iion vs Roblox

Havas Play Partners with iion for Playable Ads in APAC

Havas Play has selected iion as its technology partner to launch a new playable advertising offering across the ANZ and APAC regions. The collaboration integrates iion's playable ad technology into Havas Play's media offerings, enabling brands to create interactive, game-like ad experiences to boost engagement. The partnership aims to expand the use of playable formats beyond gaming into mainstream brand advertising. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

• Havas Play partners with iion for playable advertising.
• The service will be available across ANZ and APAC.
• iion provides the technology for interactive ad formats.

ChinaJoy 2026 Signals Gaming's AI and Monetisation Shift

ChinaJoy 2026, themed "Level up with AI", highlighted AI's pervasiveness in game development and operations and signalled several industry shifts: Western publishers still under-index China, Vietnam and mini-games; direct-to-consumer (DTC) approaches are evolving from user-acquisition tactics into monetisation strategies; AI combined with new hardware (AI PCs, phones, glasses, companions) is emerging as a new computing frontier; publishers are prioritising brand and lifetime value (LTV) over cost-per-install (CPI); and smart TVs/CTV are becoming strategic platforms for gaming distribution, advertising and monetisation. The show emphasised shorter ad-tech supply chains and tighter integration of product, marketing, monetisation and AI.

• ChinaJoy 2026 ran under the theme "Level up with AI" and covered AI across ideation, coding, art, UA, ad creative, live ops, support and analytics.
• The article warns many Western publishers have limited exposure to China, Vietnam and the rising mini-games distribution ecosystem.
• Direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels (web-to-app, game hubs, direct payments, communities, creator ecosystems) are converging into monetisation strategies that capture first-party data and player relationships.

Advertising Week New York Opens Amid Industry Rebuild

Advertising Week New York 2026 opens as the ad industry rebuilds around AI implementation, creator deals, and measurement uncertainty. Executives from On Device, Roblox, Kochava, and Channel Factory highlight a shift from experimentation to implementation, with concerns about data trust and AI security. The event features a record 2,500 creators, a $100 million creator deal challenge, and a focus on agentic AI and measurement. Organizers admit uncertainty is permanent, but aim to find opportunities collectively.

• Advertising Week New York 2026 runs from October 5-8, 2026 at The Penn District in Manhattan.
• About 2,500 creators are expected, up from 1,000 last year.
• The $100 Million Creator Challenge aims to generate $100 million in creator deals within 12 months.

Securing an Ecosystem Unlike Any Other

Roblox published a new engineering article titled 'Securing an Ecosystem Unlike Any Other' in October 2026.

Roblox Loses Bid to Halt LA Child Safety Lawsuit

A Los Angeles County lawsuit against Roblox, alleging failure to protect minors from online predators and sexual exploitation, will proceed after a judge rejected Roblox's motion to dismiss. The court ruled that Section 230 and First Amendment protections do not shield Roblox's age verification practices. Roblox has implemented nationwide safety changes including facial age checks and age-based accounts, and has settled investigations in multiple states for over $30 million. Similar legal actions have been filed by Arkansas against Roblox and Discord.

• Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dean Kitchens ruled that Roblox's age verification practices are not protected by Section 230 or the First Amendment.
• The lawsuit was filed by Los Angeles County in February, alleging Roblox contributed to child sex trafficking and exploitation.
• Roblox announced nationwide changes including facial age checks and age-based accounts.