Deconstructor of Fun

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

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-all 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

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

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: 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

Sam Aune from Sensor Tower breaks down the State of Gaming 2026 - from Battlefield 6 proving premium is far from dead, to why free-to-play is getting harder to break into, and how social indie games are driving viral success. In this episode, we go deep on mobile’s slowdown, strategy games dominating revenue, and how Chinese publishers are out-executing the West across both midcore and casual. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome and Report Setup 00:43 State of Gaming Goes Beyond Mobile 03:22 Trend One Battlefield Six Dominates 05:05 Premium vs Free to Play Reality Check 07:10 Hybrid Pricing and Live Ops Middle Ground 09:01 Battlefield Six Marketing Playbook 11:53 Indie Breakouts Repo and Peak 12:31 Why Social Games Go Viral 16:12 AAA Response and GTA Six Outlook 18:08 Mobile Market Maturity and Consolidation 20:37 Why Growth Stalls IDFA Saturation 23:34 Strategy Genre Wins Worldwide 26:41 Regional Genre Opportunities and New Hits 28:00 Free Fire US Surge 28:30 China Social Extraction 28:52 Why China Wins 31:47 Century Games Playbook 34:23 How West Competes 38:35 Indie Focus Advantage 43:21 Web Store Incentives 46:38 App Store Search Wars 49:46 SEO Naming Strategy 51:22 Report Wrap Up

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.