TWIG #344 Battlefield’s Big Comeback, AppLovin’s Record Quarter and Moon Active’s New Games

Deconstructor of Fun

We kick things off with “midlife Kress-ises” before diving into the headlines you can’t ignore: Tencent’s latest controversy, AppLovin’s monster quarter, and Blizzard’s leadership shuffle.

From Storm Gate’s rough launch runway to the brutal math of market fit, we unpack why good games still fail. We break down Duolingo’s surprise move into music games, and why Playtika’s doubling down on direct-to-consumer could be the smartest—or riskiest—bet they’ve made yet.

Then it’s guns out for Battlefield’s comeback, a hard look at Moon Active’s new portfolio plays. As always, plenty of spicy takes, questionable analogies, and insights you won’t find anywhere else.

00:00 Introduction and Host Introductions

01:34 Upcoming Game Releases and Industry Updates

02:58 Midlife Kress-is

06:05 Event Announcements + DOF Talent Acquisition

08:19 Data Analysis and Market Trends

09:22 Tencent's Game Controversy

17:16 AppLovin's Impressive Growth

21:12 Blizzard's Leadership Changes

25:19 Storm Gate's Launch Challenges

27:19 Financial Engineering and Tim's Struggles

28:28 Market Fit and Game Quality Issues

33:32 Duolingo's Acquisition of Beat Star

36:50 Playtika's Direct-to-Consumer Strategy

43:20 Battlefield's Comeback and Market Impact

54:58 Moon Active's New Games and Portfolio