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AppLovin now has better margins than Hermès and Ferrari.This week we break down AppLovin’s record quarter and Unity’s first profit since its IPO, and look at why a debt-funded Unity buyout could stall Vector. We get into Take-Two holding its forecast as GTA VI pre-orders run far ahead of plan, and what the Ocarina of Time remake and WoW Forever say about nostalgia. Then we deconstruct Forge Master, Lessmore’s first IAP-driven game, before ending on the GDC report and the EU’s Digital Fairness Act proposal, which puts loot boxes, streaks and pay-to-progress at risk. Topics Covered:• Fortis shuts down and 440 people lose their jobs• AppLovin posts an 84% EBITDA margin• Unity’s Vector delivers its first profitable quarter• Silver Lake and PIF reportedly in talks to buy Unity• GTA VI pre-orders run far above Take-Two’s plan• Ocarina of Time remake sells 5.2 million in four days• WoW Forever claims the biggest launch in WoW history• Lessmore goes all in on IAP with Forge Master• Why idle RPGs struggle with endgame• GDC report shows AI use and AI backlash both rising• The EU’s Digital Fairness Act and what’s at stake for mobileCHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome and Cast00:31 Episode Agenda Rundown01:55 Phil Engagement and Banter08:58 Studio Closure Fortiss10:52 AppLovin and Unity Earnings16:04 Unity Buyout Rumors19:50 Take Two Earnings Report28:26 Zelda Remake Breaks Records29:57 Switch 2 Sales Context31:18 WoW Forever Launch Stats34:18 Will WoW Sustain35:14 WoW Money And Mods39:14 Nostalgia And Segments42:20 Forge Master Breakout43:45 IAP Shift And UA47:32 Endgame Retention Problems55:26 GDC Report Key Findings01:00:48 EU Monetization Crackdown
