Deconstructor of Fun

They dissect Ubisoft’s layoffs and what they reveal about AAA strategy. They probe a16z fund performance and the wider VC squeeze. They debate TikTok’s uncertain role for game user acquisition and emerging AI video threats. They cover GDC safety concerns, The New York Times moving into mobile word games, and reactions to High Guard’s launch.

Yaron Leyvan, Zynga EVP of Mobile Studios with 13 years at the company, talks building long-lived "forever" franchises and integrating acquired studios. He covers the 70-20-10 framework, early hit signals and KPIs, preserving studio culture after acquisition, and practical AI uses. Short, focused takes on autonomy, kill decisions, and balancing art with data.

The hosts dive into the dramatic launch of the cozy game Heartopia, exploring its monetization challenges. Bobby Kotick faces a lawsuit from a Swedish pension fund, raising eyebrows about his motives in the Activision sale. Liftoff files for an IPO, revealing insights into the ad tech industry. The podcast analyzes Roblox trends, including the rise of brain-rot meme games. Krafton’s strategy focuses on boosting PUBG franchises, while the hosts discuss the evolving landscape of game monetization. It's an insightful mix of industry gossip and future predictions!

This week features Mishka, a savvy contributor focused on market trends and investment in gaming. The discussion dives into Fortnite’s aggressive monetization strategies and Meta’s downsizing in Reality Labs. Mishka highlights key insights from the latest AppsFlyer report and explores the emerging potential of Turkish game studios. The conversation intensifies as they examine AI’s transformative impact on game development and the dichotomy of its benefits versus risks, sparking a lively debate on its future in the industry.

The sharpest operators in predictive modeling, signal engineering, and post-ATT user acquisition unpack what actually breaks when campaigns scale. This is a dive deep into ROAS curves, attribution loss, modeling vs reality, SKAN-era signal decay, and why UA performance often collapses right when it looks like you’ve cracked growth. A must-read or listen for founders, growth leaders, and UA teams.links: www.kohort.io/Chapters:02:45 Understanding the ROAS Iceberg: Paid vs. Organic05:55 Incrementality Testing and Blended ROAS09:48 Gross vs. Net ROAS: The Misalignment Dilemma12:49 CPI and LTV Elasticity: Teaching Teams to Adapt16:42 The New UA Meta: Signals and User Behavior19:29Collaboration Between UA and Product Teams22:31 Evolving Strategies in LiveOps and Personalization26:05 The Evolution of Live Operations in Gaming31:05 the Single Source of Truth35:40Key Metrics for User Acquisition Success42:00Pacing Rules for Effective User Acquisition45:53The Future of Predictive ROAS and Automation

This week, the hosts unveil the Golden Twig Awards, celebrating the best and most questionable moves in gaming. Highlights include EA's Saudi deal being crowned Talk of the Year and an uproar over the most embarrassing predictions. They dive into Xbox’s struggles and label Mind's Eye as the most disappointing game. Tim Sweeney's bold legal tactics shine as the most brilliant move, while the Limping Donkey Award strikes a humorous note with VC blunders. The discussion also touches on Roblox's evolving advertising landscape and its market challenges.

The hosts dive into their off-air relationships, revealing how their dynamics play out behind the scenes. They discuss personal wins and setbacks, including heartwarming stories about family milestones and health challenges. Insights about generational trends, like Gen Alpha's exposure to gambling, spark rich conversation. Predictions for the industry and impactful lessons learned from career missteps are shared openly. Each host expresses hopes and dreams for 2026, painting a picture of personal aspirations and professional growth.

In this episode, Joe Burridge, Head of Talent at Play Ventures, and Miki Blasko, Head of Talent at Deconstructor of Fun, delve into the strategic importance of hiring in startups. They discuss how founders often underestimate the effort required and the importance of selling roles to attract top talent. The duo explores the tension between culture and competence, revealing what defines a successful hire. They also highlight the red flags of hiring from big corporations and the need for structured processes to avoid costly mistakes in talent acquisition.

Rocky and Mickey dish out uncensored opinions on the gaming world, calling hypercasual games "mindless slop" and predicting a decline for Fortnite. They reveal what's hot among their peers, like the Clash Royale craze during carpool, while labeling Steal a Brain Rot a disaster. Their insights into Roblox habits and indie games give a refreshing perspective on social gaming. Intriguingly, they also share their exposure to betting ads, showcasing how sports media saturation affects their views. Get ready for some wild predictions about the future of gaming!

The hosts dive deep into whether Die Hard qualifies as a Christmas shooter. They analyze Call of Duty's rare admission of a launch failure and the implications behind its shift to avoid back-to-back sub-franchises. Discussion heats up over Valorant Mobile's explosive growth in China while Western shooters struggle. There's a critical look at the delayed release of Marathon and its fiscal strategies. Finally, they confront Marvel Rivals' performance, suggesting it's a ceiling rather than a failure, emphasizing the need for innovation in the saturated hero-shooter genre.