TWIG crew dives into Gamescom chaos, funding trends, and post-Ibiza IV drips. From Supercell’s leadership addition, to IP-powered collabs (Raid x TMNT) and the EU’s regulatory squeeze on F2P, this episode cuts through the noise with sharp insights, hard takes, and a few too-real laughs.
02:07 Gamescom Highlights and Industry News
02:50 PlayStation Portal and American Football
06:45 DOF Talent Network and Scopely Controversy
10:39 EU Regulation Impact on Free-to-Play Games
14:43 Gamescom Vibes and Funding Trends
27:33 Raid: Shadow Legends x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
31:51 The Risks and Rewards of Using IPs
36:09 King’s Internal Struggles and Solutions
39:51 Severance Packages and Labor Laws
45:15 Supercell’s New Leadership and Strategy
49:12 Innovative Game Concepts and Licensing
55:48 Twitch’s Crackdown on View Botting
56:32 Debate on Game Innovation and Industry Growth
This one’s for the shooter heads. Host Phil Black (ex-DICE) is joined by Chris Sides (ex-Bungie) and longtime strategist Chris Anjos (ex-Activision) to dig into the decade-long arms race between Battlefield and Call of Duty. The muzzles are off.
Chapters:
02:01 Meet the Experts
03:54 Historical Context: Battlefield and Call of Duty Sales
13:04 Battlefield’s Comeback: Beta Impressions
16:06 Gameplay Mechanics: Evolution and Innovations
32:21 Progression Systems: Challenges and Solutions
43:31 Core Gameplay and Player Feedback
44:55 Product Management in Gaming
52:25 UGC and Portal in Battlefield
01:02:04 Mobile Gaming and Its Impact
01:08:09 The Future of FPS Games
01:16:41 Final Thoughts and Recommendations
We dive into Duolingo’s ruthless gamification, how BeReal is evolving beyond its viral gimmick, why Tinder is betting big on live events, the surprising social features inside DraftKings, and the stickiness of Crypto.com’s engagement loops. Each case study is a window into how apps are blurring the line between entertainment, habit, and monetization.
Guest: Kalle Heikkinen, Lead Analyst at App Refinerywww.linkedin.com/in/kalleheikkinen/
Chapters:
[00:00] App Refinery
[05:30] Duolingo's Gamification
[12:15] BeReal's Evolution
[20:45] Tinder's Live Events
[28:00] DraftKings' Social Features
[35:20] Crypto.com's Engagement Mechanics
[42:50] Conclusion and Insights
This week on TWIG, the crew covers everything from corn in Minecraft to streak psychology in the New York Times’ latest game, Pips. We kick things off with Gamescom highlights, fresh updates from Ethan and Laura.
From there, we dig into why streaks are such a powerful mechanic. We also debate Supercell’s unexpected Clash Royale comeback, before wrapping with a look at what Nintendo has in store with the Switch 2.
00:00 Introduction and Opening Banter
03:06 Episode Summary and Upcoming Topics
03:47 Ethan and Laura's Updates
04:33 Minecraft Corn Update
09:16 Lego Digital Play Interview
15:55 Gamescom Highlights
32:19 New York Times' Pips Game
34:08 The Psychology of Streaks in Games
53:36 Supercell's Clash Royale Resurgence
01:00:09 Nintendo Switch 2 and Upcoming Releases
Why is LEGO doubling down on digital? In his first-ever interview as the founding president of LEGO Digital Play, industry veteran Aaron Loeb (Electronic Arts, FoxNext, Kabam) reveals the bold vision behind LEGO’s new company. From “forever games” like Roblox and Minecraft to building trust with kids and families, Aaron breaks down why now is the right time for LEGO to level up in gaming — and how his journey from Broadway to the boardroom shaped the company’s next chapter.
02:00 Meet Aaron Loeb: A Journey Through the Game Industry
03:28 The Birth of Lego Digital Play + Lego's Organizational Structure
08:20 Aaron's Path to Lego Digital Play
15:21 Target Audience: From Kids to Adults
19:30 Long-Term Challenges in the Gaming Industry
27:39 The Future of Digital Play and Innovation
32:55 The Challenge of Building the Right Team
36:00 Assembling a Diverse and Talented Team
38:03 Lego's Unique Onboarding Experience
41:03 The Emotional Connection of the Lego Brand
44:05 The Importance of Trust in Gaming
48:51 Choosing London as the Headquarters
51:11 Balancing Remote and In-Office Work
53:55 Upcoming Industry Conferences and Events
56:43 Reflecting on Past Projects and Lessons Learned
President, LEGO Digital Play - Aaron Loeb https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-loeb-959a08/
Host, Jen Donahoe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdonahoe/
We kick things off with “midlife Kress-ises” before diving into the headlines you can’t ignore: Tencent’s latest controversy, AppLovin’s monster quarter, and Blizzard’s leadership shuffle.
From Storm Gate’s rough launch runway to the brutal math of market fit, we unpack why good games still fail. We break down Duolingo’s surprise move into music games, and why Playtika’s doubling down on direct-to-consumer could be the smartest—or riskiest—bet they’ve made yet.
Then it’s guns out for Battlefield’s comeback, a hard look at Moon Active’s new portfolio plays. As always, plenty of spicy takes, questionable analogies, and insights you won’t find anywhere else.
00:00 Introduction and Host Introductions
01:34 Upcoming Game Releases and Industry Updates
02:58 Midlife Kress-is
06:05 Event Announcements + DOF Talent Acquisition
08:19 Data Analysis and Market Trends
09:22 Tencent's Game Controversy
17:16 AppLovin's Impressive Growth
21:12 Blizzard's Leadership Changes
25:19 Storm Gate's Launch Challenges
27:19 Financial Engineering and Tim's Struggles
28:28 Market Fit and Game Quality Issues
33:32 Duolingo's Acquisition of Beat Star
36:50 Playtika's Direct-to-Consumer Strategy
43:20 Battlefield's Comeback and Market Impact
54:58 Moon Active's New Games and Portfolio
Full-time execs are out, and fractional leaders are in? In today’s episode, we break down the growing trend of founders building companies like modular tech stacks, swapping in CMOs, Product leads, and other execs *only* when they’re needed.
But here’s the catch: done right, fractional hires can supercharge growth. Done wrong, they can kill momentum before you even hit scale. I’m joined by executive headhunter Miklos Blasko to unpack when fractional actually works, when it backfires, and the hiring mistakes even experienced founders make.
00:00 The Rise of Fractional Work in Gaming and Apps
04:31 Understanding Fractional Work vs. Freelancing
08:56 The Popularity of Fractional Roles
13:51 Company Perspectives on Fractional Hiring
19:28 Talent Perspectives on Fractional Work
26:22 When Fractional Work Doesn't Work
38:19 Key Considerations for Hiring Fractional Talent
41:41 Wartime Leadership vs. Peacetime Leadership
45:17 Ruthless Execution and Stakeholder Management
47:58 Incentive Structures for Fractional Roles
51:54 Charging Models and Engagement Structures
57:44 Common Mistakes in Fractional Roles
65:51 Advice for Founders and Fractional Executives
This week, the TWIG crew goes full galaxy brain. We kick things off with the real effects of celebrity cringe marketing. Then it’s onto the real news: Probably Monsters' search for $220M ROI, Match Villains' monster raise, Lilith's search for growth, and Roblox's unstoppable growth.
00:00 Introduction and Host Introductions
02:46 Episode Overview and Key Topics
03:32 Celebrity Gaming League and Brand Marketing
04:56 Sydney Sweeney and American Eagle Partnership
05:54 Review Bombing and Gamer Activism
08:00 Gamescom Event Announcements
09:15 Medica and Multi-Arm Bandit Experimentation
13:11 FIFA Online and Free-to-Play Discussion
16:39 Probably Monsters and AAA Development
21:51 Epic vs Google Lawsuit Update
26:55 Atari Acquires Thunderful Group
30:42 Good Job Games Raises $60 Million
31:58 Analyzing Revenue Per Download
32:32 Hypothesis on Grand Games' Rapid Fundraising
34:05 Match Villains' Market Performance
34:28 VC Funding vs. Non-Dilutive Funding
36:36 Investment Trends in Turkey's Gaming Market
37:42 Challenges in Scaling Puzzle Games
41:47 Farlight 84: A Relaunch Story
45:37 Lilith Games' Portfolio Performance
49:33 DC Worlds Collide and the Squad RPG Market
54:02 Roblox's Monetization and Engagement Strategies
In this episode, we unpack how today’s biggest mobile publishers are ditching segmentation in favor of experimentation at scale, what Apple’s privacy-first approach means to running LTV-focused live ops, and why personalization is no longer a “nice to have” but a competitive weapon.
Who better to answer the questions than the founding team of Metica, Phil Mohr, Puli Liyanagama, and Justin Stolzenberg?
These aren’t your average startup bros. We’re talking about the same crew that built Comify (acquired by King), then DataTiger (acquired by Apple), and now they’re back with a third act: Metica, a machine learning-powered platform tackling LiveOps personalization, blended ROAS optimization, and bid floor automation.
Check out the STATE OF CREATIVES: https://tinyurl.com/393d9rum
03:27 The Evolution of Data Analytics in Gaming
11:00 Metica and Its Purpose
15:24 The Growth Loop
24:44 Personalization at Scale: The Future of Gaming
33:21 Practical Applications in Game Development
43:08 Timing and Strategy
44:53 Future Roadmap
Hola! Greetings from Spain. Mishka here, tanned, confused by dinner hours, and tragically absent from today’s pod. But fear not, Eric questions the rise of private equity in games and reports back from an anime convention while giving Andrew Wilson a new mobile crown. Phil wants a recount on a couple of Scopley acquisitions, while Jen channels Kate Hudson into top-of-funnel awareness. Gundam demands attention while the crew debates scaling the Drive to Survive treatment of One Piece.
00:00 Introduction and Host Banter
02:06 Today's Agenda and Topics Overview
02:50 Nintendo Direct and Market Trends
05:29 Unity's Challenges and UA Discussion
08:22 Gamescom Parties and Community Engagement
09:20 Economic Theories and Gaming Experiments
17:32 Convoy Report and Market Analysis
26:29 Sony's Strategic Moves and IP Partnerships
30:12 Anime's Mainstream Status in America
37:16 Crafton's Acquisition of 11th Hour Games
39:13 Scopely's Portfolio Performance
48:32 EA's Quarterly Earnings and Mobile Strategy
56:23 Sony vs. Tencent: The Horizon Knockoff Controversy
01:03:30 Ruckus Team's New Game: The Holdouts
In this Deconstructor of Fun podcast, Mishka Katkoff sits down with three of the sharpest minds in growth: Josh Chandley (Wildcard Games), Warren Woodward (Uptick), and Paul Bowen (StreamElements) to dissect the state of user acquisition in 2025.
STATE OF CREATIVES Report: https://tinyurl.com/393d9rum
Chapters:
02:00 Is UA Dead or Just Evolved?
07:00 The Real Impact of IDFA Deprecation
13:00 Time Spent vs Installs: The New Market Reality
18:00 AppLovin: Apex Predator of Ad Tech
27:00 Attribution Fraud and Click Link Hijacking
34:00 Why AppLovin Keeps Winning
39:00 Can Unity’s Vector Compete?
48:00 Unity’s Strategy, PR Games & Technical Hurdles
57:00 Building a Modern Growth Org
01:06:00 Creative Production as the Last Lever
01:13:00 Fake Ads, Clickbait, and Mad Men
01:19:00 Closing Advice for Growth Teams in 2025
Miska’s usual jetset life hits a snag when he misses Kress’ Subnotica correction. Adam calls in from his cottage to lay down the law on Merge history, while Phil gushes over $500m in capital deployment. Eric details Ubisoft’s reality TV show attempt at Succession, and Jen delivers the 411 on Apple’s hypercasual attempt. The group pours one out for a very special Candy Crush anniversary.
01:58 Gaming News Highlights
02:42 Personal Updates
05:33 Remembering the Mario Lopez Candy Crush Show
07:52 Subnautica and Crafton Legal Drama
10:37 App Charge Sponsorship and Insights
14:40 Ubisoft Earnings and Family Drama
22:44 Battlefield 6 Trailer and Expectations
24:57 Call of Duty's Tech Debt and Battlefield's Response
26:24 Battlefield 6 Release Date and Editions Leak
28:31 Challenges and Risks for Battlefield 6
38:03 Supervi's Full Launch and Market Challenges
40:05 Splitgate 2's Struggles and Relaunch
43:09 Wild Gate's Launch and Marketing Issues
46:58 Apple's Emoji-Based Puzzle Game
49:39 Conclusion and Sign-Off
From crying alone in Bangalore to panic attacks at Gamescom, this is a brutally real look at what it actually costs to chase a vision.
Mishka Katkoff (Deconstructor of Fun) and Joseph Kim (Lila Games) reunite for the rawest, most honest founder-to-founder conversation you’ll hear this year. They dive deep into the sacrifices, suffering, and stress of building companies from scratch, away from the LinkedIn highlight reels.
5:00 – Suffering vs. Sacrifice: Is Work Just Avoidance?
10:45 – Why Founders Trade Family for Vision
15:30 – Would You Let Your Kids Follow Your Path?
20:00 – Lessons from Building (and Breaking) a Startup
27:30 – The #1 Mistake Founders Make: The Team
31:50 – Fractional Work, Focus, and Saying No
36:30 – Redefining Success Without Losing Yourself
41:00 – What a Billion-Dollar Exit Really Means
47:15 – How We’ll Judge Ourselves on Our Deathbeds
52:00 – Life in Phases: When to Grind, When to Let Go
56:00 – AI, Ambition, and the New Have vs. Have-Nots
1:02:00 – The Hidden Cost: Panic Attacks, Crying, and Total Burnout
1:12:00 – What’s Next for Mishka and Joe
Upcoming events:
Whiskey Tasting: https://event.appsflyer.com/gamescom2025/AF
Heroic Party:
https://lu.ma/tjkk5r8k
The crew kicks things off by breaking down Roblox’s bold new IP licensing platform—will it unlock the next Pokémon or just spin up another corporate side quest?
Then it’s off to Turkey for a pulse check on one of mobile gaming’s fastest-evolving markets, followed by a surprise breakout story from France that’s punching way above its weight class.
We rewind the clock on Kixeye to understand how Kingdom Maker clawed its way back into the spotlight—just in time to shift focus to the real battlefield: user acquisition.
Moon Active and Scopely are locked in an all-out UA war, with budgets big enough to fund a small nation. Add some industry espionage, a sprinkle of aggressive cloning, and you’ve got a market where only the paranoid survive.
Oh, and yes—we’re still trying to decide if Monopoly Go is actual genius or just Coin Master in a tuxedo.
02:56 Podcast News
27:16 Roblox's New IP Licensing Platform
36:08 Turkish Mobile Game Market Insights
44:11 French Mobile Game Developer's Success
49:49 Kingdom Maker and Kixeye's History
58:42 Moon Active vs. Scopely: The UA War
59:21 Industry Espionage and Market Competition
01:01:16 Monopoly Go and Coin Master Strategies
01:05:53 Final Thoughts on Market Strategies
At MAU Vegas, Jen Donahoe sits down with Ben Webley, CMO of Scopely, to unpack the strategies behind Monopoly GO!’s meteoric rise. From player psychology to brand IP, virality loops to UA muscle—this conversation breaks down what really drove the biggest mobile game launch of the decade. If you’re in gaming and not taking notes on this one, you’re already behind.
Game District CEO Saad Hameed joins Michail Katkoff to tell the untold story of Pakistan’s booming gaming industry. From bootstrapped studios to billion-download success, we dive into the rise of Lahore as a serious global player, why Pakistan could be the next Turkey or Vietnam, and what’s holding the ecosystem back from its breakout moment. This is the episode you didn’t know you needed.
Connect with Saad: www.linkedin.com/in/saadhameedkh
00:00 Introduction to Game District and Saad Hameed
02:47 The Structure and Philosophy of Game District
05:41 The Rise of Gaming Studios in Pakistan
08:46 Challenges and Opportunities in the Pakistani Gaming Ecosystem
11:30 The Role of Education and Talent Development
14:19 Venture Capital and Funding Challenges
17:22 Monetization Strategies and Market Focus
20:11 Live Operations and Competitive Landscape
30:36 Competitive Advantages of Pakistan's Gaming Ecosystem
32:58 Bottlenecks and Growth Drivers in Pakistan's Gaming Industry
40:56 Work Culture and Entrepreneurial Mindset in Pakistan
45:45 Pakistan's Unique Strengths in the Gaming Market
52:57 Pathways to Breakout Success for Pakistan's Gaming Industry
We kick things off with a no-holds-barred Supercell rant before diving into the hottest industry stories—from Xbox Game Pass profitability to Apple’s latest regulatory headache in the EU. We break down Supercell’s shifting strategy, IPO rumors, and what it all signals for the wider market.
The crew also explores Gen Z’s changing spending habits, mobile monetization trends, and why Merge games might be due for a second wind. Plus: Mecha Break’s breakout moment, studio culture shifts, and where smart money is going in games right now.
Heroic Gamescom Party > https://lu.ma/tjkk5r8k
Chapters:
01:57 Supercell Rant
06:03 Xbox Game Pass Profitability Debate
10:21 Apple EU Regulations and Tier System
13:31 Supercell's Strategy and IPO Speculations
21:11 Gen Z's Changing Spending Habits
24:40 Disposable Income and App Spending Trends
26:40 Gen Z Gaming Preferences
28:51 Investment and Industry News
28:59 Company Culture38:19 Merge Genre Insights
42:57 The Rise of Mecha Break
43:58 Monetization Strategies in Gaming
53:07 Conclusion and Next Week's Topics
Mishka Katkoff interviews Seth Sivak as they discuss startup culture, leadership, company values, product market fit, cultural onboarding, adaptive culture, game industry, entrepreneurship, team dynamics, and management.
They discuss the importance of company culture, how it can be shaped and influenced, and the challenges of maintaining a healthy culture as a startup scales.
Seth shares insights on cultural onboarding, the adaptability of culture, and the lessons learned from his experiences in the gaming industry. The conversation emphasizes the need for leaders to be intentional about culture and to regularly assess its impact on team dynamics and overall success.
Seth's newsletter: https://sethsivak.substack.com/
02:44Navigating Layoffs and Founding Proletariat
05:10The Importance of Culture in Startups
07:39Defining and Measuring Culture
11:38The Role of Leadership in Shaping Culture
14:21Cultural Tools and Their Impact
18:47Iterating on Culture as a Product
21:16Conclusion and Key Takeaways
26:52Navigating Work-Life Balance in Startups
29:43Cultural Recognition and Team Dynamics
34:03Defining Good vs. Bad Company Culture
38:10The Challenges of Setting Cultural Boundaries
42:25Navigating Social Issues and Company Culture
46:51Onboarding and Cultural Integration in Growing Teams
49:40Cultural Onboarding and Integration
51:30The Art of Copying Culture
53:48Learning from Successful Cultures
58:01Adaptive Culture vs. Rigid Culture
01:07:03Evolving Beliefs About Culture
01:08:03The Meaning Behind Proletariat's Name
The boys-only episode talks about layoffs sweeping through top Swedish studios before diving into yet another round of Xbox layoffs. In this episode, we also cover Apple’s ongoing cat-and-mouse game with the EU’s DMA rules and unpack the critical difference between private equity and venture capital in gaming. The crew analyzes the early flop of Marvel Mystic Mayhem before talking about how Splitgate 2 is already struggling to justify its existence.
02:36 Sweden's Gaming Industry Layoffs
05:22 Gamescom Events Preview
06:13 Microsoft Layoffs and Xbox Strategy
13:29 Apple's Response to the DMA
21:59 Private Equity vs. Venture Capital in Gaming
32:41 Eve Online: Myth vs. Reality
34:02 Uma Musume Pretty Derby's US Launch
36:42 Marvel Mystic Mayhem's Struggles
42:55 Rainbow Six Siege: A Decade of Success
47:47 Splitgate 2: The Rise and Fall
56:25 The Harsh Realities of the Gaming Market
01:00:58 Up Next
In this episode, I sit down with Sophie Vo, studio founder, podcast host, and now the creator of Orin Retreats, to unpack why she walked away from the startup rat race to build something intentionally small, sustainable, and soul-aligned.
We talk about the version of success that nearly broke her, why the VC model fails most founders, and how depth, not scale, became her new metric for impact. If you’ve ever questioned the path you’re on, this conversation might just reframe what “winning” really looks like.
00:00 Redefining Success
05:47 The VC Dilemma
12:48 Navigating Co-Founder Dynamics
18:32 Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital: A Founder's Perspective
24:16 The AI Coaching Experience
29:52 Creating Human Connection in a Digital World
39:25 The Roots of Distrust Among Women
42:00 Navigating Female Networks and Support
46:45 The Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership
52:11 The Role of Coaching in Personal Growth
56:37 Advice and Insights from the Journey
