Reflecting on 2024 and looking ahead to what 2025 might bring – with FunPlus CBO's

FunPlus CBO Vision for 2025: From Strategy to Transformation

Dive into the strategic shifts that are setting the stage for an exciting 2025

Hello everyone, and welcome back to our exclusive “Insiders Info” interview series, where we share with you unique insights into FunPlus, FunPlus People, and our Games!

This time, we are privileged to sit down with FunPlus’s Chief Business Officer, Chris Petrovic. As 2024 comes to a close, we ask him to look back on a year of strategic advancements and learning curves. In a constantly evolving industry, FunPlus has had to stay agile, making significant strides in game development and market expansion.

As we did last year, we asked Chris to capture the company’s annual journey in just one word. Last year’s choice was spot-on! Will his prediction be as accurate as last year’s?

Read on to find out his word for 2025 and see if it will ring true!

With another year behind us, could you highlight the proudest achievements for FunPlus in the past year?

Our company has a lot to be proud of, particularly in the face of ongoing headwinds and challenges in our industry. From a financial performance perspective, our live games continue to generate meaningful revenue and profit that allow the company the opportunity to continue to invest in new teams, projects, and initiatives including new IPs, our new Lisbon studio, and new strategy games that will hopefully launch next year.

2024 continued to present a challenging landscape for the gaming industry. Could you delve into some of the specific hurdles FunPlus encountered this year and discuss the pivotal lessons learned? 

We have learned the importance of fostering innovative and entrepreneurial thinking throughout our organization as we see examples of success from our peers and competitors.

I am hopeful that we have applied our learnings to the projects in our pipeline as we continue to:

1. Work on creating a next generation of strategy games;
2. Diversify our portfolio and IP’s into other core game genres;
3. Diversify beyond the mobile platform into PC and eventually console;
4. Continue to evolve beyond a UA-centric marketing mindset into a more integrated marketing mindset that places community building and engagement at the center.

If you could encapsulate FunPlus’s journey through 2024 in a single word, what would it be and why?

Winding.

The reason I use this word is because throughout the year the company has had to rapidly adapt, pivot, and change directions as we respond to ongoing changing market conditions, as well as the performance of both live games and games in development.

The art and science of making games has always been hard, but rarely has it been as difficult as what we have experienced. However, it’s worth acknowledging and appreciating that despite all of these headwinds, the company continues to invest in and bet on new projects and new teams given our continued love for and commitment to the business of creating games and interactive entertainment experiences.

As we look towards 2025, what are some of the trends or technologies you predict will have the most significant impact on FunPlus and the gaming industry as a whole?

Looking towards 2025, I anticipate significant impacts on FunPlus and the gaming industry from both business trends and technological advancements.

From a business trend perspective, FunPlus aims to continue being a thought leader in areas such as:

1. Business risk mitigation through backing projects across genre and platform; 
2. Putting World-Building at the forefront of new project development; 
3. Diversifying our go-to-market strategies to support the above points.

I’ve also observed some early indications of financing and funding flowing back into the gaming industry, which has been relatively dormant for the past few years. While this is currently happening more on the mergers and acquisitions front, I expect to see not only more of that but also increased investment into the sector by financial institutions.

From a technology standpoint, we cannot ignore the realities of AI as an enabling technology.  It promises to enhance efficiency, not just within the gaming industry, but in our everyday lives. Not since the early days of the Internet and the creation of the smartphone have I personally seen a technology with such potential for disruption and transformation and, as a company, we continue to explore how best to fully leverage this enabling technology to allow our company and our employees to be more effective and efficient at what we do.

How is FunPlus gearing up to navigate and lead within the evolving gaming landscape of 2025?

Simply put, we will continue to challenge ourselves and our employees to continue to embrace an entrepreneurial spirit and an innovation mindset in response to the trends and technologies that I have mentioned above.

We all must acknowledge that we have entered a new phase of the gaming industry characterized by maturity and slower growth. This phase requires us to reevaluate and challenge our traditional ways of thinking and to pursue new and creative approaches to what it means to be a successful gaming company.

As the CBO, what is one bold prediction you have for FunPlus in 2025, and how are we preparing today to make that a reality? 

My bold prediction for 2025 is that FunPlus will once again rank among the top two or three companies in the strategy genre, powered by new game releases.

At the same time, we will demonstrate to ourselves and the industry our capability to bring games to market in other genres and on platforms beyond mobile.

And the last question! If we ask you to define the upcoming 2025 for FunPlus in 1 word, which one would it be?

Transformational.

And that’s it!

As we wrap up our conversation with the CBO and look ahead, we are energized by the exciting changes coming to FunPlus in 2025. The focus on agility and creativity promises a year rich with possibilities and achievements.

As we say goodbye to 2024, we send our warmest holiday wishes to the entire FunPlus community. May your festivities be filled with joy, and may 2025 open the door to great success and happiness! Let’s all look forward to a year of transformation and new horizons.

Happy Holidays, and cheers to a wonderful New Year!

About FunPlus

FunPlus is a global creator of interactive entertainment experiences powered by technology, with cross-platform game development and IP creation at its core. Founded in 2010, FunPlus is an organization that fosters top industry talent globally, with offices in over 10 cities and 6 countries, and more than 2,000 team members worldwide. FunPlus is home to talented creative teams who are well-known for developing hugely popular mobile strategy titles including State of Survival, King of Avalon, Guns of Glory, Stormshot, and Sea of Conquest.

Please visit www.funplus.com to find out more.

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