Naavik Gaming Podcast

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 down with Pim de Witte , founder of General Intuition and Medal , to explore how billions of gameplay videos can power a new class of embodied agents. Pim explains the fundamental gap between language models, which describe the world, and world models...

On this episode, host David Taylor dives into one of the most eventful stretches the Fortnite Creative / UEFN ecosystem has seen in months. Epic has rolled out a wave of major updates — from monetization changes to discovery shifts — and today we unpack what they mean for creators, studios, and the future of the platform. David is joined by two fantastic guests. Chad Mustard , COO of JOGO Studios,...

Pushing the boundaries of what's possible in gaming often means embracing unproven technologies and building in the fog of innovation. In this episode, host Devin Becker is joined by Marco van den Heuvel , co-founder of Beam , to explore what it means to operate at the bleeding edge of gaming infrastructure. Marco shares the origins of Beam and its evolution into a gaming-focused ecosystem built a...

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 Takei , Director at Ruckus Games, sits down with CCP Games’ CEO Hilmar Petursson to unpack how the Icelandic studio still maintains one of gaming’s most complex live worlds, a single universe that has generated over $1B in lifetime revenue and 25 mi...

In this episode, host Kalie Moore talks with Zach Letter, Co-founder & CEO of Wonder Works Studio, the makers of hit Roblox experiences, including three SpongeBob titles this year. We dig into how creator roots shape game design and distribution, how influencer-native teams launch differently, and Wonder Works’ long-term bet on licensed IP. The conversation dives into launching without paid UA...

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 Pragma , to explore how studios can own and scale their player relationships. Robert’s journey from founding a SaaS company to building First Look began with one simple insight: game studios are some of the most passionate users a software builder cou...

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 Evil Genius Games , to explore the intersection of analog and digital in the TTRPG space. David shares his perspective on where the market currently stands, the evolving role of virtual tabletops, and how Evil Genius is adapting its publishing mode...

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 Kynstautas , Head of Engineering at Gardens Interactive , a venture-backed startup building a social online shared fantasy adventure game, and Meir Wasserman , Head of Engineering at 2K Technology. Shooting live from the 3rd annual Pragma Online Servic...

In this episode, host David Taylor sits down with two fantastic guests to explore why large entertainment companies are increasingly paying attention to Roblox, how they’re experimenting on the platform today, and what they’ll need to see to fully commit.  Chris Petrovic is the Chairman and Chief Business Officer of FunPlus, one of the largest privately held companies in the gaming sector. Chris i...

In this episode, host Kalie Moore talks with Charlie Blackstock, Co-founder & CEO of Remix.gg , the “TikTok of games” where anyone can instantly play and remix community-built titles. They discuss why instant, zero-install games resonate with Gen Z and Millennials, how AI is lowering the barrier to creation and enabling culture-speed hits, and how Web3 rails can power creator monetization at s...

With the games industry in constant evolution, it’s important to occasionally pause and take stock of where things stand. Host Devin Becker is joined by Aaron Bush , Managing Partner and Co-Founder at Naavik, for a wide-ranging check-in on market trends, strategic moves from platform holders and investors, and how the current landscape might evolve from here.  The conversation explores Epic’s late...

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 Ruckus Games , sits down with Asi Burak , Chief Business Officer of Tilting Point, to unpack the future of mobile publishing and why UA financing has become one of the most talked-about trends in gaming today. Tilting Point, a top 50 global mobile publ...

With AI taking over the tech industry, its role in game development is slowly shifting from novelty to potential necessity. Host Devin Becker sits down with Francois Courset , Senior Consultant at Naavik with experience around using AI in game development, to explore the current and near-future landscape of AI in game creation. The conversation covers everything from Francois’ high-level perspecti...

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 Games , sits down with Amir, Tencent BD Director and founder of the world’s largest grassroots games career community , to break down the structural shifts reshaping the industry. From layoffs and shrinking remote roles to the rise of low-cost develop...

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 strategy at one of the world’s biggest game publishers. Monica shares behind-the-scenes stories from launching the LEC at Riot Games, navigating the operational chaos of COVID-19, and transitioning to EA to help build and scale their esports vision....

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 Owen had a successful decade-long run leading one of Asia’s most important gaming companies, this episode explores what he’s been thinking about since stepping down – namely through his sharp (and sometimes spicy) essays critiquing industry norms an...

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 studios to go all-in on Roblox back in 2020. They quickly made their mark with Strongman Simulator, which shot to the top of the Roblox charts and has racked up over 1.5 billion plays. While they started with hit original titles, The Gang soon shifted to...

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 running Soulsplit (the most popular Runescape private server) as a teenager to navigating early pivots at Medal, Pim shares what sparked his entrepreneurial path, how Medal evolved from a game studio into a social content ecosystem, and what dr...

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 Street Records, and Matthew Berger , Game Director at Night Street Games. Together, they unpack the journey of building Last Flag  — a zany 5v5 hero shooter with capture-the-flag at its heart and music embedded deep in its DNA. From a scrappy prototype...

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 of Duty franchise. With over 18 years at Treyarch, Dan helped shape some of the most iconic moments in FPS history — from the introduction of Zombies mode in World at War to the rise of the Black Ops series. We explore how Call of Duty became the do...

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, host Aaron Bush is joined by Mike McCabe , COO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, which runs a massive Riyadh-based annual esports festival. It’s gearing up for its second annual event in July, which will host 25 tournaments over 7 weeks with a whop...

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) strategies, and game studios are taking notice. Host Devin Becker welcomes Chris Faught , CEO of Neon , to break down what this decision means for developers. Chris clarifies the broader implications of the ruling, the mechanics of implementing DTC mo...

Africa’s gaming market is young, fast-growing, and mobile-first. In this episode, host Alexandra Takei , Director at Ruckus Games , is joined by Cordel Robbin-Coker , CEO of Carry1st , and Temi Afolabi , a lead on XBOX’s Global Expansion team, to examine the opportunity and hurdles of scaling games in Africa. They break down Africa’s demographics, monetization challenges, and infrastructure gaps....

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 the co-founder of Spark Universe , a studio behind one of the most widely used Minecraft tools, Essential Mod , which connects millions of players through a live services platform. With over 50 million downloads and nearly 2 million monthly active us...

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 ecosystem. Twin Atlas is the team behind blockbuster experiences like Creatures of Sonaria, which ranks among the top 30 Roblox games in terms of revenue and engagement according to CreatorExchange.io . At the time of this recording, Twin Atlas experie...