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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 Robl...
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 tu...
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 su...
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, Gear...
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 owne...
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 industr...
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 fem...
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 fas...
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...
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...
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 no...
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...
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 o...
Jen, Adam, Phil, and LT break down the latest in mobile games, from Grand Games' $70M raise fueling Turkey's puzzle game ecosystem to Playtika's pivot towards casual hits like Disney Solitaire and the implications of D2C monetization. They also analyze Royal Kingdom's performance, the high costs of open-world "worldification," and recent restructurings at Sega and Rovio, offering insights into industry trends and design challenges.
Henric Suuronen and Harri Manninen of Play Ventures detail their fund's strategic shift from mobile games to consumer applications, emphasizing how their gaming expertise uniquely positions them. They reveal their rigorous founder evaluation process, which includes assessing team chemistry and enforcing a crucial two-year vesting cliff to ensure commitment. The discussion also explores the nuanced role of VCs in providing constructive feedback, mediating co-founder conflicts, and fostering a candid, non-hierarchical culture to build a sustainable and impactful venture firm.
This week's episode delves into major industry shifts, including Supercell's acquisition of Merge Mansion maker Metacore amidst massive layoffs, and Xbox's decision to replace veteran leaders with growth-focused execs, suggesting a pivot towards live service content. The hosts also dissect the dramatic decline in gaming venture capital, exploring factors like IDFA, the consolidation of acquirers, and changing market multiples, offering insights into what founders should consider next. Discussions also cover Roblox's controversial age verification overhaul and Ustwo's pivot to reduce development costs.
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 departu...
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 ...
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 ...
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 v...
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 perf...
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 relation...
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...
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 ...
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 th...
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-...
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 ...
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 o...
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 Ne...
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 K...
