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

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 Introductions01:34 Upcoming Game Releases and Industry Updates02:58 Midlife Kress-is06:05 Event Announcements + DOF Talent Acquisition08:19 Data Analysis and Market Trends09:22 Tencent's Game Controversy17:16 AppLovin's Impressive Growth21:12 Blizzard's Leadership Changes25:19 Storm Gate's Launch Challenges27:19 Financial Engineering and Tim's Struggles28:28 Market Fit and Game Quality Issues33:32 Duolingo's Acquisition of Beat Star36:50 Playtika's Direct-to-Consumer Strategy43:20 Battlefield's Comeback and Market Impact54:58 Moon Active's New Games and Portfolio