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Jest, a gaming startup co-founded by CEO Deyan Vitanov, emerged from stealth with $7 million in seed funding to launch an RCS-powered messaging game marketplace in the United States, aiming to bypass Apple and Google’s dominant app stores by hosting playable titles directly within chat threads.

Reinventing Mobile Game Distribution via RCS Technology

For over a decade, mobile game distribution has relied entirely on centralized app marketplaces. Developers spend months building titles only to give up to 30% of their gross revenue to platform operators like Apple and Google. Jest is attempting to dismantle this system by moving game discovery directly into messaging platforms.

The platform operates on Rich Communication Services (RCS), the modernized protocol replacing legacy SMS with rich media support, interactive elements, and integrated payment capabilities. Adoption of the protocol exploded after Apple integrated RCS into iOS 18 in 2024. According to Google data, RCS volume surpassed one billion daily messages in the United States by May 2025.

“Mobile game developers have largely been locked into app store distribution as the primary way to reach players,” Deyan Vitanov, CEO and co-founder of Jest, stated. “RCS games live in the messaging inbox, the stickiest surface on mobile, where people are already spending huge amounts of time talking to friends and family. We’re building on an interaction pattern people already use every day.”

Bypassing App Stores Amid Declining Native Downloads

Jest lets users launch and share games inside active chat windows without downloading software from an app store. The web-browser-based titles execute over Wi-Fi connections instantly upon clicking a link.

This zero-friction model targets a market experiencing install fatigue. Industry data from Appfigures reveals that consumers downloaded 39.4 billion mobile games in 2025—an 8.6% year-over-year decrease following a 6.6% contraction between 2023 and 2024.

Despite broader market drops, Jest recorded significant traction during its initial testing. Four months into its beta run, users played over 1 million messaging games and exchanged more than 300,000 game-related messages by late January.

“We’re seeing 3-4 times better retention than traditional mobile apps. That’s a fundamental shift in the engagement curve,” Vitanov explained. “On the user acquisition front, we’ve completely validated that people will sign up and play games through messaging, with our early partners reporting 30-60% lower acquisition costs compared to mobile apps. It’s remarkably simple. Just tap on a link, and you’re in.”

Developer Monetization and Network Economics

To pull gaming studios away from native platforms, Jest offers a 90/10 revenue split, allowing creators to keep 90% of their earnings. This triples the developer retention margin compared to traditional app stores.

The platform also incorporates a shared monetization system designed to reward studios that bring users onto the network:

• 70% goes to the studio monetizing the player.
• 20% goes to the acquiring studio that originally brought the player onto Jest.
• 10% goes to Jest as a platform fee.

“There’s a clever network effect built in,” Vitanov noted. “This creates powerful incentives where even viral games that don’t monetize well can generate revenue streams for their developers when those users play other games on the platform.”

Early development partners joining the ecosystem include studios behind hit mobile titles such as “Episode,” “Puppy Mansion,” and “Kingdom Maker.”

Capital Allocation and Global Roadmap

Innovation Endeavors led the $7 million seed round, which Jest will allocate toward platform scaling and developer onboarding. To incentivize production, Jest established a structured Games Fund to back developers building on the platform.

Games Fund Investment Tiers

• $1,000,000: Allocated for tier-one flagship titles.
• $200,000: Designated for high-potential mid-stage games.
• $40,000: Reserved for experimental concepts and early-stage prototypes.

Currently accessible to users across the U.S., Jest plans to roll out its messaging marketplace to 14 additional international markets by the third quarter of 2026.

Microsoft orchestrated a major executive overhaul in its gaming division on Friday as Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and Xbox President Sarah Bond departed, appointing former CoreAI product head Asha Sharma to lead the platform into an AI-influenced future.

Executive Transition Signals Deeper AI Integration

The sudden departure of both Spencer and Bond marks one of the most pivotal leadership shifts in Xbox history. Sharma steps into the chief executive role following her recent tenure as the president of Microsoft’s CoreAI product team, alongside prior executive experience at Meta and Instacart. Her strategic background strongly suggests that Microsoft plans to double down on implementing artificial intelligence across its gaming portfolio.

Navigating Microsoft’s Strategic Gaming Push

The technology giant has already begun testing the waters regarding machine learning in game development and gameplay. Microsoft’s previous experiments include building a dedicated AI gaming companion and releasing an experimental, albeit buggy, AI-generated level for the classic title Quake II.

Internal Memo Sets Guardrails for Artificial Intelligence

Addressing the division’s direction, Sharma outlined her strategic vision in an internal memo published by The Verge. In the document, she emphasized that Microsoft “will invent new business models and new ways to play,” while highlighting that “monetization and AI” will simultaneously “evolve and influence this future.”

Despite this technological focus, Sharma explicitly clarified that quality remains the priority, writing that Microsoft “will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop.”

“Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us,” Sharma emphasized in the memo.

The Pillars of Microsoft’s Next Gaming Chapter

This commitment to human-centric design serves as one of three main pillars Sharma established upon taking leadership. Her vision for Microsoft Gaming centers on delivering critically acclaimed games that resonate with players, maintaining a firm priority on the Xbox platform, and responsibly leveraging emerging technologies to assist creative teams.

Roblox announced during its Q4 2025 earnings release that 45% of its daily active users completed mandatory facial verification as of January 31, following a month-long effort to secure platform communications against child safety risks globally.

Legal Pressure Drives Facial Verification Rollout

The mandatory age-check implementation comes after intense scrutiny and legal actions, including lawsuits filed by attorneys general in Texas, Kentucky, and Louisiana. These actions followed investigative reports detailing how Roblox exposed underage players to serious threats, including explicit content and online grooming.

To complete the process, players must access the Roblox mobile app, grant camera permissions, and navigate facial verification prompts. Third-party identity vendor Persona handles the verification data, wiping all recorded video clips and photos immediately after processing.

How Age-Restricted Chat Filtering Works

Successfully passing the facial scan unlocks age-appropriate chat features designed to isolate interaction between disparate age groups. Roblox categorizes accounts into six distinct tiers: under 9, 9 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 17, 18 to 20, and 21 and older.

Users can only communicate with peers in their bracket or adjacent tiers. For example, a player in the 9-to-12 tier can chat with players in their group, as well as those in the under-9 and 13-to-15 categories. If the automated scan misjudges a user’s age, account holders can appeal through government ID uploads or via parental control settings that allow parents to adjust the registered age.

Age Data Exposes Younger Real-World Demographic

Data gathered from the age-check system revealed a demographic skewed younger than previous self-reported account data indicated, aligning with internal company projections published in its Q4 2025 shareholder letter. Among the 45% of verified daily active users, 35% are under 13, 38% fall between ages 13 and 17, and 27% are 18 or older.

Background AI Tracks Keystrokes and Emoji Placement

The rollout has faced security challenges, including online black markets. Reporting from Wired uncovered third-party listings on eBay selling pre-verified minor accounts to bypass safety barriers. While eBay took down the listings, risks persist regarding bad actors infiltrating spaces designated for children.

Roblox Senior Director of Product Policy Eliza Jacobs clarified that automated background systems continually monitor active accounts to catch illicit transfers or false verifications.

Jacobs explained that the system tracks account activity to flag discrepancies, assessing game selections, interaction lists, and typing dynamics. Keystroke timing patterns differ notably between adults and children. The safety engine also analyzes stylistic chat choices, such as emoji usage; older users frequently place emojis at the end of sentences as punctuation, whereas younger players integrate them directly into the middle of text strings. Accounts displaying inconsistent behavioral metrics trigger re-verification requests.

Adult Demographic Growth Drives Monetization Strategy

Beyond safety, verified demographic data is steering Roblox’s financial strategy. CEO and co-founder David Baszucki noted during the earnings call that confirmed age tracking highlights commercial opportunities within older audiences.

Baszucki stated that the 18-and-over user segment is expanding at more than 50% year-over-year, generating 40% higher monetization rates than younger groups. Roblox is adjusting platform development to support mature genres that appeal to this demographic, focusing investments on first-person shooters, role-playing games, sports titles, and racing experiences while maintaining platform-wide safety protocols.

On Wednesday, Roblox officially launched the open beta for its highly anticipated 4D creation feature, enabling creators to transform static 3D models into fully functional, interactive objects directly within the platform. The feature, which has been in early access since November, introduces a new layer of real-time movement and dynamic behavior to user-generated virtual assets.

From Static Objects to Dynamic 4D Interactions

The release builds upon Roblox’s open-source generative AI initiatives. Last year, the company introduced Cube 3D, a model designed to accelerate platform design by generating items like furniture, vehicles, and accessories. According to Roblox, Cube 3D has powered the creation of over 1.8 million 3D assets since its March rollout. The new 4D creation technology expands these capabilities by embedding motion and responsiveness, allowing generated items to actively react to player movement within experiences.

Object Schemas: Explaining Car-5 and Body-1

At launch, creators can experiment with two distinct object templates, known as schemas:

• Car-5 Schema: Unlike previous iterations that generated vehicles as single, immobile 3D blocks, this template splits the object into five functional parts—the primary chassis and four independent wheels. The AI assigns distinct physical behaviors to each component, producing drivable vehicles with rotating wheels.
• Body-1 Schema: Designed for single-piece items, this template generates solid, monolithic objects such as basic boxes, decorative props, or sculptures.

Players can test these functional 4D generations in Wish Master, a showcase title where users can spawn and operate drivable cars, flyable aircraft, and animated dragons.

Future Roadmap: Image Upsampling and Real-Time Dreaming

Roblox intends to grant developers the ability to construct custom schemas, offering greater flexibility when defining object physics and interactive behaviors. Additionally, the company is refining technology capable of upsampling reference images to produce detailed 3D models that match the visual style of an uploaded graphic.

Further AI developments include an initiative dubbed “real-time dreaming.” Roblox CEO David Baszucki recently detailed that this system will allow users to construct entire environments dynamically using real-time text prompts and direct keyboard navigation.

Safety Mandates Accompany Product Updates

The open beta rollout arrives alongside stricter platform governance. Roblox recently introduced mandatory facial verification requirements for users seeking access to platform chat functions, following widespread regulatory scrutiny and legal filings concerning child safety online.

International game developers are pulling out of the 2026 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, set for March 9 to 13, over escalating safety concerns tied to heightened U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, stringent border checks, and rising attendance costs.

Escalating ICE Presence and Border Friction Trigger Attendee Alarm

Industry professionals, former attendees, and independent creators have voiced strong reluctance to attend the event—recently rebranded as the “GDC Festival of Gaming”—using platforms like LinkedIn to declare their absence. The reluctance follows intensified ICE operations across multiple U.S. cities and recent deadly encounters involving agents, including the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good on January 7 and ICU nurse Alex Pretti on January 24 in Minneapolis.

Unpredictable border screenings have compounded anxiety among global attendees. Public commentary reflects widespread hesitancy, with one developer noting, “It’s not worth taking the risk of going,” while another stated that “the U.S. is just a very problematic location for an international event.”

GDC Leadership Outlines Safety Measures and Visa Recommendations

In response to growing industry hesitation, GDC President Nina Brown stated to Mobilegamer.biz that attendee safety remains the organization’s highest priority. Brown confirmed that conference organizers are collaborating directly with local authorities and legal analysts to track changes in U.S. policy and issue updated guidance.

Foreign attendees are being advised to initiate visa applications as early as possible and consult local embassies regarding specific entry requirements. To reinforce physical safety on site, GDC is deploying a multi-layered security protocol, including:

• A dedicated 24/7 emergency safety hotline
• Mandatory safety training for all event personnel
• On-demand security escorts for attendees
• Active deployment of San Francisco’s Safety Community Ambassadors throughout the venue area

Financial Hurdles and Restructured Pass Pricing

Beyond safety and immigration fears, financial barriers continue to deter smaller studios and independent developers. Accumulating expenses—including transatlantic travel, lodging, daily meals, and admission passes—have rendered the conference cost-prohibitive for many small-scale creators.

To mitigate these financial burdens, GDC organizers have introduced a revamped ticketing structure. The newly created Festival Pass replaces the legacy All-Access pass, reducing entry costs by 45%. Starting at $649, the revised pass provides access to all primary conference programming in an effort to keep the event accessible to indie talent.

The New York Times Games has officially launched Crossplay, a new multiplayer word game available today on iOS and Android designed to offer a clean, distraction-free alternative to traditional mobile tile games.

Reimagining Classic Scrabble Without Aggressive Ads

Crossplay delivers an experience tailored for players seeking a simple, ad-free environment to challenge friends or family over several days. Unlike competing titles plagued by invasive full-screen advertisements, pop-ups, and overwhelming microtransactions, Crossplay focuses entirely on pure gameplay.

While casual players will immediately recognize the core mechanics, Crossplay is not an exact Scrabble clone. The game features subtle variations in its board layout, tile distribution, and final rules once the tile bag empties—adjustments likely made for legal compliance. Despite these minor tweaks, the fundamental experience remains virtually identical for standard gameplay.

Players can invite personal contacts to matches or utilize skill-based matchmaking to play against strangers. Subscribers to New York Times Games receive a completely ad-free experience, while non-subscribers see unobtrusive banner ads. This starkly contrasts with games like Words With Friends, which charges $10 monthly to remove ads while maintaining a heavily cluttered, cartoonish user interface.

CrossBot Offers Analytical Insights for Strategy Enthusiasts

Crossplay introduces a dedicated analytical feature known as CrossBot. Following in the footsteps of WordleBot and ConnectionsBot, CrossBot evaluates every move made during a match. The tool breaks down gameplay performance by calculating luck versus strategy, highlighting optimal word choices alongside missed scoring opportunities.

The Rapid Rise of The New York Times Gaming Hub

While The New York Times has published its classic Crossword puzzle since 1942, its digital gaming division exploded following the acquisition of Wordle in 2022. According to financial data from hedge fund ValueAct Capital, total user engagement within the Games app officially surpassed time spent in the core News app by late 2023.

Engagement numbers demonstrate massive scale: Wordle logged 4.2 billion plays in 2025, while Connections registered 1.6 billion plays over the same period.

Focusing on Respectful, Consumer-First Game Design

Jonathan Knight, Head of Games at The New York Times, attributes the division’s rapid expansion to respecting player time and avoiding predatory monetization.

“Games like Spelling Bee and Wordle found a way to take the magical ‘solve a puzzle’ feeling and create a very mainstream, quick, snackable version of that that works well on your phone, that’s very sharable with friends and family, and that I think is very respectful of your time,” Knight stated. “You can just decide to do it in the morning, or at night before you go to bed, and then go to bed.”

This approach reflects the founding ethos of Wordle creator Josh Wardle, who observed before selling his game that players have a distinct appetite for products that transparently demand nothing predatory from them.

Despite shifting market trends, player retention remains exceptionally stable. Knight noted that daily sharing metrics for Wordle have stayed constant since its acquisition, citing broad cultural adoption ranging from everyday users to high-profile figures like the Pope.

With Crossplay, the development team aims to bring that same understated approach to turn-based multiplayer word puzzles. “We wanted people to be able to just get in and play the game with friends and family, and then get on with your day,” Knight added.

Italy’s antitrust regulator, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza E Del Mercato (AGCM), has launched two investigations into Microsoft-owned Activision Blizzard over alleged “misleading and aggressive” sales practices within its popular mobile games, Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile.

Exploitative Monetization and Dark Patterns Under Scrutiny

According to the competition watchdog, both titles use psychological design elements engineered to force extended gameplay sessions and compel players—particularly children—into making recurring microtransactions through fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) reward tactics.

“These practices, together with strategies that make it difficult for users to understand the real value of the virtual currency used in the game and the sale of in-game currency in bundles, may influence players as consumers — including minors — leading them to spend significant amounts, sometimes exceeding what is necessary to progress in the game and without being fully aware of the expenditure involved,” the AGCM wrote in an official statement.

While both titles are marketed as free-to-play, they rely heavily on monetization systems like loot boxes and cosmetic upgrades. In titles like Diablo Immortal, currency bundles and progression boosters can cost up to $200, leading many users to spend substantial sums repeatedly to keep up with gameplay demands.

Flawed Parental Controls and Aggressive Data Collection

The regulatory probe extends beyond microtransactions to address default user settings that put underage players at risk. The AGCM revealed that default options currently permit minors to make unauthorized purchases, play without time restrictions, and interact freely via unmonitored in-game chat systems.

Privacy safeguards are also under review. Regulators suspect the onboarding process leads users into accepting all data collection options by default, prompting an inquiry into how Activision Blizzard harvests and utilizes player personal data.

“In the Authority’s view, the company may be acting in breach of consumer protection rules and, in particular, the duty of professional diligence required in a sector that is particularly sensitive to the risks of gaming-related addiction,” the regulator stated.

Both Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile maintain massive global user bases exceeding hundreds of thousands of active players. Activision Blizzard has not immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the probe.

Ozlo, the Boston-based maker of noise-masking Sleepbuds, is officially transforming its consumer hardware into an integrated sleep data platform at CES in Las Vegas, aiming to capture high-margin software subscriptions and expand into medical technology.

Building an Ecosystem on Sleep Data

Founded by former Bose engineers, Ozlo built its infrastructure from day one to support third-party software expansion. The company’s native iOS and Android applications run entirely on its open Software Development Kit (SDK), enabling external partners to leverage the full suite of sensor capabilities built into the hardware.

The strategic shift took initial shape through a high-profile partnership between Ozlo and meditation app Calm. Ozlo’s hardware captures real-time biometric changes, including body movements and respiration rates, transmitting this data directly to its smart charging case. A machine learning model processes these signals alongside environmental ambient light and temperature measurements to determine whether a user is sleeping or resting.

This biometric feedback loop gives digital content platforms rare visibility into user efficacy. If a listener initiates a guided breathing session, Ozlo’s sensors verify whether respiration slows down. When audio proves ineffective, content creators receive concrete usage data, replacing traditional guesswork with actionable biological feedback.

Beyond content optimizations, this system unlocks revenue-sharing mechanisms for Ozlo on third-party app conversions. The company plans to apply this architecture to audiobooks, therapy services, and specialized health offerings.

Targeting the 15% of its user base experiencing ear-ringing, Ozlo collaborated with Walter Reed Hospital on clinical trials for tinnitus. Findings demonstrated that precise frequency masking applied continuously overnight retrains neural pathways. Ozlo will introduce specialized tinnitus therapy tools under a paid subscription model set to launch in Q2 2026.

AI Integration and Smart Home Automation

Following the rollout of its Sleep Patterns analytics suite, Ozlo is building an interactive conversational AI sleep assistant. Slated for release in Q2 2026, the feature enables text interaction to deliver personalized recovery suggestions.

The companion app syncs directly with Apple HealthKit and external wearables. Ozlo is also expanding into smart home IoT connectivity, allowing its charging case to interact with smart thermostats and lower room temperatures automatically when opened at bedtime.

Hardware Upgrades and Non-Earbud Form Factors

Ozlo will roll out hardware enhancements in Q2 2026. Updated Sleepbuds charging cases feature refined internal contours for seamless dock seating, a dedicated physical Bluetooth pairing button, an upgraded antenna extender, and high-output amplifiers designed to mask travel noise on planes and trains.

Simultaneously, the brand is entering non-wearable audio with a 4×6-inch standalone bedside speaker. Designed for children under 13 and older adults who prefer not to wear earbuds, the device incorporates environmental monitoring sensors to track night disturbances, detect falls, and log bathroom visits. Ozlo is also developing ambient wake-light features comparable to the Hatch alarm clock.

Neurotech Acquisition Drives Medical Strategy

To secure regulated clinical capabilities, the 60-person firm acquired Segotia, an Irish neurotech startup specialized in electroencephalogram (EEG) hearables.

The acquisition enables Ozlo to engineer custom ear tips that measure bioelectrical signals directly within the ear canal. By tracking brain activity via delta waves, the hardware will perform real-time sleep interventions. Commercial products leveraging Segotia’s EEG neurotechnology are planned for a 2027 launch, formally moving the company into regulated medical devices.

To fund its software expansion, upcoming hardware launches, and clinical scaling, Ozlo is finalizing a Series B investment round, with full financing details scheduled for release in the coming weeks.

Anduril founder Palmer Luckey declared the geopolitical rift between the United States and China an irreversible “messy divorce” during a public panel on Wednesday, taking personal accountability for previously relying on Chinese manufacturing.

A Permanent Geopolitical Separation

Addressing foreign policy toward the conclusion of the event, Luckey dismissed any expectations of a diplomatic reconciliation between the world’s two dominant economic powers. “Geopolitically, the United States and China are going through a divorce; it’s a messy divorce — and if people think that it’s going to end with reconciliation, they’re blind. It’s not,” Luckey stated, framing the current decoupling as a permanent reality.

Acknowledging Past Supply Chain Dependence

Reflecting on his career prior to founding defence technology firm Anduril, Luckey admitted his own role in expanding domestic tech production overseas. Recognizing how earlier consumer hardware ventures relied heavily on Asian supply chains, Luckey stated bluntly, “I was part of the problem for a long time, making all of my stuff in China.”