Happy February!
February might be the shortest month on the calendar, but the gaming industry is clearly attempting a speed-run record this year. Roblox is kicking off 2026 with a record-shattering sprint, clocking 4.9 billion dollars in revenue and 45 million concurrent users. While dominating the charts, the platform is finding that global growth often comes with a side of regulatory complexity. It turns out being the world’s favorite digital playground is a very serious business. 📈
While Roblox builds its virtual empire, Japan is busy pouring 100 billion yen into an anime and gaming fortress to secure its cultural crown. We are also seeing some serious high-stakes Monopoly moves: ByteDance is offloading its gaming unit for 6 billion dollars, Mattel is going all-in on mobile, and OpenAI has just snatched up OpenClaw’s creator to pivot from chatbots to autonomous agents. It seems everyone is trying to buy up the board before the next turn starts. 💸
But it is not just the giants making noise; the little guys are completely rewriting the playbook for survival. With traditional ads becoming a budget-drainer, developers are looking toward Google’s Genie AI and phone manufacturers to find their audience. This issue explores how these shifts are forcing everyone to innovate or get left behind in the 2026 shuffle. 🚀
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DEEP DIVE
Roblox posts record-shattering 2025 earnings while global safety concerns spark new bans
Roblox shattered its financial targets during the 2025 fiscal year by generating 4.9 billion dollars in revenue and securing a 55% surge in bookings. While the viral hit Grow a Garden individually doubled Steam’s single-game record, the entire platform peaked at a staggering 45 million concurrent users last August.
This massive engagement resulted in 124 billion hours of playtime and provided a digital gold mine of data used to train over 400 proprietary AI models. With monthly unique payers jumping 94% year-over-year, the platform is essentially printing digital currency as it chases an ambitious 10% share of the entire global games market.
However, this meteoric rise triggered a backlash in Egypt, which officially banned the platform this month to shield minors from potentially harmful online content and unmonitored messaging. The company is now aggressively deploying facial age estimation technology to appease global regulators, proving that while Roblox can easily break financial records, it still cannot break the rules!
PODCAST
From Extracting Resources To Building Games
NEWS
What’s happening in the industry
Japan bets ¥100 billion on gaming and anime to fuel growth
Japan aims to boost annual content sales to ¥20 trillion by 2033, targeting global expansion for games and anime. Facing high localization costs and labor shortages, the government will fund AI translation and human resources to help developers and publishers scale internationally while improving industry working conditions.
Traditional UA models are becoming nearly impossible for small mobile teams
Industry experts warn that soaring marketing costs and high barriers now stifle small developers using traditional UA. To survive, UA managers should pivot toward community building, automation and AI-driven efficiency, and exploring alternative platforms like web or Steam to bypass the increasingly expensive mobile storefronts.
Mobile OEMs emerge as essential growth engines for app marketers in 2026
In 2026, mobile OEMs like Samsung and Xiaomi have become vital for user acquisition, bypassing traditional walled gardens. By leveraging dynamic preloads and alternative app stores, marketers reach 1.85 billion daily users. This ecosystem offers fraud-free traffic and better monetization by avoiding the standard 30% gatekeeper tax.
Google’s Project Genie Sparks Mixed Reactions Among Game Industry Experts
Google’s Project Genie, an AI tool generating interactive environments, has triggered both market volatility and industry debate. While experts view it as a powerful asset for rapid prototyping and user-generated content, they remain skeptical of it replacing traditional engines like Unity due to its lack of specificity, exportable code, and human-centric design.
ByteDance in talks to sell gaming unit Moonton for over $6 billion
ByteDance is in advanced talks to sell Moonton Technology to Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group for $6–$7 billion. The deal, potentially closing this quarter, signals ByteDance’s retreat from gaming despite its $330 billion valuation. Moonton’s flagship title, Mobile Legends, currently boasts over 1.5 billion installations worldwide.
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OpenAI hired OpenClaw creator to lead its shift toward agents
Following OpenClaw’s viral success and 100,000+ GitHub stars, creator Peter Steinberger has joined OpenAI to lead personal agent development. While the project remains an independent open-source foundation sponsored by OpenAI, this strategic move aims to transform OpenClaw’s “unhinged” autonomous capabilities into a secure, mainstream agent ecosystem.
Mattel acquires full ownership of Mattel163 to boost digital gaming business
Mattel is purchasing NetEase’s 50% stake in their joint venture, Mattel163, for $159 million. The deal consolidates popular titles like Uno! and Phase 10, which boast 550 million downloads. This strategic acquisition aims to accelerate Mattel’s self-publishing capabilities and better integrate its iconic toy brands into the high-growth mobile gaming market.
BUBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE
Top new articles in the field
And that’s a wrap on this edition!
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Catch you next time,
The Bubbleye Team
