Deconstructor of Fun

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

In this Deep Dive, Jen drops into the pit with Sean “Clown” Crahan — co-founder of Slipknot , lifelong gamer, and unapologetic creative chaos agent. We go from masks to Minecraft , breaking down the origin story of VERNEARTH , why creator-led studios are having their moment, and how the things metal has always understood, culture, empathy, friction, and community, are now becoming core pillars of modern game development. This isn’t a celebrity side quest. It’s a conversation about world-building, trust, and why great games (and great bands) are built by people who actually give a sh*t . Headphones on. Controllers ready. 00:40 Meet Sean Clown Rahan: From Music to Game Development 01:24 The Origin of VERNEARTH0 7:22 Sean's Journey in Gaming and Modding 16:54 Collaborations and Creative Challenges 25:16 Empathy and Respect in Digital Spaces 33:05 The Future of Creator-Led Studios 39:17 Failures and Collaborations in the Gaming Industry 42:55 The Inspiration Behind VERNEARTH 49:11 The Role of Culture in Gaming and Music 01:00:32 The Intersection of Metal and Gaming Cultures

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

FNaF 2 crushes box office expectations, proving (again) that game IP owns Hollywood. We break down Matthew Ball’s take on the EA/PIF deal, why 93% ownership signals a sports-media empire play, not an LBO, and why the press got the story wrong. Then: the Nex Playground, a $200 kids’ console that quietly outsold PS5 in November. Is this the next underserved frontier in family gaming? We also tear into UA financing schemes masquerading as “cohort funding.” Spoiler: the effective interest rates rhyme with credit-card debt, and studios have died using them. Call of Duty launches an apology tour for Black Ops 7 and vows to stop annualized crunch. We assess the odds. And we close with AppLovin beating Google on Android e-commerce ads, inside Google’s own OS. A massive signal for the future of UA as e-comm competition starts eating the gaming pie.

The dynamics of co-founder relationships, featuring Appcharge co-founders Roei Barassi and Maor Sason. They share insights on building a robust team, the significance of mentorship, and the importance of celebrating success. Learn about the challenges and strategies of scaling a company, raising capital, and maintaining a strong culture across global offices. Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode is packed with invaluable lessons on leadership, teamwork, and innovation.00:00 The Importance of Co-Founder Relationships02:56 Handling Conflicts with Respect09:39 Balancing Personal Life and Startup Demands24:40 Raising Funds and Building Momentum31:57 Navigating Early Rejections and Negotiations32:28 Turning Nos into Yeses33:25 The Importance of Positive Mindset34:52 Hidden Risks of Too Much Capital35:44 What Founders Should Avoid Between Rounds38:52 The Evolution of Web Stores41:56 App Charge's Unique Value Proposition51:32 Building a Global Team53:40 Scaling and Maintaining Company Culture57:45 Leadership Challenges in Rapid Growth01:01:58 Final Advice for Founders01:05:15 Conclusion and Farewell

This week in games, the money moves got messy: Dream Games recalibrates everyone's ambitions while the Saudi shopping spree continues. We take a look at Where Winds Meet and what it really says about China’s next wave of global ambitions, and ask the uncomfortable question: how are indie studios actually surviving right now? Finally, we zoom out to the battlefield of 4X strategy, the genre’s current health, the growing wave of female players, and whether a fresh face like Tile Survive can rewrite the rules. 00:00 Welcome 00:22 Introduction and Shills 04:26 Dream Games Budget Correction 14:06 Bite Dance's Mobile Investments 19:22 Arc Games Independence 20:52 Where Winds Meet: A New Chinese Game 29:17 The South Korea Deal and Blizzard's Business Model 31:21 Success and Challenges of Indie Game Studios 33:38 VC Investments in Gaming: A Tough Landscape 36:12 PlayerUnknown Productions and Their New Game 47:37 The State of 4X Strategy Games 51:24 The Rise of Female Gamers in 4X Strategy 55:48 Tile Survive: A New Contender in 4X Strategy 59:56 Conclusion and Future Topics

Loyalty platforms have evolved from sideline UA channels to commanding 25-50% of major studios' media budgets. In this deep dive, VYBS founder Ido Raz breaks down everything game developers need to know about loyalty apps—from the basics to advanced strategies for maximizing player quality and LTV. We cover the biggest misconceptions about incentivized traffic, why casual games benefit the most, and how to avoid the common mistakes that kill campaigns. Plus, Ido shares the single most overlooked KPI that changes how you evaluate traffic quality. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction 02:39 How Loyalty Apps Differ from Offerwalls 03:33 Business Model: From CPI to ROAS Optimization 05:28 Can Loyalty Be a Primary UA Channel? 11:25 Best Genres for Loyalty Platforms 12:29 The Magic Myth: Why Loyalty Requires Specialization 13:45 Are Loyalty Users Different from Traditional Players 17:20 When Should Studios Start Using Loyalty Apps? 18:54 The Cash Flow Advantage: 4 Months vs 2 Years 21:00 Timeline to Success: 1 Week to 7 Weeks 22:35 Patience vs Pressure: Learning Cycles 26:30 Using Loyalty to Amplify Live Events 27:53 Common Mistakes Studios Make 29:52 The Unrealistic KPI Problem 34:58 Loyalty vs App Store Competition 36:07 AI's Impact on Loyalty Platforms 40:36 Best Way to Spot Low-Quality Users 44:46 What's Next for VYBS?

Call of Duty’s worst launch in a decade collides with the rise of extraction shooters, and the balance of power inside the genre shifts. We dig into why Black Ops 7 cratered, how Battlefield 6 stole the spotlight, and why Arc Raiders is suddenly the most important new IP in shooters. Chris Sides and Feras return to map the fault lines, spar over SPMM, and weigh whether Tarkov’s disastrous Steam debut marks the ceiling for the genre’s original heavyweight. We discuss: Black Ops 7’s collapse and why marketing, futurism, and CPI pressure all converged Battlefield 6’s surge, the RedSec flop, and why innovation is still missing in BR design The extraction boom: Arc Raiders as the “PUBG moment” and its long-term retention risks PvE as the emerging driver of mainstream extraction demand Skill-based matchmaking as an economic problem, not a matchmaking one Tarkov’s failed 1.0 launch and what its country-mix reveals about stagnant reach Whether Embark should kill The Finals and move every resource into Arc Raiders

The DoF crew break down everything: from Ubisoft’s endless identity crisis to Unity and Epic’s unexpected “Make the Metaverse Great Again” alliance.We get into Roblox CEO David Baszucki’s tense appearance on Hard Fork, the baffling randomness of The Game Awards nominations, Saudi Arabia’s PIF liquidity challenges, and why Turkey’s red-hot gaming scene may finally be overheating. Plus: a disagreement for Nordic tax schemes and a dispatch from Helsinki’s Slush Conference, home of the world’s most optimistic founders in a country with no economic growth. 00:00 Welcome 01:52 Slush Conference Insights 05:06 Tax Benefits for Expats in Europe 08:29 Shills 09:24 Ubisoft and Tencent Deal 12:28 Epic Games and Unity Partnership 18:30 Roblox CEO's Podcast Appearance 30:11 Game Awards Nominationss 32:19 Most Anticipated Games Discussion 34:23 Controversial Mobile Game Nominations 39:22 Saudi Arabia's Gaming Investments 47:12 Turkey's Booming Gaming Ecosystem 54:43 Steam Machines and Market Challenges 01:01:51 Concluding Thoughts and Thanksgiving Wishes

This isn't your typical "we raised $50M and exited" story. This is what happens when you have no choice but to figure it out yourselves. When the tripod refuses to fall. When you run out of everything except ideas. This is the story of Heroic Labs. About Heroic Labs: Core infrastructure for game studios. If you've played games from Zynga, Gram Games, or dozens of other studios, you've used their tech without knowing it. That's by design. 📱 Follow for more founder stories that break the mold: www.deconstructoroffun.com/blog PIN THIS COMMENT: "The road you're in is a graveyard, full of skulls of previous dead companies." - Bing Gordon, Kleiner Perkins Timestamps: 00:00 Heroic Safari Adventures 01:24 Switching to Open Source 04:14 Journey to Y Combinator 09:44 Life at Y Combinator 26:01 Demo Day and Investor Meetings 33:03 Heroic Bootstrapping 37:40 Remote Work and Team Dynamics 43:01 Founder Dynamics 50:19 Advice for Founders 01:03:55 Team Pride & Retention 01:13:04 Rapid Fire Questions

Call of Duty tanks so hard that even Battlefield feels bad for it. Valve unveils a cube that may or may not be the future of PC gaming, depending on which half of the internet you ask.Sexy cozy games are quietly eating the West, which sounds ridiculous until the revenue charts come out. Now everyone’s worried… And the triumphant return of a special guest. 00:51 Episode Overview 04:43 Amazon Game Studios Layoffs 06:11 Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Analysis 22:39 Valve's New Steam Machine 32:56 Xbox's Struggles and Market Position 34:38 Valve's Strategy in China 37:34 Ubisoft's Uncertain Future 39:17 EA's Strategic Moves 45:28 Zelda Live Action Adaptation 46:32 Eastern Games' Success in the West 56:45 The Rise of Cozy Games 01:02:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

What if your company stopped chasing quarterly goals and spent an entire month training every employee on AI? That's exactly what AppsFlyer did, and it completely transformed how they approach innovation. In this episode, AppsFlyer down with Barak Witkovsky, Chief Product Officer of AppsFlyer, to discuss one of the boldest AI transformation experiments I've ever heard of. For four weeks, they paused regular business objectives and put all 1,300 employees through an AI builder course. Not on top of their work. AS their work. What We Cover: 1. Why AppsFlyer stopped chasing OKRs to invest in AI education across the entire company 2. How AppsFlyer's CEO and CPO learn about AI from their own employees (including marketers who know more than developers at other companies) 3. How AppsFlyer evolved from a measurement platform into a modern marketing cloud with autonomous AI agents 4. How do you get marketers to trust AI when they're deploying tens of millions in ad spend? 5. Why AppsFlyer is betting on an open AI ecosystem with MCP and Agent Hub 6. Are marketers becoming obsolete or are they about to become "bosses of agents"? 7. Why executives are bullish on AI while directors and managers feel anxious (and what to do about it) Timestamps: 00:00 AI Integration at AppsFlyer 04:15 The ROI of AI Investments 05:14 Evolution to a Modern Marketing Cloud 16:30 Challenges of Omnichannel Measurement 22:26 AI Agents in Marketing 27:01 Becoming an AI-First Company 31:29 The Role of AppsFlyer in the AI Ecosystem 44:38 The Ultimate Growth Machine Vision 47:18 Final Thoughts

Most retention problems come from mismatched expectations, not flawed features. This episode teaches how to align creatives with gameplay, diagnose early vs. late churn, and use personalization to keep players engaged. Short, sharp retention truths every team should hear.

Monetization isn’t a layer, it’s the outcome of understanding player motivation. This episode covers segmentation, pricing, LTV curves, and early warning signs of monetization failure. A concise breakdown of how sustainable revenue systems are built.

CPI is only one signal. In this episode, we show how top studios test appeal in prototypes, validate value in soft launch, and scale with confidence. A fast, practical guide to reading market signals at every stage of development.

This episode breaks down the real foundation of successful game development: clean data, aligned teams, and fast decision loops. Learn why most studios collect too much data, how to build a shared truth, and how AI changes the analyst’s role. Perfect for teams that want clarity, not more dashboards.

Epic vs Google stays stuck in limbo as the judge rejects the settlement, Duolingo’s stock finally breaks its streak, and Square Enix joins the wave of Eastern publishers restructuring their way into a new identity. Royal Match’s reported $200M ad spend shows just how hard you have to swing to own casual in 2025, while Chinese publishers quietly (and efficiently) conquer the entire merge genre with speed and scale Western studios can’t match. Meanwhile, Arc Raiders is heating up—and so is the controversy around its AI-generated voice work. Welcome to the modern games industry: court battles, collapsing multiples, mega-spend user acquisition, genre takeovers, and existential AI debates, all happening at once. Buckle up. 00:43 Epic vs Google Case Discussion 13:50 Duolingo's Struggles and Gamification 20:49 Square Enix Restructuring and Industry Trends 30:43 Analyzing Sensor Tower's Report on Digital Ad Spend 32:01 Royal Kingdom vs. Royal Match: A Deep Dive 34:37 The Innovator's Dilemma in Mobile Gaming 35:26 The Rise of New Puzzle Sub-Genres 39:05 The Cost of Marketing Campaigns 49:58 Arc Raiders: A New Success Story 57:04 AI in Gaming: Controversies and Opinions 01:01:09 Conclusion

Welcome to the debut episode of Shooter Monthly, the podcast that’s never out of projectiles. Host Phillip Black (DICE) is joined by shooter Avengers, Christopher Anjos (EA, Timi, ATVI), Chris Sides (Bungie, Capital Games), and Feras Musmar (DICE, TTK Games) for a wide-ranging discussion on the current shooter landscape.We talk:Arena Breakout: Infinite’s Surprising Launch – Tarkov-style hit from China that’s quietly carving out a Western following. The crew debates whether free-to-play extraction shooters are the new normal or just a niche.Arc Raiders – Embark’s long-awaited extraction-adventure hybrid surges past 100K concurrent players. Can a PvE-leaning world and “welcoming danger” finally broaden the genre’s audience?Battlefield 6’s comeback – Record launch numbers, smoother tech, and a revived franchise, yet old wounds around XP pacing, reward structures, and live-service execution remain.The premium vs. free-to-play fault line dividing East and West, why extraction shooter is a terrible genre name, and whether holding back “Season 1" content at launch is smart or cynical.The crew asks the big question: Can Battlefield finally dethrone Call of Duty - or is this just another flash of Swedish steel before the next reset?

Epic takes another swing at Google and wins, Unity cozies up with Epic in a surprising move, and Roblox continues to puzzle investors after a tough earnings call. We also dive into Arcadia Gaming Partners’ growing influence, and why Supercell pulled the plug on Squad Busters. 0:00 Welcome 01:26 Updates, Announcements, and Shills 07:06 Epic and Google Settlement Details 18:11 Unity and Epic Collaboration 22:22 Roblox Earnings and Market Performance 27:01 Roblox's Recent Performance and Employee Shakeups 31:41 Monetization Challenges and Regional Differences 33:26 Future Prospects and Advertising Potential 37:58 Arcadia Gaming Partners' Investments 42:17 Supercell's Squad Busters Cancellation

Alex Siamantas of Holyday Studios reflected on eleven years of building a profitable idle-RPG studio as one of the island’s few Greek founders

Julia Lebedeva of WN Media Group spoke about launching the first Women in Games Cyprus event

Alexey Morozov of Horns Up Games shifted the tone completely. His project, Lord of Metal, is a festival-management sim built with the Swedish band Sabaton, combining the logistics of live events with the chaos of rock culture. It’s equal parts management game and love letter to heavy music.

GDCy founders Tim Fadeev and Andrey Ivashentsev shared the story of how a single pub meetup evolved into the region’s largest developer festival. They credit the island’s mix of sunlight, low taxes, and openness to business. Cyprus, they say, isn’t just a haven for founders - it’s starting to feel like Europe’s next creative cluster.

Leonid Zhuravskyi, CEO of MysteryTag, said he’s found Cyprus to have a rare sense of openness - competitors who still share notes over coffee or wine.