TWIG #357 Royal Match $200M Splurge, Arc Raiders AI Controversy and AI Duolingo's Broken Streak
Epic vs Google stays stuck in limbo as the judge rejects the settlement, Duolingo’s stock finally breaks its streak, and Square Enix joins the wave of Eastern publishers restructuring their way into a new identity. Royal Match’s reported $200M ad spend shows just how hard you have to swing to own casual in 2025, while Chinese publishers quietly (and efficiently) conquer the entire merge genre with speed and scale Western studios can’t match.Meanwhile, Arc Raiders is heating up—and so is the controversy around its AI-generated voice work. Welcome to the modern games industry: court battles, collapsing multiples, mega-spend user acquisition, genre takeovers, and existential AI debates, all happening at once. Buckle up.00:43 Epic vs Google Case Discussion13:50 Duolingo's Struggles and Gamification20:49 Square Enix Restructuring and Industry Trends30:43 Analyzing Sensor Tower's Report on Digital Ad Spend32:01 Royal Kingdom vs. Royal Match: A Deep Dive34:37 The Innovator's Dilemma in Mobile Gaming35:26 The Rise of New Puzzle Sub-Genres39:05 The Cost of Marketing Campaigns49:58 Arc Raiders: A New Success Story57:04 AI in Gaming: Controversies and Opinions01:01:09 Conclusion
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Shooter Monthly #1: Battlefield Revolution, Arc Raiders Evolution, and the ABI Mystery
Welcome to the debut episode of Shooter Monthly, the podcast that’s never out of projectiles. Host Phillip Black (DICE) is joined by shooter Avengers, Christopher Anjos (EA, Timi, ATVI), Chris Sides (Bungie, Capital Games), and Feras Musmar (DICE, TTK Games) for a wide-ranging discussion on the current shooter landscape.We talk:Arena Breakout: Infinite’s Surprising Launch – Tarkov-style hit from China that’s quietly carving out a Western following. The crew debates whether free-to-play extraction shooters are the new normal or just a niche.Arc Raiders – Embark’s long-awaited extraction-adventure hybrid surges past 100K concurrent players. Can a PvE-leaning world and “welcoming danger” finally broaden the genre’s audience?Battlefield 6’s comeback – Record launch numbers, smoother tech, and a revived franchise, yet old wounds around XP pacing, reward structures, and live-service execution remain.The premium vs. free-to-play fault line dividing East and West, why extraction shooter is a terrible genre name, and whether holding back “Season 1" content at launch is smart or cynical.The crew asks the big question: Can Battlefield finally dethrone Call of Duty - or is this just another flash of Swedish steel before the next reset?
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TWIG #356 Epic vs Google, Roblox’s Rough Quarter, Supercell Pulls the Plug
Epic takes another swing at Google and wins, Unity cozies up with Epic in a surprising move, and Roblox continues to puzzle investors after a tough earnings call. We also dive into Arcadia Gaming Partners’ growing influence, and why Supercell pulled the plug on Squad Busters.0:00 Welcome01:26 Updates, Announcements, and Shills07:06 Epic and Google Settlement Details18:11 Unity and Epic Collaboration22:22 Roblox Earnings and Market Performance27:01 Roblox's Recent Performance and Employee Shakeups31:41 Monetization Challenges and Regional Differences33:26 Future Prospects and Advertising Potential37:58 Arcadia Gaming Partners' Investments42:17 Supercell's Squad Busters Cancellation
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Cyprus 7: Where Are All The Greek Gaming Studios on Cyprus?
Alex Siamantas of Holyday Studios reflected on eleven years of building a profitable idle-RPG studio as one of the island’s few Greek founders
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Cyprus 6: The Secret Behind White Nights Conferences with Julia Lebedeva
Julia Lebedeva of WN Media Group spoke about launching the first Women in Games Cyprus event
Deconstructor of Fun podcast is created by games professionals for games professionals. We explore the business side of the games industry with the goal of bringing listeners content that is relevant, insightful, and entertaining on a weekly basis.
Hosts:
Michail Katkoff @mkatkoff www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/
Eric Kress @ekress
www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/
Laura Taranto @laurataranto www.linkedin.com/in/laurataranto/
Phillip Black @econosopher www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-black-economist/
Jen Donahoe @Jen_Donahoe www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdonahoe
South Africa