Naavik Gaming Podcast

In this episode, host Kalie Moore sits down with Stephen Totilo, founder of Game File and a veteran games journalist with over two decades of experience across MTV News, Kotaku, and Axios to unpack how the media landscape around gaming is rapidly evolving. As traditional outlets shrink and more journalists go independent, Stephen shares what it actually looks like to build a sustainable, subscription-based publication and why he chose to bet on himself rather than join another institution. The conversation explores the shift from institutional media power to individual credibility, and how trust, audience relationships, and direct monetization are...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on March 22nd, 2026. We explore a slightly overlooked area of AI in game development: consumer research. We focus on recent studies aimed at leveraging the vast data within LLMs to replicate human behavior and how we can actually make use of these studies in a practical way. 

You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/llms-for-games-consumer-research 

Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.

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Host Devin Becker sits down with Sam Aune (Gaming Analyst at Sensor Tower) to break down Sensor Tower's State of Gaming 2026 report, which covers the current mobile, console, and PC gaming landscape. 

The conversation spans genre-level signals and platform shifts, such as why 4X strategy bucked mobile’s downward trend to what’s driving PC’s growth. Devin and Sam unpack recent outliers and inflection points like how creator-focused hits outperformed AAA, Battlefield 6’s comeback, the rising importance of cross-platform parity for shooters, and what GTA 6 could do to the broader “social” game landscape. They close with the biggest o...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on March 22nd, 2026. We look into the Korean games giant NCSoft’s 70% acquisition in the Berlin-based cash-reward gaming platform JustPlay. We unpack what this deal — the latest in a long string of M&A — might mean for the company’s future.

You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/ncsofts-200m-bet-on-cash-reward-gaming

Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.

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In this special GDC episode, host Kalie Moore sits down with Tiago Correia, the Founder of Save Point, and a longtime operator and investor at the intersection of gaming, media, and technology, to unpack the biggest themes emerging from this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. They discuss the current mood across the industry, which remains cautiously optimistic but far from the exuberance of previous years. While AI dominated conversations across the conference, both note that gaming companies appear to be adopting AI more quietly than the broader tech ecosystem, in part because of the close re...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on March 8th, 2026. We take a look at the Japanese publisher Capcom, exploring how it has managed to sustain growth and success for years, and what its future might look like.

You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/unpacking-capcoms-win-streak 

Read our new State of UGC Games report here: https://naavik.co/deep-dives/the-state-of-ugc-games-2026 

Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.

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In this episode, host Kalie Moore talks with Bastian Bergmann, Co-founder & COO of Solsten, about the collision between gaming and branding, and why most companies still don’t know how to show up in games without feeling like an ad. With 3B+ people playing worldwide and gaming still capturing only ~5% of global ad spend, Bastian argues the opportunity isn’t awareness, it’s audience strategy. Kalie and Bastian break down why gaming is the only medium that truly spans every demographic, from Gen Alpha to “silver surfers,” and why brands fail when they lead with stereotypes or build empty “brand worlds...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on March 8th, 2026. We look at Nexon and how the success of ARC Raiders might transform the company’s future. 

Read our new State of UGC Games report here: https://naavik.co/deep-dives/the-state-of-ugc-games-2026 

Meet us at GDC 2026 by filling out this short form: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/gVDtj4UO

You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/the-arc-raiders-ification-of-nexon

Let us know what you think by sending us a note...

A new breed of “micro-indie” publisher is emerging: teams that fund sub-$200K games, ship fast, and treat releases like a portfolio. In this episode, host Alexandra Takei, VP at Medal, sits down with Kirill Akimkin, founder of Polden Publishing, to unpack the world of micro indies and discovery. In 2025, they shipped almost 8 games with $800K and plan to ship 20 titles in 2026. Kirill explains that much of their developer pipeline is inbound: a Telegram-led media presence brings developers to them, and that they are more “researchers” than experts, with strict KPIs for a game's release. We discuss their genre strategy...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on March 1st, 2026. We provide a snippet of our new deep dive covering all things UGC gaming. We break down the latest performance of leaders like Roblox, Fortnite Creative, Overwolf, and explore other notable trends and companies. You can read the full report here: https://naavik.co/deep-dives/the-state-of-ugc-games-2026 

Meet us at GDC 2026 by filling out this short form: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/gVDtj4UO 

Sensor Tower’s State of Gaming report: https://sensortower.com/report/state-of-gaming-2026?utm_source=naavik&utm_medi...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on February 22nd, 2026. We explore how niche subgenres – Block, Sort, and Screw – are reshaping the mobile puzzle market.

You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/how-niche-subgenres-are-reshaping-the-mobile-puzzle-market

Meet us at GDC 2026 by filling out this short form: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/gVDtj4UO 

Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.

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Medical training is still stuck in the arcade era: expensive, basement-bound simulators and outdated software that rarely capture the real stakes of clinical decision-making. In this episode, host Alexandra Takei, Studio Director at Ruckus Games, sits down with Sam Glassenberg, founder of Level Ex (now part of Relevate Health), to unpack how game developers can modernize healthcare learning by truly embracing the craft of video game design, not “gamification” lipstick. The opportunity and the market here are much bigger than you might assume. Healthcare is a trillion-dollar industry in the US alone, and if you can create products that save...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on February 15th, 2026. We explore Turkish game development in 2026, discussing what other countries can learn from its ascent and considerations for its next era.

You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://naavik.co/digest/why-turkish-game-development-matters-in-2026/ 

Meet us at GDC 2026 by filling out this short form: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/gVDtj4UO 

Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.

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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, they dig into Roblox’s continued growth and what its recent results imply, even as age-related scrutiny and safety conversations remain p...

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.

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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 down year for console sales, Nex sold over 650,000 units, expanded into thousands of retail stores, and capt...

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.co.

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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

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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 in cheaper markets and reselling in premium ones) and promo stockpiling (buying deep-discount keys during sales, then reselling...

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 episodes: YouTube Channel

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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 strategies for games like Minecraft, Rust, and Ark differ fundamentally from those in mobile gaming.

The conversation covers the nuances of player relationships...

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 game adaptable (and when it shouldn’t be touched), how Story Kitchen stays aligned with develope...

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 breakthroughs that finally made this approach viable. The conversation also explores the types of bugs and edge cases this new method c...

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 time. The conversation digs into why video games are an ideal training ground, including but not limited to...

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 total plays. Chad brings a studio-level perspective on building hit experiences, navigating upda...

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 navigating past the noise to uncover the practical, long-term opportunities these technologies can offer game developers and players alike.

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 transition, Pearl Abyss’s acquisition, and the studio today, revealing how an original team of thirty developers pioneere...

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 versus build standalone worlds. Zach also shares what makes an IP “Roblox-ready,” how transmedia loops amplify impact across YouTube, Discord, and me...

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, player communications, and analytics. 

First Look acts as a CRM for games, helping studios streamline playtesting, gather pla...

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 of Virtual Tabletops (VTTs) like Roll20 and Foundry, the conversation examines how platforms are reshaping distribution, play, and...

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 engineering audience: AI and talent. They discuss AI use cases and tool stacks, how they balance context, security, and flexibility, and how they guide engineering...

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 game companies like Zynga, Kabam, and GameStop. Doug Rosen is the former SVP of Games and Emerging Media...

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 creator earnings, and how to create a platform for both Web2 and Web3 gaming audiences.

We’d like to thank Neon –...

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 mean for the future of digital interactivity. The episode rounds out with a look at current console strategies – including the succe...

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 live titles with marketing muscle and pioneering UA financing before it was...

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 that show promise but still need refinement.

The episode dives into where AI is making the biggest impact today, such as co...

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 workers. 

The two explore how job supply is increasingly mismatched with demand, particularly at the junior and late-career end...

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 Legends, EA FC, Madden, and more), lessons learned in managing grassroots efforts and keeping competition fresh, and how M...

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 decisions, the troubling positions of many Western publishers, the benefits of simplifying publisher strategies, and Owen’s bullishness on AI. Notab...

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 — Netflix, Vans, Shrek, Spotify, the NHL, and more. Most recently, they’ve been expanding beyond...