Deconstructor of Fun

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

From industry hype to hard reality checks, this week we discuss Shooter Monthly and the latest on High Guard, analyze Aries Interactive's funding, and explore the monumental impact of Google DeepMind's Genie 3 on game development, including industry resistance to new AI tools. We also tackle the decline of physical game stores, address a potentially distorted view of the UK market, and provide a deep dive into Arc Night Enfield's market performance and the future of 3D RPGs, before pinpointing High Guard's marketing missteps and wrapping up with concluding thoughts. 02:13 | Shills03:38 | Shooter Monthly and High Guard Discussion06:33 | Aries Interactive Funding and Analysis16:27 | Google DeepMind's Genie 3 Impact30:58 | AI Tools and Industry Resistance32:45 | The Decline of Physical Game Stores34:44 | A Distorted View of the UK36:40 | Arc Night En Field: A Deep Dive40:10 | Enfield's Market Performance40:59 | The Future of 3D RPGs51:11 | High Guard's Marketing Missteps01:03:41 | Concluding Thoughts and Farewell

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, 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/talentwww.linkedin.com/in/joeburridgewww.linkedin.com/in/mikiblaskoWe 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 hires01:00 The Challenges of Hiring in Startups06:33 Understanding Compensation and Talent Attraction16:10 Culture vs. Competence in Hiring17:31 Identifying the Right Fit for Startups23:13 The Role of Founders in Shaping Culture30:43 Navigating the Unhinged Nature of Founders40:06 Reality Distortion and Leadership45:41 Challenges in Retaining Talent51:13 Building an Employer Brand53:25 Hiring Patterns for Success61:24 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

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.