We break down Wittle Defender, Habby’s latest departure from the mass market, blending deep meta, squad RPG mechanics, and a relentless gacha system. This is not another Survivor IO. It is a meta monster built for hardcore RPG fans, multi-layered progression, gear grind, rune systems, and dozens of monetization hooks. But is it too deep for global scale?

What’s inside:

Meta Gone Wild

Gacha and Progression

More Modes, More Monetization

Deep automation and idle mechanics

Ad Revenue Shrinks

UA and Creative: Focused on Asia, with heavy use of fake gameplay, static images, and Rush Royale or Top Heroes clones for Facebook and TikTok ads. Playable ads exist but are rare.

Key Takeaway:

Wittle Defender marks Habby’s pivot away from broad hybrid monetization. The focus now is on deep spend, multi-layered progression, and gacha depth for a smaller, more hardcore player base. Ad revenue is down, IAP is up, and the US is no longer the top target.

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This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠

Youtube: https://youtu.be/lg023xHkCUk

Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Host Dynamics

02:49 Sailing Adventures and Job Interviews

04:06 Whittle Defender Game Overview

07:19 Game Mechanics and Progression Systems

11:22 Monetization Strategies and User Experience

14:22 Gameplay Modes and Challenges

18:17 Character Skills and Randomization Mechanics

25:18 Final Thoughts and Game Depth

25:42 Character Dynamics and Game Mechanics

28:36 Game Depth and Player Engagement

29:52 Market Positioning and Audience Targeting

34:15 Revenue Insights and Market Performance

40:15 Monetization Strategies and Future Directions

44:06 Game Mechanics and Trends

46:13 Marketing Strategies in Gaming

51:18 Investment and Development in the Gaming Industry

56:14 Future Directions for Game Studios

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Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

Jakub Remiar

Game design consultant

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar

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Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me