Welcome to The Business of Games podcast, brought to you by Xsolla.

In this special episode, host Lia Ballentine sits down with Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla, who has just returned from the world’s biggest gaming event: Gamescom. This time, Chris takes the guest chair to share his firsthand takeaways from the show floor, giving us a unique insider’s perspective on the industry’s most important trends.

From direct-to-player monetization and AI breakthroughs, to the balancing act between indie creativity and blockbuster spectacle, Gamescom 2025 offered a front-row seat to the future of gaming. Along the way, you’ll hear live soundbites from the industry voices Chris spoke with on the ground and get a true pulse check on where the business of games is headed next.

Whether you’re a studio founder, platform strategist, or simply curious about what Gamescom signals for the year ahead, this episode delivers your executive summary of the winners, risks, and next bets shaping the business of games.

Let’s get into it.

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