Podcast
Deconstructor of Fun
Hosted by Deconstructor of Fun · EN
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 www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/
Eric Kress www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/
Phillip Black www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-black-economist/
Jen Donahoe www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdonahoe
80episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Shooter Monthly #5: The Marathon Revelation, Overwatch Reborn & The Death of Highguard
Mar 1800:54:14Tap to summarizeExtraction shooters are finally confronting their identity crisis. Is Marathon the answer, or just another branch of the same lineage?Phil, Sides, and Anjos break down a pivotal moment for shooters: Highguard’s collapse, Marathon’s high-stakes launch, and Overwatch’s unexpected resurgence. The debate rage on: are we watching the evolution of battle royale into something more persistent, or just another iteration of Tarkov’s legacy?We discuss:● Highguard’s shutdown and the limits of modern marketing○ Hate-playing, sentiment collapse, and losing control of narrative post-launch● Marathon’s design thesis○ Persistent battle royale vs traditional extraction shooter lineage○ Lower friction loops, faster re-entry, and softened risk systems● The genre split○ Arc Raiders as first-principles PvE extraction○ Marathon as PvP-first with extraction layered on top● The missing innovation question○ What is Marathon’s true “Bungie leap” beyond sandbox combat + loot?● Overwatch’s resurgence○ Systems-driven live ops vs content arms race with Marvel Rivals● The future of shooter ecosystems○ Extraction, hero shooters, and the erosion of “black hole” games
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State of Gaming 2026: What’s Really Winning Now
Mar 1700:53:44Tap to summarizeSam Aune from Sensor Tower breaks down the State of Gaming 2026 - from Battlefield 6 proving premium is far from dead, to why free-to-play is getting harder to break into, and how social indie games are driving viral success. In this episode, we go deep on mobile’s slowdown, strategy games dominating revenue, and how Chinese publishers are out-executing the West across both midcore and casual.CHAPTERS:00:00 Welcome and Report Setup00:43 State of Gaming Goes Beyond Mobile03:22 Trend One Battlefield Six Dominates05:05 Premium vs Free to Play Reality Check07:10 Hybrid Pricing and Live Ops Middle Ground09:01 Battlefield Six Marketing Playbook11:53 Indie Breakouts Repo and Peak12:31 Why Social Games Go Viral16:12 AAA Response and GTA Six Outlook18:08 Mobile Market Maturity and Consolidation20:37 Why Growth Stalls IDFA Saturation23:34 Strategy Genre Wins Worldwide26:41 Regional Genre Opportunities and New Hits28:00 Free Fire US Surge28:30 China Social Extraction28:52 Why China Wins31:47 Century Games Playbook34:23 How West Competes38:35 Indie Focus Advantage43:21 Web Store Incentives46:38 App Store Search Wars49:46 SEO Naming Strategy51:22 Report Wrap Up
Transcribe →Puzzle Monthly #1: Pixel Flow, UA, and the Future of Sort Puzzles
Mar 1000:45:00Tap to summarizeWe talk about how Pixel Flow scaled so quickly, why its core design works for monetization, and how games like Hexa Sort and Magic Sort helped push the sort puzzle genre forward.The discussion also covers UA, the wave of Pixel Flow-style clones appearing in the market, and whether hybrid-casual puzzle design is starting to influence traditional puzzle studios. We also touch on what kinds of mechanics might lead to the next big puzzle hit.
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TWiG #373: Turkey Funds Game Dev, WB Games Uncertainty & Discord Drama
Mar 501:04:55Tap to summarizeWe discuss Turkey’s new government subsidies for game developers and why the country may become one of the most attractive places to build a studio, the uncertain future of WB Games following major media consolidation, and Discord delaying its global age-verification rollout after backlash and regulatory pressure. We also discuss the Misfits seed round from an ex-Supercell/King team, a correction around Tilting Point’s recent deal, Playtika surpassing $1B in direct-to-consumer revenue, and Ubisoft reshuffling leadership on Assassin’s Creed, along with broader conversation around monetization, web shops, and the state of the games industry heading into GDC.CHAPTERS01:53 LA Dinner and Downtown Vibes02:44 Mishka London Detour04:10 GDC Shilling and Events07:59 Tilting Point Deal Debate11:34 Appcharge Web Store Ad12:27 Misfits Seed Round Breakdown20:45 Turkey Subsidies Update23:17 Paramount Buys WB Fallout28:16 Assassins Creed Leadership Shuffle30:58 Discord Age Verification Backlash34:33 Roblox Lawsuits And Regulation36:25 Playtika DTC Numbers Breakdown38:51 Supercell Web Shop Playbook43:48 Marathon Server Slam Impressions45:07 Sales Forecasts And Sony Stakes50:58 Retention Wipes And Monetization55:23 Skate Layoffs And F2P Trap01:00:39 Gundam Collab And Sony PC Pivot01:03:57 Wrap Up And GDC Plans
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Meta Is Back in the Game. Here's What That Actually Means.
Mar 200:51:00Tap to summarizeGuy Meiboom, Meta’s US EMEA Gaming Director, breaks down what actually happened to gaming performance after ATT and why Meta had to rebuild its gaming org from the ground up. From creative velocity and algorithmic reach to geo lift testing and UA funding, this episode focuses on execution. Not theory. Not slides. The uncomfortable middle between marketing, product, and capital allocation.If you’re scaling a mobile game in 2026, this conversation is about the mechanics that matter and the habits you may need to unlearn.CHAPTERS: 00:00 Post ATT Reality Check01:08 Why Gaming Needed Its Own Org06:10 What Works Now In UA09:34 AI Moats And Creative Diversity14:34 Guardrails Versus Clickbait Ads18:20 Attribution Mistakes Get Expensive24:53 Long Term ROAS And Source Of Truth27:08 Lift Testing Playbook29:06 Future UA Roles Map31:17 Macro Outlook for Gaming35:04 Mobile Downloads and Scaling39:05 UA Funding and Capital41:12 Learning from China43:49 Unlearning Marketing Habits46:30 Apps vs Games Lessons48:01 Challenge the Status Quo
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TWiG #372: Death at an Xbox Funeral & Balling Out Ball’s State of Gaming
Feb 2701:19:32Tap to summarizeXbox is at a strategic inflection point. The question now is why, how, and what comes next. We break down the massive Xbox leadership shakeup, what it reveals about Microsoft’s real strategy, sharp critiques of the new CEO, and exactly what the brand must do to survive. Fresh off a hockey loss and curling cheating allegations, Adam returns to the podcast with a lot to answer for.We unpack PlayStation’s shutdown of Bluepoint Games and the broader consequences of its live service overreach. Sweden is apparently now going to run Asian MMOs, Tencent shuts down Teamy, Nexon promotes Sutherland, Gossip Harbor dethrones King, and no one can solve why this studio didn’t sell out.We tackle the Overwatch Rush debate, dive deep into Matthew Ball’s State of the Gaming, and close with one of the most unexpectedly uplifting self-care talks the game industry has heard plus a fiery argument over what the metaverse actually means. Be sure to listen closely for our upcoming GDC plans and live show announcements!CHAPTERS:00:00 Welcome and Agenda01:43 Adam Returns and Olympics Banter03:17 Puppy Update and AI Obsession04:57 GDC Plans and Live Show08:13 Corrections10:19 Xbox Leadership Shakeup12:45 Crest Rips the New CEO21:48 What Xbox Should Do Next27:44 Phil on Microsoft Motives31:48 Jen on Leadership Brand Competition38:38 PlayStation Shuts Bluepoint42:41 Live Service Overreach43:04 Tencent Shuts Teamy45:59 Nexon Promotes Sutherland50:03 Gossip Harbor Beats King52:04 Overwatch Rush Debate01:01:07 Matthew Ball Report01:14:35 Metaverse Definition Fight01:18:35 Wrap Up And Farewell
Transcribe →400,000 Wishlists in a Month: Dead as Disco's Steam(ing) Playbook
Feb 2301:12:07Tap to summarizeDead as Disco went from 50,000 Steam wishlists to over 400,000 in less than a month, with over a million unique demo players and a 98% Overwhelmingly Positive rating. They are currently at 750k+ Wishlists today. Host Jen Donahoe sits down with Eden Chen, founder of Pragma and the FirstLook player relationship platform, and Adam Gershowitz, COO of Brain Jar Games, to break down exactly how they did it.Adam walks through Brain Jar's journey from a 300-person closed playtest to pulling the NDA and watching TikTok explode their community overnight, racking up over 200 million views on the Dead as Disco hashtag. Eden explains how First Look helps studios build a "golden cohort" of core fans, use in-game surveys and sentiment analysis to track player feedback at scale, and create organic referral loops that drive 10-25% community growth.The conversation also covers Discord bots as a community engagement and advertising channel, why TikTok beat Twitch for a music-based game, and how Eden is building paid inventory for core gamers in 2026 through creators, Discord servers, and player utility sites.Packed with specific tactics and real data for anyone rethinking their publishing platform and capabilities.Firstlook.gg and Dead as Disco https://store.steampowered.com/app/3404260/Dead_as_Disco/Adam Gershowitz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/agershowitz/Eden Chen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edechen/Jen Donahoe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdonahoe/
Transcribe →UA Monthly #1: Meta’s New Playbook, Reddit Ads, & the State of UA
Feb 2000:49:45Tap to summarizeMeta’s apparent comeback runs headfirst into shifting UA economics, rising creative costs, and new pressure from platforms like Reddit, forcing marketers to rethink what “working” actually means. We unpack whether Meta is truly back or just delivering short-term dopamine, why in-app ads could reshape ad-monetized LTV, and how CPMs, payback windows, and creative volume are redefining the hyper-casual and hybrid playbooks. Cihan and Josh join to break down the latest Appsflyer data, Reddit’s Max campaigns, China’s UA surge, and Liftoff’s IPO and to debate whether AI is leveling the field or quietly squeezing the middle out of mobile marketing.Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to Deconstructor of Funds + UA Monthly kickoff00:17 Meet the guests: Jihan (Scaling.Games) & Josh (Wildcard Games)01:06 Today’s agenda: Meta’s return, Appsflyer report, Reddit AI ads, Liftoff IPO01:29 Is “Meta back” real? The 2.5 Gamers breakdown & the dopamine-hit spike02:52 What Meta’s actually doing: rollout strategy, templates, and market impact06:05 In-app ads explained: why Meta buying inventory could boost ad-monetized LTV07:48 Ad quality debate: intrusive formats, churn-per-impression, and broken incentives12:58 Can hyper-casual come back? CPMs, payback windows, and hybrid monetization18:38 State of Game Marketing report: shrinking US spend, growth in Turkey/India20:16 The creative arms race: AI variations, the ‘middle class’ squeeze, and rising noise23:25 AI Shrinks the Creative Gap: Small Teams Catch Up, Mid-Tier Stalls24:41 China’s UA Surge + iOS Outspending Android: Where the Scale Is Coming From25:38 30 Creatives a Day: The New ‘Tax’ of Competing in Mobile UA26:07 Ripoffs, Ethics, and Beating the Filters: The Dark Side of Creative Volume28:00 Hero Creatives Aren’t Dead—But Copy Speed Forces Smarter Variations30:16 Copying vs. Trends: When ‘Stealing’ Is Real (and When It’s Just the Market)31:40 Is the Market Really an Iceberg? US Spend Down, Web Shops, and the ‘Hidden’ Picture34:27 Reddit ‘Max’ Campaigns: Advantage+ for Reddit with a Promise of Transparency37:19 Top Audience Personas: Useful Insight or Just a Fancy Dashboard?39:34 How to Test Reddit Max: Onboarding Friction, Learning Periods, and Scalability Unknowns40:58 Liftoff Files to Go Public: Valuation, Margins, Debt, and the AI Black-Box Race45:44 What’s Liftoff’s Moat? Engine vs. Fuel, Data Advantages, and the AppLovin Comparison48:35 Wrap-Up: UA Monthly Feedback, What to Cover Next
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TWIG #371: Clash Royale's Death Spiral, Blizzard's Comeback, and Why AI Hype is Killing Games
Feb 1901:05:11Tap to summarizeWe recap the Clash Royale creator controversy and CEO apology, dig into what’s broken with evolutions, heroes, and pay-to-win, and debate whether streamers can actually drive a comeback. We also cover Savvy’s rumored MoonTon deal, Blizzard’s updates across Overwatch, Diablo, and WoW, the slowdown in mobile games, the frozen state of M&A, and a reality check on AI in games - from hype to hard limits.00:25 Welcome & Episode Lineup (No More Car Talk)01:52 Rumor Mill + Why We’re Skipping Matthew Ball (For Now)03:10 GDC Plans, Events, and Content Plug Roundup06:00 Ad Break: Sensor Tower Pitch06:20 Clash Royale Creator Controversy Recap + CEO Apology09:44 What’s Actually Broken in Clash Royale: Evolutions, Heroes & Pay-to-Win11:45 Do Streamers Drive the Revival? Twitch Data, Correlation vs Causation13:02 PR Playbook Debate: Groveling vs Proactive Creator Celebration21:53 Savvy’s Buying Spree: $6–7B MoonTon Rumor (Mobile Legends)27:15 Overwatch Drops the “2”: DAU Surge, Live Ops, and Monetization Revamp32:43 Blizzard’s comeback tour: Diablo drops, WoW housing & Overwatch’s 10-year arc35:49 Mobile check-in: Habi’s 2026 slump and the post-Survivor.io reality38:16 The real engine behind Habi: Gorilla Games and the “publisher outgrown” problem40:36 M&A hypotheticals: Scopely, Savvy, and why deals feel frozen right now42:36 AI in games debate: calling out the hype and what actually changes the medium44:50 Why AI won’t make games cheaper: IP moats, attention scarcity, and AI-native platforms49:17 East vs West AI reality check: layoffs, pipeline bottlenecks, and player backlash risk57:03 Embark as an AI efficiency poster child? The smoke, mirrors, and AAA cost skepticism01:01:43 Closing thoughts: mobile growth is over, share-of-time wars, and next week’s plug
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322. Female-First as a Moat: Dorian's Business of Fandom UGC with founder Julia Palatovska
Feb 1600:47:19Tap to summarizeUser-generated content (UGC) isn’t “make anything.” It’s “make something that someone cares about.” In this Deconstructor of Fun conversation, Julia Polatovska, founder of Dorian, a creator platform for mostly women + Gen Z, goes past the pitch and into the operator questions. Who creates, who wins, what monetizes, and what breaks at scale when you're building a UGC platform.Connect with Julia: www.linkedin.com/in/palatovska/
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