Naavik Gaming Podcast

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on May 10th, 2026. This week, we dive deep into Savvy Games Group, exploring what the Saudi Arabian gaming holding company now owns, how it’s performed, and its endgame.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/inside-saudi-arabias-gaming-empireMeet with Naavik at the Nordic Game 2026: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/Jc5cl7eY Let us know what you think by sending us a note at pod...

In this episode, host Kalie Moore sits down with Julia Palatovska, Co-Founder and CEO of Dorian, to explore one of the most underappreciated shifts in entertainment: the convergence of user-generated content, interactive storytelling, and female-first fandoms. As microdrama consumption explodes globally, Julia argues that the real opportunity isn’t just in passive viewing but in turning audiences into creators and stories into interactive, monetizable experiences. She breaks down how Dorian is building a no-code platform that enables creators from cosplayers to webcomic artists, to launch games, iterate in real time, and generate meaningful income through free-to-play mechanics typically reserved fo...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on May 3rd, 2026. This week, we examine what direction China’s gaming giants are taking following the decline of the traditional Anime-Gacha ARPG model.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/beyond-gacha-why-chinas-gaming-giants-are-pivoting-to-lifestyle-sims Meet with Naavik at the Nordic Game 2026: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/Jc5cl7eY Our most recent AI x Gaming newsletter: https://naavik.substack.com/p/kraftons-radical-ai-transformation Le...

In this episode, host Kalie Moore sits down with Terry Lee, CEO of Fusebox Games, to unpack one of the most overlooked but powerful business models in mobile gaming: interactive fiction built on licensed IP. While much of the industry chases scale through mechanics or ads, Fusebox has quietly built a $30M+ business by turning hit TV shows like Love Island into living, evolving games with some of the highest payer conversion rates in mobile. Terry shares how the studio transformed from a one-season-per-year content cycle into a high-frequency content machine, why writing (not tech), is their true competitive...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on April 26th, 2026. This week, we dive into Unity’s ongoing turnaround, the promise of Vector (its ad platform), and what comes next as AI evolves game development.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/unitys-ad-driven-turnaroundLet us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFr...

Host Devin Becker sits down with Nicolas Vizioli (Founder of Lemonade) to unpack what “AI coding for UGC in Roblox” actually looks like in practice, ranging from how Lemonade plugs into Roblox workflows to why Roblox is a uniquely interesting target compared to broader “vibe coding” for apps. Nicolas shares early results, where the product is (and isn’t) competitive with Roblox’s native tools, and how AI-assisted development has changed over the time he’s been building in this space. They also zoom out to where AI fits across UGC platforms, what impact it’s already having on Roblox creators...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on April 19th, 2026. We examine the exploding number of mobile games made with AI, exploring how advances in generative AI and vibe coding are affecting the market and whether these additions are still just “AI slop” games.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/is-the-era-of-mobile-ai-slop-games-hereSensor Tower’s Action & Strategy Report: https://sensortower.com/report/gaming-deep-dive-action-and-strategy?utm_source=naavik&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=&utm_content=newsletterNaavik...

It can feel like modern game development competes to ship the best game with the smallest possible team. We constantly hear stories about breakout titles built by a handful of developers, but that narrative is often incomplete. Behind many “tiny teams” sits a much larger layer of co-development, outsourcing, and external support across engineering, art, QA, localization, and more. In this episode, host Alexandra Takei, VP at Medal, sits down with Ninel Anderson, founder and CEO of Devoted Studios, to go under the hood of that hidden layer of game development. The two unpack what co-development actually is, w...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on April 12th, 2026. We dig into the past, present, and future of music games – exploring the nuances of licensing, mobile winners, Fortnite’s music evolution, Duolingo’s new focus, the upcoming launch of Stage Tour, and more.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/music-games-and-the-setlist-problem Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episode...

Host Devin Becker sits down with Aaron Bush (Managing Partner & Co-founder of Naavik) for a grounded look at how games are using AI today, separating real production wins from the hype. They map where the industry is right now and then dig into concrete examples across the pipeline: Capcom’s ideation and efficiency gains, Pearl Abyss using placeholder assets during development on Crimson Desert, Embark and Nexon’s work across experiential data, coding, and voice, and Krafton’s experiments with AI co-playable characters and workflow optimization. The conversation also covers the less glamorous (but high-impact) uses like Live Ops conten...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on April 5th, 2026. We explore Epic Game’s strategic shake-up in the wake of its latest layoffs, including its reorientation on UGC creators, Fortnite’s stagnation, the looming Disney IP implementation, and what else may come next.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/epics-strategic-shake-up Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and d...

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.Wa...

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-gamingLet us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube...

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.Wa...

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-nexonLet 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...