Naavik Gaming Podcast

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 Dese...

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/...

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, subscript...

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 an...

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 inflect...

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://w...

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...

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 Stat...

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. K...

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 newslett...

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...

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 UGC gaming. We break down the latest performance of leaders like Roblox, Fortnite Creative, Overwolf, and explore other notable trends and companies. You can read the full report here: https://naavik.co/deep-dives/the-state-of-ugc-games-2026   Meet u...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on February 22nd, 2026. We explore how niche subgenres – Block, Sort, and Screw – are reshaping the mobile puzzle market. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/ how-niche-subgenres-are-reshaping-the-mobile-puzzle-market Meet us at GDC 2026 by filling out this sho...

Medical training is still stuck in the arcade era: expensive, basement-bound simulators and outdated software that rarely capture the real stakes of clinical decision-making. In this episode, host Alexandra Takei , Studio Director at Ruckus Games , sits down with Sam Glassenberg , founder of Level Ex (now part of Relevate Health ), to unpack how game developers can modernize healthcare learning by...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on February 15th, 2026. We explore Turkish game development in 2026, discussing what other countries can learn from its ascent and considerations for its next era. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://naavik.co/digest/why-turkish-game-development-matters-in-2026/   Meet us at GDC 20...

After a volatile few months across games, tech, and public markets, it’s time for a grounded check-in on where the industry actually stands. Host Devin Becker is joined by Aaron Bush (Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Naavik) to unpack the latest signals – from AAA publisher performance and what recent EA earnings suggest for big franchises like Battlefield, to Ubisoft’s ongoing restructuring, st...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on February 8th, 2026. We look into Project Genie — Google’s experimental AI that generates short, navigable 3D scenes — and explore the possible implications of world models for game engines and developers. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/ square-enix-refu...

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: launching a new consumer console and winning. In a category dominated for decades by the same three players, Nex broke through by rethinking who gaming hardware is for. Often compared to Wii or Kinect, Nex’s real innovation isn’t motion-based play alone...

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 explore the performance of their unique monetization strategy and to see if prioritizing player fairness can lead to significant gains. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/ evaluatin...

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on January 25th, 2026. We examine Square Enix’s recent performance, explore what’s changed since the last time we checked in on the company, and take a look at its future. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/ square-enix-refutes-and-reframes   Let us know what...

The PC games “gray market” isn’t just a couple of shady websites. It’s an economic behavior that exploits regional pricing and promotion timing to siphon revenue away from publishers. In this episode, Our host, Alexandra Takei , Director at Ruckus Games , sits down with Vadim Andreev , CEO of Rokky (and former founder of PlayKey), to unpack how retail-era code resale evolved into today’s global ke...

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, exploring what succeeded, what top performers do differently, and what might be important in the future. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/ what-leading-match-3-and-merge-game...

The direct-to-consumer (D2C) model is expanding beyond traditional webshops and into the world of user-generated content (UGC), especially on PC and console. In this episode, host Devin Becker is joined by Liam Wiltshire , General Manager at Tebex , to explore how the evolution of private servers, mods, and community-run experiences is shaping new monetization strategies. Liam shares the origin st...

In this episode, host Kalie Moore talks with Dmitri Johnson and Mike Goldberg, co-founders of Story Kitchen, the production company behind major game-to-screen adaptations spanning Sonic the Hedgehog, Tomb Raider, Streets of Rage, and more. We explore how transmedia is evolving in a UGC-first world, where players don’t just consume IP, they shape it, and why Roblox worlds are starting to look less...

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. Host Devin Becker is joined again by Christoffer Holmgård and Julian Togelius , co-founders of modl.ai, to unpack how recent advances in computer vision and agent behavior are enabling fully no-code QA testing workflows. We discuss the shift from tradi...