This Halloween, the scariest monsters for Europe’s game makers aren’t in costume—they’re in Brussels. The European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) network are reclassifying Clash gems and Candy Crush gold as digital money, complete with euro pop-ups, parental re-auth, and extra consent checks. Supercell warns this could turn seamless economies into bureaucratic nightmares, risking billions in revenue and stalling the innovation engine behind Europe’s gaming boom.
OpenAI has just rolled out ChatGPT Atlas, an AI-powered browser aiming squarely at Google Chrome’s dominance. Microsoft was the first one to respond, releasing an Edge update where Copilot sees your open tabs, summarizes your reads, and books hotels for you. Speaking of Google, they’re not standing still: Veo 3.1 brings a show-stopping “Frames to Video” feature that weaves your still images into cinematic shorts in seconds . Japan’s government is watching this video AI boom closely, warning OpenAI over its Sora 2 model after a flood of AI-generated anime clips sparked copyright concerns.
The October 20 AWS outage reminded us how fragile our online playgrounds can be—Clash Royale, Pokémon Go and Roblox all went dark for hours. And in R&D news, Tencent’s “Think in Games” AI hits 90.91% accuracy in strategic decision-making, leveling up in-game smarts and player experience.
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DEEP DIVE
Europe’s new rules threaten free-to-play gaming gold
Brussels regulators propose to classify in-game currencies like Clash gems or Candy Crush gold as digital money, triggering extra confirmation screens, euro-denominated pop-ups, and parental re-authorization on every soft-currency spend. The Digital Fairness Act and CPC Guidelines aim to inject transparency and consent checks into free-to-play monetization, citing concerns over loot boxes, FOMO deals, and impulse-driven purchases.
Regulators argue these measures will shield minors from psychology-driven loops and exploitative designs. Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen counters that this bureaucratic overreach will render free-to-play games unplayable, strip out frictionless economies, and drain billions in annual revenue and taxes—like a theme park requiring a signed waiver for each token ride!
The free-to-play model has turned phones into universal playgrounds, generating over $100 billion in lifetime revenue, funding European champions such as Supercell, King, and Playrix, and spawning hundreds of startups and creative careers. Applying financial rules to digital money risks erasing the innovation engine behind Europe’s gaming boom, potentially slashing tens of billions in revenue and stalling the region’s tech-driven growth.
PODCAST
The EU’s Digital Fairness Act and what it means for the games industry explained
NEWS
What’s happening in the industry
OpenAI releases Atlas, an AI browser that challenges Google Chrome
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Atlas, a new AI-powered web browser built around its ChatGPT assistant. Initially available for macOS with Windows, iOS and Android versions coming soon, Atlas lets users ask questions, analyze webpages and automate tasks via “agent mode”, marking a direct bid to challenge Google Chrome’s dominance.
OpenAI restructures for profit, loosens Microsoft ties
OpenAI completed its for-profit restructuring, granting new independence from Microsoft while keeping its 27% stake. The deal revises IP rights for post-AGI models, ends Microsoft’s exclusivity over compute and hardware, and allows OpenAI to work with other partners and U.S. agencies. Microsoft retains revenue-sharing and product rights through 2032.
Google launches Veo 3.1, boosting Flow video editor’s features
Google has released Veo 3.1, upgrading its Flow video creation tool with smarter editing and audio features. A particularly notable feature is “Frames to Video” — by providing a starting and ending image, Flow generates a seamless, cinematic video that smoothly bridges the two.
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AWS outage knocks out major games, revealing fragile cloud dependency
The AWS outage on October 20 caused widespread disruption to gaming, taking down popular games like Clash Royale and Pokémon Go, as well as the Roblox platform for hours, after a DNS error in the US East (N. Virginia) region. This incident underscores the increasing reliance on a few cloud providers, highlighting the system’s vulnerability as digital life moves further online.
Meta updates privacy policy to use AI chat data for ads
Meta announced it will use data from user interactions with its AI products to enhance ad targeting on Facebook and Instagram, with a privacy update effective December 16. The change excludes South Korea, the UK, and the EU. Data from chats, smart glasses, and AI media tools may inform ads, while sensitive topics remain exempt.
Tencent’s new AI framework enhances game strategy explanations
Tencent’s “Think in Games” (TiG) framework uses player data from Honor of Kings to train smaller, more efficient AI models capable of strategic decision-making and self-explanation. This approach leads to a 90.91% accuracy in strategic choices, significantly improving game AI performance and player experience.
Unity partners with Stripe to power cross-platform game webshops
Unity is teaming up with Stripe to let game developers run webshops across mobile, web, and PC. The new service, now in early access, centralizes global payments, pricing, and promotions in one dashboard—bypassing app store restrictions. Unity says it aims to give developers full control and flexibility over their digital commerce.
AppsFlyer nears $3B sale as Goldman-led process reaches final stage
Israeli ad tech firm AppsFlyer is reportedly in the final phase of a Goldman Sachs–led sale, targeting a $2.7–$3 billion valuation. Bidders include Fortissimo Capital and Apollo Global Management. The profitable mobile analytics leader, last valued at $2 billion in 2020, reflects rising investor appetite for ad-measurement firms amid gaming growth.
BUBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE
Top new articles in the field
📈 LTV > CPI = success: Here’s how to achieve it consistently →
📱 Analyst bulletin: Mobile game market review for September 2025 →
🎮 8 trends that will redefine gaming in Asia and beyond →
📊 X user age, gender, and demographic stats for 2025 →
💰 Instagram revenue and usage statistics (2025) →
🛡️ 2025 In-app user privacy report →
📢 Nearly half of US teens skip games with female stereotypes →
And that’s a wrap on this edition!
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Catch you next time,
The Bubbleye Team
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