Arcadia Gaming Partners MD defends Turkish mobile game premium valuations at Mobidictum Conference 2026
Summary
Arcadia Gaming Partners MD Akin Babayigit and Laton Ventures founder Görkem Türk defended Türkiye's premium mobile game valuations at Mobidictum Conference 2026 in Istanbul.
Grand Games raised a $70m Series B, Circle Games a $25m Series A, and Talemonster Games a $30m Series A.
Scopely's majority stake acquisition valued puzzle studio Loom Games above $1 billion, after Arcadia and e2vc backed its prior funding round.
Babayigit ties the premium to work ethic and AppLovin algorithm fit, while admitting hybridcasual's long-term retention is still unproven.
01
Babayigit's work ethic thesis
Babayigit named five hubs worth investor attention: Türkiye, China, Vietnam, Israel and increasingly India.
He singled out Turkish teams' work ethic as a differentiator, with exceptions cited in Sweden and France.
"The Turkish work ethic is really crazy, in a good way."
Türk added that founders now openly describe lifelong passion for gaming, a reversal from treating it as unserious in school.
02
The capital evidence behind the thesis
Grand Games closed a $70m Series B.
Circle Games raised a $25m Series A.
Talemonster Games secured a $30m Series A.
Scopely's majority stake acquisition valued Loom Games above $1 billion, months after Arcadia and e2vc backed its prior round.
03
Specialization as the valuation driver
Babayigit tied hybridcasual's appeal to the AppLovin algorithm, saying iOS success requires AppLovin fit.
He said AppLovin favors hybridcasual titles because they scale faster on the platform.
Türk advised studios to double down on existing strengths rather than diversify across genres.
"I think a person or company should double down on their strengths."
04
Where the hybridcasual bet remains unproven
Babayigit questioned whether hybridcasual titles can match the longevity of Candy Crush Saga.
He maintained hybridcasual remains a strong business model despite that uncertainty.
Türk reiterated strong optimism about hybridcasual's trajectory in the same exchange.
05
AI as the next valuation lever
Babayigit said AI shifts advantage from execution speed to judgment, favoring experienced teams over small new entrants.
He pointed to AI firms as potential future buyers of mobile studios, drawn to their data and unique-experience expertise.
He cited Google DeepMind's acquisition of Fenris Creations, formerly CCP, after the studio went independent, as a precedent for that buyer shift.
What this means
For Investors & VC: Add long-tail retention cohort data to hybridcasual diligence before underwriting premium entry valuations.
For UA & Marketing: Cap single-network share of iOS hybridcasual spend to limit algorithm-dependency exposure.
For Service Vendors: Pitch LiveOps and late-game content production to newly capitalized puzzle and hybridcasual studios.
Events
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Europe
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