Naavik Gaming Podcast
Episodes
Naavik Digest: Why China’s Gaming Giants Are Pivoting to Lifestyle-Sims
03 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Fandoms, Writing Moats, and the Future of Interactive Fiction
28 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Naavik Digest: Unity’s Ad-Driven Turnaround
26 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 pro...
Building AI Tools for Roblox Creators
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Host Devin Becker sits down with Nicolas Vizioli (Founder of Lemonade) to unpack what “AI coding for UGC in Roblox” actually looks like in practic...
Naavik Digest: Is The Era of Mobile “AI Slop” Games Here?
19 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
The Role of Co-Development in Modern Game Development
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It can feel like modern game development competes to ship the best game with the smallest possible team. We constantly hear stories about breakout tit...
Naavik Digest: Music Games and the Setlist Problem
12 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 – ...
How Game Devs Use AI Today
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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, separat...
Naavik Digest: Epic’s Strategic Shake-Up
05 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Future of Games Media: AI, Substack, and the Rise of Independent Journalism
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 experien...
Naavik Digest: LLMs for Games Consumer Research
29 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 developme...
The State of Gaming in 2026 (with Sensor Tower)
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Naavik Digest: NCSoft’s $200M Bet on Cash-Reward Gaming
22 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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% acquisitio...
GDC 2026: AI, UGC, and the New Reality of Game Funding
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 int...
Naavik Digest: Unpacking Capcom’s Win-Streak
15 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
How Better Measurement Will Unlock the Next Wave of Brands in Gaming
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Kalie Moore talks with Bastian Bergmann, Co-founder & COO of Solsten, about the collision between gaming and branding, and w...
Naavik Digest: The Arc Raiders-ification of Nexon
08 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 tran...
How Sub-$200K Games Win Discovery and the Steam Algorithm
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 episo...
Naavik Digest: The State of UGC Games in 2026
01 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Naavik Digest: How Niche Subgenres are Reshaping the Mobile Puzzle Market
22 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on February 22nd, 2026. We explore how niche subgenres – Block, Sort, and Screw ...
Why Healthcare Is Gaming’s Next Trillion-Dollar Market
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Medical training is still stuck in the arcade era: expensive, basement-bound simulators and outdated software that rarely capture the real stakes of c...
Naavik Digest: Why Turkish Game Development Matters in 2026
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on February 15th, 2026. We explore Turkish game development in 2026, discussing wh...
INT_FEB_10
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Naavik Digest: Project Genie and the Stock Market’s Category Error
08 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on February 8th, 2026. We look into Project Genie — Google’s experimental AI t...
Family-First Gaming: Breaking Into Consumer Hardware with Nex
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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: lau...
Naavik Digest: Do "Fair" Gacha Games Work?
01 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Naavik Digest: Square Enix Refutes and Reframes
25 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on January 25th, 2026. We examine Square Enix’s recent performance, explore what...
Inside the PC Game Gray Market Economy
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The PC games “gray market” isn’t just a couple of shady websites. It’s an economic behavior that exploits regional pricing and promotion timin...
Naavik Digest: What Leading Match-3 & Merge Games Do Differently
18 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Why UGC Creators Need Webshops Too
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The direct-to-consumer (D2C) model is expanding beyond traditional webshops and into the world of user-generated content (UGC), especially on PC and c...
How User-Generated Games Are Becoming Hollywood Franchises
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Kalie Moore talks with Dmitri M. Johnson and Mike Goldberg, Co-founders of Story Kitchen, the studio behind major game-to-screen...
How AI Continues to Reshape Game QA
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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. Ho...
Inside General Intuition’s Push to Build Embodied AI Agents
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 d...
INT_NOV_27
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pushing Frontier Tech in Gaming
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pushing the boundaries of what's possible in gaming often means embracing unproven technologies and building in the fog of innovation. In this episode...
Hilmar Petursson on Building Games That Last Forever
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Creator-Led Studio Playbook
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Kalie Moore talks with Zach Letter, Co-founder & CEO of Wonder Works Studio, the makers of hit Roblox experiences, including...
The Future of Game Publishing Is Player Ownership
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Pragm...
The Present & Future of Digital Tabletop RPGs
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
AI & Talent in Games Engineering: Hype Meets Reality – Live at Pragma OSS
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Kyns...
Why Big Companies Are Betting on Roblox
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host David Taylor sits down with two fantastic guests to explore why large entertainment companies are increasingly paying attention ...
The TikTok of Games
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Kalie Moore talks with Charlie Blackstock, Co-founder & CEO of Remix.gg, the “TikTok of games” where anyone can instantl...
Market Update: UEFN Monetization, Meta’s Vision, and the Future of Consoles
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With the games industry in constant evolution, it’s important to occasionally pause and take stock of where things stand. Host Devin Becker is joine...
UA Financing Reshapes Mobile Publishing with Tilting Point
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Ruc...
On the Front Lines of AI Game Dev
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With AI taking over the tech industry, its role in game development is slowly shifting from novelty to potential necessity. Host Devin Becker sits dow...
Inside Gaming’s Deepening Labor Crisis with Amir Satvat
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Gam...
The Business of Esports at EA
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Why the Games Industry Might Triple (Despite Its Challenges)
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Launching a Roblox Game Studio with The Gang
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 stud...
The Story of Medal: Shaping the Future of Gaming Content
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pim de Witte, founder and CEO of Medal, joins Aaron Bush to discuss his journey building a leading platform for capturing and sharing gaming moments. ...
From Imagine Dragons Fame To Night Street’s Shooter: Last Flag
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, sits down with Mac Reynolds, co-founder and CEO of Night Street Games and Night Stree...
Call of Duty: Origins
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, host David Taylor sits down with Dan Bunting, the former Studio Head of Treyarch and one of the key creative leaders behind the Call ...
Exploring the $70M Esports World Cup
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The esports industry has heavily evolved over the past few years, and big moves continue to occur – especially out of Saudi Arabia.In this episode, ...
Apple vs Epic Aftermath: A New Era for Game DTC
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Apple’s forced policy shift following the outcome of its legal battle with Epic Games has opened the door for more flexible Direct to Consumer (DTC)...
2025’s Gaming Landscape: Africa
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Africa’s gaming market is young, fast-growing, and mobile-first. In this episode, host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, is joined by Corde...
Exploring Minecraft's World of Builders & Businesses
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, host David Taylor dives into the world of Minecraft’s massive creator ecosystem with two of its most influential creators:Raf is...
Launching Original IP on Roblox
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, podcast David Taylor is joined by Alexander Hicks, the co-founder of Twin Atlas, one of the most innovative studios in the Roblox eco...
Cross-Border Publishing: Lessons From Netease’s Once Human
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, sits down with Derek Qiu, Head of Overseas Operations at NetEase, to explore the cros...
The State of Publishing and Live Ops
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today, has led teams overseeing some of the biggest commercial successes from the MMORPG genre, and has leveraged those experiences to suppo...
The State of UGC Games in 2025
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Devin Becker welcomes fellow Naavik host and consultant David Taylor to discuss insights from Naavik’s recent State of UGC Gam...
The Future of Brands in Live Streaming
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, dives into the intersection of brand marketing, live streaming, and culturally relev...
Finding the Fun in VR with AstroBeam and Schell Games
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Sam Distaso dives into the cutting edge of VR game development with Devin Reimer (founder and CEO of AstroBeam) and Ed Saxton (C...
Sustainable Growth: Building Studios Without External Funding
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time in Naavik’s history, we’re excited to bring a live audience show experience to air! At GDC, host, Alexandra Takei, Director at ...
Personalization in Gaming: The Holy Grail of User Experience (and Monetization)
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Niko Vuori interviews Justin Stolzenberg, co-founder of Metica, a startup aiming to revolutionize gaming analytics through AI-dr...
Com2Us’s Evolution: Gaming Innovation and Global Expansion
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, our host, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, sits down with Kyu Lee, Chief Business Development Officer at Com2Us, Partner at...
Why Web3 Gaming Is Just Getting Started: Insights from the Ronin Ecosystem
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Niko Vuori speaks with Jeff Zirlin, co-founder of Sky Mavis and the play-to-earn OG, Axie Infinity, about the significant develo...
Building a #1 Earning VR Game
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over the years, Spatial has undergone a wide-ranging evolution. It evolved from an AR collaboration platform to a Roblox competitor (with 2M+ creators...
The Future of AI Unscripted Entertainment
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, is joined by Jacob Rapoport (CEO and Co-Founder) and Nico Vereecke from Evil Plan to...
Cloud Creations: Scaling up Game Development
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cloud technology is transforming the way games are developed, hosted, and maintained. In this episode, host Devin Becker is joined by Chris Melissinos...
The State of Video Game Financing in 2025
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Alexanda Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, sits down with Spike Laurie, Partner at Hiro Capital, to dissect gaming finance's grim...
Can Play-to-Earn Ever Be Sustainable?
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Naavik Gaming podcast, host Niko Vuori welcomes back Luke Barwikowski, founder and CEO of Pixels.xyz, to discuss whether Play-t...
The Story of Crunchyroll, GGWP, and Forge
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The intersection of anime, games, and technology takes center stage in this episode. Host Aaron Bush is joined by Kun Gao, a serial entrepreneur known...
Finding Success with AI Agents and Content Creators
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we dive deep into the world of gaming innovation with a guest who’s been at the forefront of some of the industry’s most exciting trends —...
Building and Scaling Communities in 2025
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The role of community management in gaming has never been more critical. In this episode, our host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, joins An...
Web3 Gaming: What Will 2025 Bring?
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Niko Vuori is joined by Naavik’s own web3 analyst, Devin Becker, to dive into the current state of web3 gaming, reflecting on ...
Inside NCSoft: Strategy, Partnerships, and Korean Gaming Trends
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To kick off the new year, host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, interviews Songyee Yoon, former President and Chief Strategy Officer of NCSo...
The Evolution of Sports Betting (with FanDuel’s Founder)
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Naavik Gaming Podcast, host Niko Vuori interviews Nigel Eccles, the co-founder and former CEO of FanDuel, exploring his journey...
The State of Video Game Publishing (with Serenity Forge)
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The sub-AA/AAA world of games has become increasingly competitive in recent years, and yet Serenity Forge, a diverse 40-50 person publisher based out ...
Lessons In Writing and Directing Video Game IP
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Writing and directing for transmedia is an often overlooked part of world building in video games, but as consumers it is one of the most memorable el...
Navigating the Botting Industry: Fraud, Cheating, and Multi-Accounting
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Botting, an often misused term that encapsulates multi-accounting, cheating, and fraud, plays a pivotal role in gaming — sometimes enhancing experie...
Mastering Merge: How StarBerry Built a Merge-2 Hit
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Naavik Gaming Podcast, host Niko Vuori interviews Antti Hattara, co-founder and CEO of StarBerry Games, about their successful ...
Transforming UA Creatives Through AI (with Reforged Labs)
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
AI is increasingly touching every corner of the games industry, and one of the areas it may have the largest impact on is user acquisition. Today, hos...
Gaming, Music, & Tipping: A New Era for Creator Payments
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, host Devin Becker is joined by Sam Means, Founder of Wavlake, and Ben Cousens, Chief Strategy Officer of ZBD, for an exploration of alternative...
Can Alternative App Stores Thrive Post-DMA?
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Naavik Gaming podcast, host Niko Vuori interviews Álvaro Pinto, co-founder and COO of Aptoide, an independent app store with o...
Gaming IP in 2024: How to Create Lasting Impact on UEFN
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of UEFN's biggest strengths is that it is a melting pot of intellectual property. Jeremy Pedron, Lead Game Designer at JOGO Studios, calls it “a...
Cheating Payments: The Hidden World of Game Fraud
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Host Devin Becker is joined by Zach Nass, Head of Gaming at nSure.ai, to discuss the complex and evolving landscape of payment fraud prevention in gam...
The State of Web3 Gaming with Game7
17 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Host Niko Vuori and guest George Isichos, core contributor at Game7, discuss the current state of web3 gaming, focusing on the latest Game7 x Naavik r...
LinkedIn's Gaming Strategy: Using Games to Foster Connection and Conversation
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of LinkedIn’s 1B+ global users. You might have also noticed some of your professional connections pl...
Direct-to-Consumer: A Game Changer for Developers
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A new frontier is emerging with the advent of "web shops," also known as direct-to-consumer distribution methods. Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus ...
A New Frontier: Where Transmedia Meets UGC
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Host Aaron Bush welcomes Shahar Sorek, CMO of Overwolf, and Nick Tuosto, co-founder of Griffin Gaming Partners and GoodGame Advisors, to discuss the g...
Fortnite Creative Economics with MustardPlays and Birdo
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fortnite has paid out roughly $500 million to creators since UEFN and Creator Economy 2.0 launched in March of 2023. These payouts, which have increas...
Social Sweeps, the $6B Gaming Category Hiding in Plain Sight
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Niko Vuori and guest Sean Ryan delve into the emerging category of social sweepstakes, a gaming model that barely existed as rec...
AI, New Platforms, & the Future of Game Development
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sebastian Park, co-founder of Infinite Canvas and a favorite recurring guest, joins host Aaron Bush to dive into the fascinating topic of building gam...
How SciPlay Wins in Social Casino, Post-IDFA
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Niko Vuori and guest Danny Moy, Chief Strategy Officer at SciPlay, delve into the highly competitive category of social casino. ...
How Studio Culture Fuels an Exit (with Seth Sivak)
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is culture, and why does it matter? Seth Sivak, the founder and ex-CEO of Proletariat, a studio most known for its title Spellbreak, joins our ho...
Metagame Mastery: Growing Games Beyond Core Loops
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With metagames becoming a key component of player engagement and monetization, it’s more important than ever to get them right. Host Devin Becker we...
Launching an AI + UGC Startup
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When designing content creation tools for the masses, most platforms have to make trade-offs across accessibility, ease of use, capability, and power ...
EA’s Game Plan: Launches, AI, & the Strategic Approach
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“AAA is not in crisis; it is in a moment of change.” In this episode, Kate Kellogg, the COO of EA Studios, joins our host, Alexandra Takei, Direct...
Telegram: The Next Great Gaming Platform?
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret that distribution across all major gaming platforms is virtually inaccessible to all but the most deep-pocketed developers. The go-go d...
Game Tech: The Hidden Force Behind Gaming’s Challenges and Opportunities
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In recent years, there’s been considerable discourse about the game industry’s challenges. However, according to today's guest, Jiten Dajee, one c...