fun), Joe Burridge (Head of Talent at Play Ventures), and Miki Blasko (Head of Talent at Deconstructor of Fun) break down what founders consistently get wrong about hiring, and how those mistakes quietly turn into culture, execution problems, and talent drain.

links: www.deconstructoroffun.com/talent

www.linkedin.com/in/joeburridge

www.linkedin.com/in/mikiblasko

We unpack:

• Why hiring is a founder-level strategic decision
• The myth that great talent “shows up” once funding is announced
• Culture vs. competence
• Why compensation alone doesn’t attract A-players
• The red flags of “corporate refugees” vs. true startup operators
• How weak hiring processes drive top performers away
• What successful founders do differently for the 10–20 hires

Chapterrs

01:00 The Challenges of Hiring in Startups

06:33 Understanding Compensation and Talent Attraction

16:10 Culture vs. Competence in Hiring

17:31 Identifying the Right Fit for Startups

23:13 The Role of Founders in Shaping Culture

30:43 Navigating the Unhinged Nature of Founders

40:06 Reality Distortion and Leadership

45:41 Challenges in Retaining Talent

51:13 Building an Employer Brand

53:25 Hiring Patterns for Success

61:24 Painful Hiring Mistakes

Rocky (12) and Mickey (10) are back with Eric Kress and Jen Donahoe for the annual TWIG Jr segment, bringing unfiltered Gen Alpha opinions on everything from Roblox to the Switch 2. The kids don't hold back: hypercasual games are "mindless slop," Steal a Brain Rot is "ruining America," and Fortnite is running out of collabs. They break down what's actually hot at school (Clash Royale in the carpool line), why Grow a Garden faded, and make predictions for 2026.The conversation takes a sharp turn when Eric asks if they've heard of PrizePicks. Turns out, after watching four football games in a day, these kids can rattle off gambling brands like pros. They don't know what the apps actually do, but they've definitely seen the ads. A revealing look at what sports media saturation looks like through younger eyes.00:00 Welcome to Twig Junior Awards01:30 Meet the Junior Hosts: Rocky and Mickey02:57 Opinions on Gaming Industry04:24 Twig Junior Awards: Disappointing Games07:07 Twig Junior Awards: Talk of the Year12:00 Roblox and Social Gaming16:24 Console Gaming and Preferences17:00 Fortnite and Minecraft Discussions18:23 Minecraft Education vs. Switch18:43 Gaming Predictions for the Future19:04 Fortnite and Platform Preferences20:08 Clash Royale Craze21:32 Discovering New Games22:27 Indie Games and PC Gaming23:38 Social Media and Gaming24:44 Predictions for 202626:46 Sibling Dynamics and Gaming28:39 Sports and Betting Ads30:14 Conclusion and Holiday Wishes

Is Die Hard a Christmas Shooter Movie? Only this podcast would know!We discuss:- Call of Duty’s rare public admission of failure and what the end of back-to-back sub-franchise releases actually signals.- Marathon’s delay, $40 price point, and why fiscal calendars still distort launch strategy.- Why Valorant Mobile exploded in China, and why Western mobile shooters keep failing to break through.- EA hiring a VP of Shooters for mobile, and whether Battlefield or Apex can realistically return to phones.- Highguard’s confused reveal, the danger of losing narrative control, and why innovation still matters.- Marvel Rivals as a ceiling, not a failure, and what the hero-shooter arms race gets wrong about retention.

Steam PC flops, Xbox layoffs return, Sony’s handheld dominates, investors flee games for apps, Roblox sees a $100M exit, China beats Turkey, PC indie rises, mobile teams pivot to apps.

01:01 Tribute to Vince Zampella
08:03 Biggest Game of the Year Predictions
08:09 GTA 6 and Its Impact
11:42 Other Major Game Predictions
14:13 Industry Macro Trends
18:50 VC Investments and Gaming
26:11 FIFA and Netflix Collaboration
32:51 China's Dominance in Mobile Gaming
38:52 Epic Games and the Future of Gaming
43:08 Predictions for the Gaming Industry
53:25 The AI Bubble and Its Implications
56:50 Final Thoughts and Holiday Wishes

Brace yourself. Golden TWIG voting is open!

https://forms.gle/b4HFZkaeczN41BsBA

This isn’t a participation-trophy awards show. Nor some thinly veiled promotion of paid sponsors. Golden TWIG is the industry mirror we all pretend not to look into.

Vote now and help us separate the gold from the garbage.

00:00 Welcome 00:24 Golden Twig Award Nominations00:58 Mishka of Arabia02:43 Upcoming Events and Shills03:48 Podcast Highlights and Industry Insights20:31 Correction of the Year24:53 Most Damage Received31:06 Most Disappointing Game of 202533:07 Disappointing Game Releases34:41 Split Gate 2: A Major Letdown36:21 Underrated Games of the Year39:46 Ubisoft's Surprising Hits44:10 Skeptical Moves in the Gaming Industry49:29 Brilliant Moves in Gaming01:01:04 Limping Donkeys: Gaming's Biggest Failures01:06:01 Golden Twig Nominations Wrap-Up

What actually happens after the hit games, the acquisitions, and the “success”?

In this episode, Simon Hade, co-founder of Space Ape Games, walks through the uncomfortable middle of game company building: from Playfish → Space Ape → Supercell → NextBeat → Duolingo.

This isn’t a victory lap. It’s a post-mortem on genre mastery vs. exploration, lean LiveOps, why copying the Supercell playbook breaks most studios, and why Simon ultimately left games to help build Duolingo’s music and learning products.

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene

00:43 The Birth of Space Ape

03:26 Fundraising Challenges and Successes

07:48 Innovations and Strategic Moves

13:27 Lean LiveOps Philosophy

16:51 Supercell Acquisition and Cultural Shifts

18:50 Reflections and Lessons Learned

38:59 Spinning Outta Supercell

40:26 Exploring Duolingo Partnership

44:37 Relentless Optimization at Duolingo

49:13 Transitioning to Duolingo

55:42 The Price of Being a Founder

01:03:05 Reflections on Success and Future