Batuhan Avucan recently discussed how the Turkish mobile gaming ecosystem has changed since the rapid growth period of 2021 and 2022, particularly regarding publishing agreements, funding structures, and studio strategies, on Mobidictum’s YouTube channel.
This article is a recap of the video, highlighting key points Batuhan talked about.
The Turkish gaming ecosystem experienced a major wave of studio formations during the hypercasual boom years. During that period, publishers actively signed prototype agreements, allowing many small teams to quickly enter the market.
However, the landscape changed significantly after that period. While some studios closed down after publishing agreements ended, others shifted their focus toward different areas, including PC gaming.
Many studios operating in 2026 are now showing stronger interest in self-publishing models. While exclusive publishing agreements still remain part of the ecosystem, developers are evaluating different approaches and partnership structures depending on their long-term goals.
Loom Games was highlighted as one of the important success stories within the Turkish gaming ecosystem. Batuhan described the studio as a “north star” for local companies and referenced the success of Twisted Tangle as a key milestone for the team before its later achievements with Pixel Flow!.
The discussion also touched on how the investment environment has changed compared to the early boom years.
Publishers previously played a much larger role in funding studios, whereas investors and venture capital firms are now far more familiar with the Turkish gaming ecosystem and the companies operating within it.
User acquisition, financing, and performance metrics were also mentioned as increasingly important factors, particularly during the first months following a game’s launch.
There is no single business model that fits every studio. Instead, studios need to choose structures that align with their own goals and working styles.
Batuhan noted that, compared to previous years, far fewer studios have recently been reaching out with requests related to finding publishers. As part of a better understanding of the current state of the ecosystem, Batuhan stated that he is currently updating his database to gain clearer visibility into what studios in this space are working on today.
Studios currently facing publishing challenges or actively searching for new publishing partners can reach out to us via this LinkedIn post as we continue updating our database and tracking the evolving needs of the ecosystem.
