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What's behind the Xsolla rebrand? | Berkley Egenes from Xsolla #PGConnects
The gaming industry is currently undergoing a significant shift toward direct-to-consumer (D2C) models, driven by evolving global regulations that have dismantled traditional walled gardens on mobile platforms.
- The gaming industry is shifting toward direct-to-consumer (D2C) models, allowing developers to bypass mobile app store limitations through web shops and independent monetization strategies.
- Developers are increasingly utilizing third-party partners as merchants of record to manage the technical and legal complexities of global compliance and international taxation.
- Integrating payment systems with social platforms like Discord and Reddit enables developers to foster community-driven experiences that improve player retention and revenue capture.
🚨📢 BREAKING NEWS: Mobile Stagnates, Monopoly GO Hits $6B, Liftoff Files for IPO
The mobile gaming industry experienced a period of divergence in 2025, characterized by a slight rise in global revenue to $81.8 billion while traditional app store metrics suggested stagnation.
- Scopely’s Monopoly Go became the fastest mobile game in history to reach $6 billion in lifetime revenue, achieving the milestone in 1,275 days and currently generating approximately $200 million per month.
- Global mobile gaming revenue reached $81.8 billion in 2025, though traditional app store metrics show stagnation due to a massive shift toward web stores that bypass platform fees.
- Industry observers estimate that 40% to 50% of revenue from large-scale developers is now excluded from standard iOS and Google Play tracking, meaning official reports likely underrepresent actual market performance.
TWiG #368: Ubisoft Cuts, TikTok Slips, and Gaming’s Next Distribution Crisis
The global gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant structural volatility, characterized by widespread workforce reductions and evolving regulatory pressures.
- Ubisoft has reduced its workforce by over 3,000 employees within the last two years, reflecting broader structural volatility in the gaming industry.
- Valve is facing an $897.7 million legal challenge regarding its Steam commission structure while implementing new AI disclosure rules that only require transparency for content used in gameplay, store pages, or marketing.
- TikTok’s mobile advertising share has dropped from 21% to 12% amid stagnant daily active user growth and ongoing efforts to decouple from its parent company, ByteDance.
Is this make or break for GDC?
The global game development industry is currently navigating a period of significant instability, marked by widespread workforce reductions and shifting technological priorities.
- Over 25% of global game industry professionals have faced layoffs in the last two years, with that figure rising to 33% within the United States.
- Unreal Engine has surpassed Unity as the primary engine for developers, while the Steam Deck has become a higher priority for development focus than the Nintendo Switch 2.
- Despite rapid adoption for brainstorming and research, a majority of developers now view generative AI as a detrimental force within the industry.
🎯 Hunting Sniper Review: Old game, new UA = SERIOUS Money!
The mobile game Hunting Sniper has emerged as a significant financial success within the realistic sports genre, generating approximately $200,000 in daily revenue.
- Hunting Sniper generates approximately $200,000 in daily revenue, outperforming established genre competitors like Hunting Clash by nearly tenfold.
- The game’s rapid scaling since its August 2024 launch is driven primarily by an aggressive user acquisition strategy rather than innovative game design.
- Developers maintain a high-volume creative output, releasing hundreds of new marketing assets monthly across Facebook, Google, and TikTok.
GDC concerns, AppLovin allegations, why app makers want game talent, jobs, data, more
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant transition, characterized by shifting event attendance patterns, ongoing corporate legal challenges, and a growing cross-industry demand for specialized talent.
- Global in-app purchase revenue for mobile games reached $81.75 billion in 2025, though U.S. spending remains largely flat with only 1% growth.
- Non-gaming companies, including Duolingo and major dating platforms, are actively recruiting mobile game talent for their expertise in gamification, user retention, and monetization.
- AppLovin is facing aggressive scrutiny and allegations from short sellers regarding ties to sanctioned entities, which the company has formally denied and labeled as defamatory.
Was the Activision–Microsoft Deal a Fire Sale?
The legal dispute between the Swedish pension fund AP7 and former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick centers on allegations that the $69 billion acquisition of Activision by Microsoft was a rushed transaction designed to secure a $400 million payout for Kotick and shield him from accountability regarding workplace misconduct…
- The Swedish pension fund AP7 is suing former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, alleging the $69 billion Microsoft acquisition was a rushed deal designed to secure Kotick a $400 million payout and shield him from workplace misconduct scandals.
- AP7 contends that Activision’s board breached its fiduciary duty to maximize shareholder value by failing to independently evaluate the sale or solicit competing bids from other potential buyers.
- Kotick justifies the $69 billion sale as a strategic exit necessitated by deteriorating industry fundamentals, including year-over-year declines in Call of Duty sales and a contraction in the console market.
Interview: Highguard developers on dealing with the hostile reception to its ambitious shooter
Wildlight, an independent studio founded by industry veterans from the Apex Legends and Titanfall development teams, recently launched its debut title, Highguard.
- Wildlight, a 100-person studio founded by Apex Legends and Titanfall veterans, is positioning its debut title 'Highguard' as a 'raid shooter' that blends base-raiding, open-world exploration, and tactical combat.
- To mitigate the risks of the saturated live-service market, the studio launched with a full year of content already in development and a pre-planned roadmap.
- The studio utilized a surprise reveal at The Game Awards followed by a six-week quiet period to manage community anticipation and finalize development.
GAMEHEARTS Concept Design Document
The GAMEHEARTS project, funded by Horizon Europe, seeks to integrate the European video game industry with cultural institutions to create inclusive and engaging "ludic experiences."
- GAMEHEARTS is a Horizon Europe project (101132543) Work Package 6 deliverable defining a concept for a wordless, single-player PC rolling-ball environmental adventure built in Unreal Engine 5 with a hybrid 2D/3D art style and orchestral audio.
- The concept was developed by five universities, Ubisoft, and three cultural partners: the Imperial War Museum, the London Symphony Orchestra, and City Football Group.
- The game is set in semi-realistic wartime Europe, following a football seeking reunion with its family through a three-act narrative, with core mechanics of movement, inflation and deflation, chiming, and rhythm and puzzle systems.
The AI Disruption Index: How AI Is Reshaping Consumer Discovery
The "AI Disruption Index" analyzes the profound impact of artificial intelligence on consumer discovery and the broader customer journey across various industries.
- One-third of U.S. adults now use personal AI agents for product discovery, while nearly 50% utilize AI for purchase research.
- AI-driven 'zero-click' discovery is actively eroding traditional paid search and organic search channels, threatening sectors like retail, education, and health & fitness.
- Sectors with strong regulatory or content moats, specifically financial services, media rights holders, and auto OEMs, currently maintain a defensive advantage against AI disintermediation.
Key Insights and Data: 2023–2025
The gaming industry is experiencing robust growth, projected to reach $197 billion by 2025 with a 7.5% annual increase, primarily fueled by mobile and PC gaming.
- Global gaming revenue is projected to reach $197 billion in 2025, representing a 7.5% year-over-year increase driven primarily by mobile and PC segments.
- Mobile gaming remains the dominant force in the industry, accounting for over 50% of global revenue and more than 80% of the total player base.
- The mobile market is increasingly a winner-take-all environment, with the top 10 to 50 titles on Google Play and the Apple App Store capturing a growing share of total revenue.
☠️ The end of original creatives: Creative Trends just got darker
The mobile gaming industry is currently undergoing a fundamental shift toward a copy-first development strategy, prioritizing high-volume, replicable creative assets over original intellectual property.
- The mobile gaming industry is shifting toward a copy-first strategy that prioritizes high-volume, replicable creative assets over original intellectual property to maximize conversion metrics.
- Artificial intelligence is being leveraged to mass-produce deceptive creative content, significantly lowering production costs while enabling the rapid deployment of fabricated, high-drama scenarios.
- Publishers are increasingly utilizing 'fake ads' that feature unauthorized use of major global brands and misleading gameplay representations to drive user acquisition.