The Game Business Show Call of Duty under attack
Nov 20, 2025
Ralph Panebianco, known as Skill Up, is a YouTuber and media entrepreneur who founded This Week In Videogames. He discusses his new media model emphasizing quality ad-free coverage. The conversation dives into the Unity and Epic partnership, and the ongoing dispute involving Rockstar and a UK union. A major focus is on the shifting shooter landscape, with Call of Duty facing tough competition from Battlefield 6 and Ark Raiders, including exclusive insights on player movement and market dynamics.
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Launching A Subscription-First Games Site
- Ralph Panebianco described launching This Week In Videogames after 18 months of planning as a bet on quality, ad-free coverage and trusted writers.
- He built a small full-time editorial team to serve underserved readers willing to pay for premium content.
Ad-Driven Media Distorts Editorial Priorities
- Advertising-driven media treats readers as the product, which skews editorial toward traffic-generating content.
- This model squeezes smaller, purposeful journalism when margins tighten and layoffs hit.
Australia's Shrinking Games Journalism Talent Pool
- Australia now has very few editorial games outlets, so Ralph's small team is the largest local employer for games journalism.
- He stressed the need to recruit new journalists to avoid an aging industry with no fresh entrants.