August
Company
Documents about August
Why Playtime is Prime-Time for Back-to-School Media Plans this Summer
Effective back-to-school media planning requires engaging consumers well before the traditional August shopping surge.
- Advertisers should initiate back-to-school campaigns in June and July to establish brand familiarity before consumers begin formal research and price comparisons in August.
- Interest in hardware and laptops spikes by 40% in August as students and parents transition from summer leisure to academic preparation.
- Gaming session lengths for the 16-24 age demographic decrease by 12% in August, signaling a shift in user behavior that brands can leverage for targeted messaging.
Introducing the AI and Games Podcast
The AI and Games platform has officially launched a new fortnightly podcast, marking a significant expansion of its existing newsletter and YouTube content.
- AI and Games has launched a new fortnightly podcast, powered by AWS for Games, offering ad-free episodes and bonus content for premium subscribers.
- The AI and Games Podcast will cover industry news, big talking points, and interviews with sector guests, adhering to editorial principles of meaningful iteration, challenging hype, and building trust.
- The first season of the podcast will feature interviews with AWS development teams and companies they work with, alongside other industry figures, including an interview with Dr. Mike Cook about his 'Next Level' book.
It's Xbox's Turn (Again), as Console Prices Keep Going Up
Microsoft’s latest price hike for the Xbox Series S and X, effective August 1, marks the third adjustment in just over a year.
- Microsoft announced a third price hike in just over a year for Xbox Series consoles, effective August 1, 2026, raising the Xbox Series S from $300 to $500 and the Xbox Series X from $500 to $800.
- This Xbox price increase follows similar actions by Sony for PlayStation 5 consoles in Spring 2026 and a "slow-motion increase" for Nintendo's Switch 2 starting September 2026, indicating a broader industry trend of rising console prices.
- Console prices, which historically decreased over a generation, have surged over the past year, with eight video game industry price hikes occurring in six months of 2025 alone.
New AI Tracks at Gamescom Dev 2026
The Game AI Events non-profit organization has announced a strategic partnership with Gamescom Dev to introduce two specialized artificial intelligence tracks at the 2026 conference in Cologne, Germany.
- Game AI Events CIC, the non-profit behind the AI and Games Conference, is partnering with Gamescom Dev 2026 to co-curate new AI tracks for the video games industry.
- Gamescom Dev 2026 will take place from August 23rd-25th in Cologne, Germany, and the AI for Gameplay and AI for Production tracks will be accessible with a regular Gamescom Dev ticket.
- The AI and Games Conference, which focuses on AI research and applications in video games, has over 8,000 subscribers and recently announced its return to London in November 2026.
Applications Open for Roots & Pixels Programme: Bringing African Women Game Developers to Belgium
The Roots & Pixels programme has launched an open call for applications, offering a fully funded international training opportunity for female-identifying game developers.
- The Roots & Pixels programme is offering a fully funded, two-week training initiative for 17 female-identifying game developers in Kortrijk, Belgium, from March 15–26, 2027.
- The cohort will consist of nine developers from South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda, and eight developers based in Belgium, with all travel, accommodation, and training costs covered by VLIRUOS.
- The curriculum targets junior-level professionals across programming, design, production, art, and community management, culminating in a collaborative game jam focused on games for impact.
Arabic Games and Devcom Open Scholarship Applications for North African Developers
Arabic Games and Devcom have launched a joint Diversity & Access Scholarship program aimed at supporting game developers from the MENA region.
- Arabic Games and Devcom have launched a Diversity & Access Scholarship to connect North African developers with the global games industry via events in Cologne, Germany.
- The scholarship provides complimentary access to Devcom (August 24–25) and the Gamescom B2B event (August 26–28).
- Selected participants must attend mandatory online briefings and an on-site Scholarship Day on August 23 to facilitate networking with publishers and investors.
State of Survival: Revenue and Player Statistics (2019 - 2026)
State of Survival, a 4X zombie strategy game published by FunPlus International AG, has transitioned from a high-growth title into a mature, monetization-focused asset.
- State of Survival has generated $1.69 billion in lifetime revenue since its 2019 launch, with annual revenue declining from a $516 million peak in 2021 to $63 million in 2025.
- The game has experienced a significant contraction in scale, with monthly downloads, revenue, and monthly active users (MAU) down by 95%, 93%, and 91% respectively from their historical peaks.
- As of 2026, the game maintains a stable, mature player base of 5 million monthly active users and generates an average daily revenue per user (ARPDAU) of $0.79.
Bigetron by Vitality Wins MPL ID S17: 2.9M Peak Viewers
Bigetron by Vitality secured the first MPL Indonesia Season 17 title, defeating ONIC Esports 4-1 in a Grand Final that attracted a peak viewership of approximately 2.9 million across streaming platforms.
- Bigetron by Vitality won the MPL Indonesia Season 17 title by defeating ONIC Esports 4-1 in a Grand Final that reached 2.9 million peak viewers.
- The tournament ranked as the fifth-most popular esports event of 2026, trailing only the M7 World Championship.
- English-language viewership for the event exceeded 250,000 peak viewers for the first time, indicating a shift toward broader international engagement.
Last War: Survival Revenue & Player Count Statistics (2022 - 2026)
Last War: Survival has emerged as a dominant force in the mobile 4X strategy genre, transitioning from a niche title to a multi-billion dollar enterprise within approximately 18 months of its August 2023 global launch.
- Last War: Survival has generated $3.5 billion in lifetime revenue and accumulated 192.5 million downloads since its global release on August 2, 2023.
- The game achieved its peak annual revenue in 2025 with $1.65 billion, following $1.2 billion in 2024 and $14 million in 2023.
- As of May 2026, the game maintains a player base of 3.3 million daily active users (DAU) and 16.2 million monthly active users (MAU).
EWC 2026 Last Chance Qualifiers: Dates, Games, and Slots
The EWC 2026 Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQs) constitute a tightly packed, month-long series of tournaments designed to grant teams and players a final pathway into the World Cup.
- The EWC 2026 Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQs) will allocate 38 total slots—32 individual and 6 club berths—across eight titles, including Counter-Strike 2, Street Fighter 6, and EA Sports FC.
- The final Paris-based LCQ phase is scheduled to run from July 5 to August 10, 2026, following a series of over fifteen high-profile qualifying events held between mid-April and late June.
- Viewership for the 2026 IEM Cologne Major reached a peak of one million viewers, with Stage 3 opening times occurring 30% faster than the previous Major.
AI and Games Conference 2026
The 2026 AI and Games Conference is scheduled to take place from November 10 to 11, 2026, at the Here East innovation campus in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
- The AI and Games Conference will return to London from November 10th to 11th, 2026, at a new venue, Here East in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
- The call for submissions for speakers is currently open and will close on August 3rd, 2026.
- Early-bird tickets for the conference are currently available for purchase, with subsidized options for students and indie developers.
Destiny Rising Revenue Crashes 97% as Downloads Fall 96.5% From Launch Peak
The report examines the sharp decline in revenue and downloads for Destiny Rising, a mobile spin-off of Bungie’s Destiny franchise developed by NetEase Games.
- Destiny Rising experienced a 97% collapse in monthly revenue, falling from a $11.13 million peak in September 2025 to $329,500 by April 2026.
- Global monthly downloads for the NetEase-developed title plummeted 96.5%, dropping from 1.815 million installs at launch in September 2025 to 63,000 in April 2026.
- Despite consistent content updates, including the Exotic Star event and Season 4 balance changes, the game failed to sustain its post-launch player base or monetization levels.