Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce company, today announced multiple activations across two back-to-back Austin gaming events: GamesBeat Engage: Austin on April 27 and Live Service Gaming Austin on April 28 to 29. Anthony Mendoza, Xsolla’s Business Development Executive, will moderate a debate at GamesBeat Engage: Austin, and Artem Liubutov, Executive VP of Monetization Products at Xsolla, will join the opening panel at Live Service Gaming Austin.
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GamesBeat Engage: Austin (April 27, Q-Branch, 200 E 6th St #310, downtown Austin) is an intimate, debate-style gathering hosted by GamesBeat, bringing together developers, publishers, investors, and technology leaders for an evening centered on one theme: The Live Service Reckoning. The event features two structured debates, a featured fireside chat, and a private VIP dinner, examining whether the live service formula is evolving or overdue for reinvention.
Live Service Gaming Austin (April 28 to 29) brings together mobile game business executives and live service gaming leaders for two days of programming focused on audience strategy, monetization, and operations. Together, the events represent a critical moment for the industry to examine the trajectory of live service gaming.
The live service model has transformed the gaming industry by turning launches into long-term relationships between developers and players. Yet, the model is reaching a crossroads. As development and user acquisition costs rise, player expectations evolve, and retention becomes harder to sustain, studios are asking tough questions about whether the live service model remains the most sustainable path forward, whether battle passes, seasonal content, and constant updates are creating lasting engagement or player fatigue, and whether smaller studios can realistically compete in an always-on environment.
“Live service gaming is at an inflection point, and these conversations in Austin are about the real challenges studios face right now, from sustaining smaller teams in an always-on model to rethinking how player expectations shape monetization and retention,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at Xsolla. “Having our team on stage at both events reflects how deeply Xsolla is embedded in the infrastructure and strategy powering live service gaming at every scale.”
At GamesBeat Engage: Austin, Mendoza will moderate the debate “Do Large and Small Studios Need to Approach Live Service Differently?”, exploring whether continuous content, analytics, and community management demands have made the model viable only for large publishers, or if smaller studios can leverage creative efficiency and leaner operations to compete. Mendoza will be joined by Andrew Ice, SVP of Games at Zynga. The evening also features a debate on whether the live service model has made games better or just longer, moderated by GamesBeat’s Alexander Lee with Warren Spector, Co-founder and CCO of OtherSide Entertainment, and Jack Emmert, CEO of Cryptic Studios, followed by a fireside chat with Paul Sams, COO of Certain Affinity, on whether subscriptions, microtransactions, or an entirely new model will define the next generation of live service revenue.
At Live Service Gaming Austin, Liubutov will participate in the Day 2 Opening Panel Discussion on April 29 from 9:00 to 9:30 AM, titled “Evolving Expectations: Navigating Shifts in Live Service Audience, Definition, and Strategy.” The panel explores the current state of live service games, major industry shifts, and how studios can adapt, covering audience diversification, data strategy, and monetization models, including in-game ads, subscriptions, and direct-to-consumer. Liubutov will appear alongside Nicole Opas, VP and General Manager of Live Operations at NYT Games at The New York Times; Alex Pfluger, Associate Director of Data Analytics at Second Dinner; and Fred White, Global Game Marketing and Publishing Leader.
Xsolla’s commerce platform provides the infrastructure powering live service operations at scale. The Xsolla Web Shop has evolved from a standalone storefront into a fully connected, direct-to-consumer ecosystem purpose-built for mobile game studios operating live-service games. With more than 700 web shops successfully launched, including 40 of the top 100 highest-grossing mobile games worldwide, the ecosystem now pre-integrates storefronts, payments, LiveOps, and creator tools into a single system, backed by 1,000+ payment methods across 200+ countries and territories. A mobile-first Web Portal and integrated LiveOps layer enable studios to run personalized offers, offer chains, daily rewards, loyalty programs, subscriptions, and A/B testing from a centralized dashboard, with full player data ownership, keeping web-based commerce channels dynamic and synchronized with in-game content cycles. Together, these capabilities address the exact challenges at the center of both events: how studios sustain engagement, optimize monetization, and operate efficiently in an always-on environment.
For more information about Xsolla’s participation at GamesBeat Engage: Austin and Live Service Gaming Austin, including session times and speaker details, visit https://xsolla.pro/Xsolla-Austin-Events
About Xsolla
Xsolla is a global commerce company that builds and provides all the things developers need to launch, grow, and monetize video games. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, the company supports studios of every size, from indie to AAA, with solutions across direct-to-consumer commerce, intelligent payments, entertainment-based IP, and player engagement products. Xsolla helps developers fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games at scale. Trusted by more than 60% of the top 100 highest-grossing games, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record across 200+ geographies with access to over 1,000+ local payment methods worldwide. Grounded in a deep belief in the future of gaming, Xsolla is resolute in bringing opportunities together and unlocking growth for creators everywhere.
For more information, visit xsolla.com
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