#68 - Jakub Remiar: Why Chinese Studios Are Taking Over Mobile Gaming

Today, I'm joined by Jakub Remiar, Mobile F2P monetization consultant and veteran game designer, for a deep dive into the future of the mobile games industry. From why China is dominating mobile game design and monetization to how user acquisition became the real battleground, this episode breaks down the uncomfortable realities behind today’s biggest games.

Jakub explains why “monetization is game design,” how Chinese studios outscale Western teams, why most mobile studios fail, and what actually separates breakout hits from copycats.

If you work in gaming, product, monetization, or are building a mobile game studio, this episode is for you!

Connect with Jakub:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@2.5gamers/videos
Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-3nua7emvr-A1AXS70f~kRGyniP1PdQjQ

Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/

Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/

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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
04:42 Gamescom vs ChinaJoy and why the industry is changing
06:47 Why mobile gaming trends move from East to West
09:17 Why Western studios ignore massive Asian games
11:25 Chinese studios taking over 4X and merge games
14:06 Why user acquisition now decides who survives
16:12 Supercell, Clash of Clans, and the missed 4X opportunity
18:34 How Jakub would build a modern game studio
22:44 The modular game development strategy behind hit mobile games
26:32 Why paid UA beats “just making a great game”
28:19 Balatro, streamability, and viral indie success stories
34:06 AI-generated creatives and the future of mobile marketing
36:33 Why top studios create thousands of ads every month
38:18 Fake ads, King Shot, and the reality of mobile advertising
39:39 How mobile games are designed around monetization systems
43:52 Product leadership, game economies, and monetization mistakes
49:33 Why game design knowledge is so hard to learn publicly
53:33 Why even experienced game studios still fail
55:47 Is the gaming industry actually doomed?
58:27 Career advice for aspiring game designers