After a volatile few months across games, tech, and public markets, it’s time for a grounded check-in on where the industry actually stands. Host Devin Becker is joined by Aaron Bush (Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Naavik) to unpack the latest signals – from AAA publisher performance and what recent EA earnings suggest for big franchises like Battlefield, to Ubisoft’s ongoing restructuring, studio closures, and the push to reframe its future through initiatives like Vantage Studios. Next, th...
Feb 10, 2026•1 hr 10 min
This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on February 8th, 2026. We look into Project Genie — Google’s experimental AI that generates short, navigable 3D scenes — and explore the possible implications of world models for game engines and developers. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/ square-enix-refutes-and-reframes Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co . Watch our ep...
Feb 08, 2026•11 min
In this episode, host Kalie Moore talks with David Lee, Co-founder & CEO of Nex, to unpack one of the rarest success stories in modern gaming: launching a new consumer console and winning. In a category dominated for decades by the same three players, Nex broke through by rethinking who gaming hardware is for. Often compared to Wii or Kinect, Nex’s real innovation isn’t motion-based play alone, but a family-first platform built around physical activity, kid safety, and parental trust. In a d...
Feb 03, 2026•53 min
This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on February 1st, 2026. We dive deep into the “fair” gacha Asian action RPGs to explore the performance of their unique monetization strategy and to see if prioritizing player fairness can lead to significant gains. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/ evaluating-the-fair-gacha-games-experiment Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik....
Feb 01, 2026•12 min
This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on January 25th, 2026. We examine Square Enix’s recent performance, explore what’s changed since the last time we checked in on the company, and take a look at its future. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/ square-enix-refutes-and-reframes Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co . Watch our episodes: YouTube Channel For more epi...
Jan 25, 2026•16 min
The PC games “gray market” isn’t just a couple of shady websites. It’s an economic behavior that exploits regional pricing and promotion timing to siphon revenue away from publishers. In this episode, Our host, Alexandra Takei , Director at Ruckus Games , sits down with Vadim Andreev , CEO of Rokky (and former founder of PlayKey), to unpack how retail-era code resale evolved into today’s global key-arbitrage machine. Vadim breaks down two core leak points: regional price arbitrage (buying keys i...
Jan 20, 2026•54 min
This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on January 18th, 2026. We look back at the mobile Match-3 and Merge genres in 2025, exploring what succeeded, what top performers do differently, and what might be important in the future. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/ what-leading-match-3-and-merge-games-do-differently Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co . Watch our ep...
Jan 18, 2026•16 min
The direct-to-consumer (D2C) model is expanding beyond traditional webshops and into the world of user-generated content (UGC), especially on PC and console. In this episode, host Devin Becker is joined by Liam Wiltshire , General Manager at Tebex , to explore how the evolution of private servers, mods, and community-run experiences is shaping new monetization strategies. Liam shares the origin story of Tebex and its integration within the broader Overwolf ecosystem, highlighting how D2C strateg...
Jan 14, 2026•1 hr 5 min
In this episode, host Kalie Moore talks with Dmitri Johnson and Mike Goldberg, co-founders of Story Kitchen, the production company behind major game-to-screen adaptations spanning Sonic the Hedgehog, Tomb Raider, Streets of Rage, and more. We explore how transmedia is evolving in a UGC-first world, where players don’t just consume IP, they shape it, and why Roblox worlds are starting to look less like “games” and more like living franchises. The conversation dives into what actually makes a gam...
Jan 06, 2026•53 min
Generative AI has made major leaps since we last explored its use in game QA, and this episode dives into how that progress is reshaping the field. Host Devin Becker is joined again by Christoffer Holmgård and Julian Togelius , co-founders of modl.ai, to unpack how recent advances in computer vision and agent behavior are enabling fully no-code QA testing workflows. We discuss the shift from traditional code-integrated systems to screen-seeing, input-driving AI agents, and the technical breakthr...
Dec 16, 2025•55 min
World models are rapidly becoming AI’s next frontier, and in this episode we break down why. Host, Alexandra Takei , Director at Ruckus Games , sits down with Pim de Witte , founder of General Intuition and Medal , to explore how billions of gameplay videos can power a new class of embodied agents. Pim explains the fundamental gap between language models, which describe the world, and world models, which simulate the world, capturing how objects and agents move, react, and evolve in space and ti...
Dec 09, 2025•1 hr 9 min
On this episode, host David Taylor dives into one of the most eventful stretches the Fortnite Creative / UEFN ecosystem has seen in months. Epic has rolled out a wave of major updates — from monetization changes to discovery shifts — and today we unpack what they mean for creators, studios, and the future of the platform. David is joined by two fantastic guests. Chad Mustard , COO of JOGO Studios, returns to the show after another breakout year as one of the top 10 developers on Fortnite by tota...
Dec 03, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Pushing the boundaries of what's possible in gaming often means embracing unproven technologies and building in the fog of innovation. In this episode, host Devin Becker is joined by Marco van den Heuvel , co-founder of Beam , to explore what it means to operate at the bleeding edge of gaming infrastructure. Marco shares the origins of Beam and its evolution into a gaming-focused ecosystem built around frontier tech that includes blockchain, AI, and beyond. The episode covers how Beam is navigat...
Nov 18, 2025•56 min
EVE Online is one of the longest-standing MMOs of all time, celebrating its 22nd anniversary since its launch in 2003. In this episode, host Alexandra Takei , Director at Ruckus Games, sits down with CCP Games’ CEO Hilmar Petursson to unpack how the Icelandic studio still maintains one of gaming’s most complex live worlds, a single universe that has generated over $1B in lifetime revenue and 25 million players. Hilmar walks through CCP’s four eras: the pre-Steam founding years, the Steam transit...
Nov 11, 2025•1 hr 13 min
In this episode, host Kalie Moore talks with Zach Letter, Co-founder & CEO of Wonder Works Studio, the makers of hit Roblox experiences, including three SpongeBob titles this year. We dig into how creator roots shape game design and distribution, how influencer-native teams launch differently, and Wonder Works’ long-term bet on licensed IP. The conversation dives into launching without paid UA, weekly live-ops that drive creator content, and when brands should integrate into hit experiences ...
Nov 04, 2025•36 min
In this episode, host Alexandra Takei , Director at Ruckus Games , sits down with Robert van Hoesel , co-founder and CEO of First Look , now part of Pragma , to explore how studios can own and scale their player relationships. Robert’s journey from founding a SaaS company to building First Look began with one simple insight: game studios are some of the most passionate users a software builder could serve, and the games industry desperately needs the dream stack for connected distribution, playe...
Oct 28, 2025•1 hr 3 min
As digital platforms evolve, so too does the business of tabletop RPGs (TTRPGs). In this episode, host Devin Becker sits down with David Scott , CEO of Evil Genius Games , to explore the intersection of analog and digital in the TTRPG space. David shares his perspective on where the market currently stands, the evolving role of virtual tabletops, and how Evil Genius is adapting its publishing model to bridge physical and digital experiences. From post-COVID shifts in player behavior to the rise ...
Oct 21, 2025•52 min
Are AI games right around the corner? In our second-ever live audience show, host Alexandra Takei , Director at Ruckus Games , sits down with Serge Kynstautas , Head of Engineering at Gardens Interactive , a venture-backed startup building a social online shared fantasy adventure game, and Meir Wasserman , Head of Engineering at 2K Technology. Shooting live from the 3rd annual Pragma Online Services Summit , the trio dives into two critical topics impacting the predominantly technical engineerin...
Oct 14, 2025•53 min
In this episode, host David Taylor sits down with two fantastic guests to explore why large entertainment companies are increasingly paying attention to Roblox, how they’re experimenting on the platform today, and what they’ll need to see to fully commit. Chris Petrovic is the Chairman and Chief Business Officer of FunPlus, one of the largest privately held companies in the gaming sector. Chris is a veteran executive in digital entertainment and gaming with leadership roles across major mobile g...
Oct 07, 2025•1 hr 3 min
In this episode, host Kalie Moore talks with Charlie Blackstock, Co-founder & CEO of Remix.gg , the “TikTok of games” where anyone can instantly play and remix community-built titles. They discuss why instant, zero-install games resonate with Gen Z and Millennials, how AI is lowering the barrier to creation and enabling culture-speed hits, and how Web3 rails can power creator monetization at scale. The conversation gets tactical on distribution, dives into the possible future of on-chain cre...
Sep 30, 2025•35 min
With the games industry in constant evolution, it’s important to occasionally pause and take stock of where things stand. Host Devin Becker is joined by Aaron Bush , Managing Partner and Co-Founder at Naavik, for a wide-ranging check-in on market trends, strategic moves from platform holders and investors, and how the current landscape might evolve from here. The conversation explores Epic’s latest expansion of user-generated content monetization, plus Meta’s recent AR updates and what it might ...
Sep 24, 2025•1 hr 14 min
Mobile publishing is a beast of its own, built on speed, data, and above all, user acquisition. In this episode, host Alexandra Takei , Director at Ruckus Games , sits down with Asi Burak , Chief Business Officer of Tilting Point, to unpack the future of mobile publishing and why UA financing has become one of the most talked-about trends in gaming today. Tilting Point, a top 50 global mobile publisher, recently launched a $150M UA fund this past March . In the past, TP made its name scaling liv...
Sep 16, 2025•57 min
With AI taking over the tech industry, its role in game development is slowly shifting from novelty to potential necessity. Host Devin Becker sits down with Francois Courset , Senior Consultant at Naavik with experience around using AI in game development, to explore the current and near-future landscape of AI in game creation. The conversation covers everything from Francois’ high-level perspective on AI's role in the industry to specific tools that are already proving useful, alongside those t...
Aug 29, 2025•1 hr 2 min
The video game labor market is in crisis, and few understand it better than Amir Satvat . In this episode, host Alexandra Takei , Director at Ruckus Games , sits down with Amir, Tencent BD Director and founder of the world’s largest grassroots games career community , to break down the structural shifts reshaping the industry. From layoffs and shrinking remote roles to the rise of low-cost development geographies, the duo discusses a data-backed look into the forces pressuring both employers and...
Aug 12, 2025•1 hr 7 min
In this episode, host Aaron Bush sits down with Monica Dinsmore , Head of Esports at EA, to unpack her journey from finance and ops to leading esports strategy at one of the world’s biggest game publishers. Monica shares behind-the-scenes stories from launching the LEC at Riot Games, navigating the operational chaos of COVID-19, and transitioning to EA to help build and scale their esports vision. The conversation dives deep into how esports strategies differ between EA’s franchises (Apex Legend...
Aug 05, 2025•53 min
Former Nexon CEO Owen Mahoney joins Aaron Bush for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about the current and future state of the games industry. While Owen had a successful decade-long run leading one of Asia’s most important gaming companies, this episode explores what he’s been thinking about since stepping down – namely through his sharp (and sometimes spicy) essays critiquing industry norms and offering a vision for what comes next. We discuss the realities of managing $100M+ budget decision...
Jul 29, 2025•1 hr 26 min
In this episode, host David Taylor sits down with The Gang. Originally a team of five entrepreneurs, The Gang was one of the first venture-backed studios to go all-in on Roblox back in 2020. They quickly made their mark with Strongman Simulator, which shot to the top of the Roblox charts and has racked up over 1.5 billion plays. While they started with hit original titles, The Gang soon shifted to building branded experiences for some of the world’s biggest entertainment and lifestyle brands — N...
Jul 16, 2025•50 min
Pim de Witte , founder and CEO of Medal, joins Aaron Bush to discuss his journey building a leading platform for capturing and sharing gaming moments. From running Soulsplit (the most popular Runescape private server) as a teenager to navigating early pivots at Medal, Pim shares what sparked his entrepreneurial path, how Medal evolved from a game studio into a social content ecosystem, and what drove the platform’s explosive and enduring growth over the past several years. The conversation also ...
Jul 08, 2025•54 min
In this episode, host Alexandra Takei , Director at Ruckus Games , sits down with Mac Reynolds , co-founder and CEO of Night Street Games and Night Street Records, and Matthew Berger , Game Director at Night Street Games. Together, they unpack the journey of building Last Flag — a zany 5v5 hero shooter with capture-the-flag at its heart and music embedded deep in its DNA. From a scrappy prototype built with an outsourced team to a 50+ person studio, they share lessons on pivoting engines, refini...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 8 min
On this episode, host David Taylor sits down with Dan Bunting , the former Studio Head of Treyarch and one of the key creative leaders behind the Call of Duty franchise. With over 18 years at Treyarch, Dan helped shape some of the most iconic moments in FPS history — from the introduction of Zombies mode in World at War to the rise of the Black Ops series. We explore how Call of Duty became the dominant FPS franchise, and how Treyarch carved out its own identity through bold design decisions, na...
Jun 17, 2025•1 hr 2 min
