Miguel Campillos
Production, Economics & Monetization Consultant
Free to Play Game Economics
I have been working on free-to-play MMORPG games since 2008 and accumulated over a decade of experience in the industry. In my book, you will find advice and guidance on how to manage and improve your game economy and monetization strategy to avoid pitfalls and get the most out of it.
Cases & Clients
Splitscreen Games — Pirate Galaxy, Steel Legions & Dino Storm
At Splitscreen Games, I worked across three long-running free-to-play MMORPGs: Pirate Galaxy, Steel Legions, and Dino Storm. Each title operated in the demanding browser and client-based MMO space, combining persistent progression, live events, social competition, and monetization systems designed for long-term retention.
As Game Designer and Product Manager, I was responsible for feature design, live events, monetization structures and player engagement initiatives across the portfolio. My work focused on improving the balance between player value and business performance, ensuring that content and commercial systems supported both retention and sustainable revenue.
One of the most impactful initiatives was a complete rework of the Pirate Galaxy shop. We reviewed the existing item catalogue, updated the pricing structure, modernized the offer tiers and aligned the store more closely with player motivation and progression needs. The result was a 16% increase in monthly revenue, while preserving the integrity of the player experience.
Bigpoint — DarkOrbit
DarkOrbit is one of Bigpoint’s flagship online space MMOs: a long-running free-to-play title built around faction conflict, ship progression, PvE and PvP combat, resource collection, clans, and competitive live operations.
My work on DarkOrbit focused on monetization, retention and activity drivers for an established live-service audience. I contributed to systems designed to improve the early user journey, increase player participation and create stronger reasons for players to return during events and competitive cycles.
Key areas included a game-entry rework aimed at improving registration-to-play conversion, tournament and arena systems to strengthen engagement, and crafting systems tied to seasonal events and event-specific currencies. I also worked on new meta-level content designed to give advanced players additional goals beyond the core progression loop. Across these initiatives, my focus was to connect meaningful gameplay motivation with measurable business outcomes.
BestJack Entertainment — Skat Freunde
BestJack Entertainment is a Hamburg-based studio focused on bringing traditional card games to modern digital audiences. Its first product, Skat Freunde, reimagines the classic German card game Skat as a warm, accessible and personality-driven mobile experience with charming environments, companions, progression and optional monetization.
I worked with the team on monetization design, progression structure, content planning and seasonal strategy. My role included helping define how the game could support durable content cycles through seasons, reward paths, crafting systems and recurring player goals.
A key part of the work was aligning monetization opportunities with the studio’s vision: practical, player-friendly systems that could extend content lifespan without compromising the relaxed and approachable tone of the game. I helped the team evaluate which mechanics would best support engagement, progression and long-term value creation while remaining appropriate for the audience and the product’s identity.
Xsolla Accelerator — Multiplayer & Live Services
Xsolla is a global video game commerce company that helps developers and publishers launch, monetize and scale their games through payment, distribution, commerce and business tools. Its Accelerator program provides educational content and expert guidance to help studios improve their chances of success in the games industry.
For the Xsolla Accelerator course on Multiplayer and Live Services, I created a 20-minute masterclass on game economics and free-to-play monetization. The session was designed for developers and studios looking to better understand how to plan, structure and evaluate monetization in live-service games.
The masterclass covered the fundamentals of game economy design, monetization strategy, free-to-play planning and KPI-driven product management. I explained how to connect design decisions with business metrics, how to evaluate monetization performance responsibly, and how teams can use KPIs to guide iteration without losing sight of the player experience.
Solrise Games — Legends of Elumia
Legends of Elumia is a Web3 MMORPG built around multiplayer dungeon play, PvP, guild activity, character progression and digital ownership of in-game assets. The project combines traditional MMO structures with blockchain-enabled systems that allow players to own, trade and benefit from characters, equipment and other game assets.
I supported the team by auditing the game’s monetization model and helping design systems that could create meaningful reward opportunities for players while protecting the company’s revenue potential. The goal was to identify how value could circulate through the economy without undermining progression, fairness or long-term engagement.
I also helped rebalance the raid system, focusing on effort-to-reward ratios that had drifted away from healthy progression expectations. This work required evaluating reward pacing, player effort, repeatability, economic pressure and the perceived value of raid outcomes. The result was a clearer framework for aligning end-game content with both player satisfaction and sustainable monetization.
Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences — Game Design & Development
The Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences offers a Game Design and Development program in Tallinn focused on preparing students to create mobile and PC games, understand game mechanics, work in development teams and approach games as both creative products and businesses.
I lectured in the Introduction to the Games Industry course, teaching students how the industry operates from both a production and business perspective. The course introduced key concepts such as game production pipelines, business models, studio structures, team roles, career paths and the practical realities of bringing games to market.
A core part of my teaching focused on helping students understand how to plan and execute a small game project from concept to shipment. This included scope definition, production planning, team responsibilities, milestone thinking and the transition from creative idea to playable product. The objective was to give students a practical foundation for entering the games industry with a clearer understanding of how games are made, funded, managed and launched.
Youmio
Youmio is an AI and Web3 platform centered on expressive 3D AI agents known as Mios. These agents are designed to move across web, mobile and game environments, creating a product proposition at the intersection of AI companionship, user-generated characters, blockchain infrastructure and digital ownership.
My work focused on evaluating the risks and opportunities inherent in the product’s design and unique selling proposition. This included analyzing the relationship between user motivation, Web3 economy objectives, engagement design, reward structures and the potential friction points created by blockchain-based systems.
I designed an on-platform user experience intended to support the product’s economy while improving its financial viability and mitigating systemic risks. The work centered on creating clearer value loops, stronger user incentives and safer economic interactions, ensuring that the product’s commercial goals could be supported without overexposing the platform to speculative behavior, retention issues or misaligned reward expectations.
gamigo — Audit & Consulting
gamigo is a leading publisher of free-to-play online and mobile games in Europe and North America, with a portfolio that includes long-running MMORPGs and live-service titles such as Trove, Fiesta Online, RIFT and others.
Since 2024, gamigo has been one of my consulting and auditing clients. My work has focused primarily on live-game economy reviews and event evaluations, with a particular emphasis on Trove. The objective has been to support decision-making around economy health, content performance, reward structures and live-operations design.
I have contributed by reviewing game systems, identifying economic pressure points, evaluating event structures and assessing how player incentives align with product goals. This work helps live teams understand whether events are delivering meaningful engagement, whether rewards are correctly positioned, and where adjustments can improve both player experience and business performance.
gamigo — Gloria Victis Production
Gloria Victis is a low-fantasy medieval MMORPG built around open-world PvP, territory control, siege warfare, crafting, player-driven economy and action-based non-target combat. Originally developed by Black Eye Games, the game built a dedicated community over many years but was discontinued in 2023 after the closure of the original studio. gamigo later acquired the license and relaunched Gloria Victis as a free-to-play title in June 2026.
I was hired as Producer for the relaunch, with the mandate to create and execute a six-month plan to convert the game to a free-to-play business model and bring it back to market with a new development team. My responsibilities included production planning, team coordination, business-model transition, roadmap definition and cross-functional alignment.
The relaunch plan focused on stabilizing the game, improving performance, enhancing UX and game entry, restoring the end-game metagame and preparing the product for sustainable live operation. I also worked on forecasting and collaborated with the BI department to define requirements for metrics, reporting and performance monitoring.
We shipped Gloria Victis in June 2026 as planned. The relaunch was positively received by both veteran and new players and met our internal performance expectations, marking the successful return of a complex MMORPG under a new free-to-play model.
Service Packages
Relaunch / Portfolio Audit
For publishers, investors, and IP holders deciding which online games deserve another shot.
Old online games are rarely dead. They are usually carrying unresolved production, economy, monetization, community, or positioning risks. This audit helps you decide whether a legacy or distressed online game is worth reviving, what must be fixed
For publishers, investors, and IP holders deciding which online games deserve another shot.
Old online games are rarely dead. They are usually carrying unresolved production, economy, monetization, community, or positioning risks. This audit helps you decide whether a legacy or distressed online game is worth reviving, what must be fixed first, and where the real commercial upside sits.
Best for
- Publishers assessing a relaunch, acquisition, license, or F2P conversion
- Investors reviewing multiple online-game assets
- IP holders deciding whether a dormant or underperforming game can return
- Operators with limited internal senior production or monetization bandwidth
Key questions answered
- Is this game worth relaunching?
- What are the biggest production, economy, and monetization risks?
- What must be fixed before launch?
- What can safely wait until post-launch?
- Where is the revenue upside?
- What could damage player trust or community sentiment?
What I review
- Product condition and relaunch feasibility
- Economy structure, inflation risks, sources, and sinks
- Monetization model, pricing, offers, and pay-to-win perception
- Community history, sentiment, and communication risks
- Launch scope, roadmap, KPI readiness, and production constraints
Deliverables
- Go/no-go recommendation
- Relaunch risk memo
- Opportunity/risk scorecard
- Economy and monetization risk review
- Launch-readiness checklist
- Prioritized action plan
Outcome
You know which games deserve investment, which risks need immediate attention, and which relaunch decisions could become expensive mistakes.
Delivery time per game: 7 to 10 business days
Fixed fee per game: 7500 €
Economy & Monetization Deep Dive
Find the hidden economy and monetization leaks before they become retention problems, revenue ceilings, or community backlash.
The Economy & Monetization Deep Dive is a focused diagnostic for live-service, F2P, MMO, Web3, or SaaS-style products that need a sharper commercial system without damaging the player experience.
This service ident
Find the hidden economy and monetization leaks before they become retention problems, revenue ceilings, or community backlash.
The Economy & Monetization Deep Dive is a focused diagnostic for live-service, F2P, MMO, Web3, or SaaS-style products that need a sharper commercial system without damaging the player experience.
This service identifies where value is created, where it leaks, where players get stuck, where monetization creates friction, and where the economy may be limiting growth.
Best for
- Studios operating a live F2P or live-service game
- Teams seeing weak conversion, retention, or payer engagement
- Products with inflation, progression, pricing, or reward-balance issues
- Games with monetization backlash or pay-to-win perception risk
- Teams preparing new offers, battle passes, founder packs, subscriptions, or shop changes
- Products that need better commercial performance without sacrificing player trust
Key questions answered
- Where is the economy leaking value?
- Are currencies, rewards, sources, and sinks properly balanced?
- Is inflation damaging progression or long-term engagement?
- Are prices, bundles, offers, or shop structures underperforming?
- Is monetization aligned with player motivation?
- Are players converting at the right moments?
- Are progression systems helping or blocking retention?
- Is the product creating pay-to-win perception?
Key questions answered
- Core economy loops
- Currency flows, sources, sinks, and inflation pressure
- Progression pacing and reward structure
- Shop design, pricing, bundles, and offer logic
- Player segmentation and payer behavior
- Conversion points and purchase friction
- Battle passes, subscriptions, DLC, founder packs, cosmetics, and premium items
- Monetization fairness, value perception, and trust risks
- KPI performance and economy-related analytics needs
Deliverables
- Economy loop map
- Source and sink analysis
- Inflation-risk assessment
- Monetization and offer review
- Pricing and packaging recommendations
- Progression and reward-structure recommendations
- Pay-to-win and player-trust risk notes
- Prioritized improvement plan
Outcome
You get a clear diagnosis of what is holding the economy or monetization model back, plus practical recommendations that can be turned into product, pricing, or live-ops actions.
Delivery time per game: 10 to 15 business days
Fixed fee per game: 9500 €
Fractional F2P Services
Fractional F2P Services
Senior F2P production, economy, and monetization leadership without adding a full-time executive role.
Some projects do not need another consultant delivering a slide deck and disappearing. They need senior F2P expertise inside the production cadence.
Fractional F2P Services give studios, publishers, and operators embedded support across p
Senior F2P production, economy, and monetization leadership without adding a full-time executive role.
Some projects do not need another consultant delivering a slide deck and disappearing. They need senior F2P expertise inside the production cadence.
Fractional F2P Services give studios, publishers, and operators embedded support across production, economy, monetization, live ops, KPI follow-up, and relaunch execution.
This can be structured as a Fractional F2P Producer, Fractional Monetization & Economy Manager, or a hybrid role depending on the needs of the project.
Best for
- Publishers preparing or managing a relaunch
- Studios operating a live F2P or live-service game
- Teams with limited senior production or economy bandwidth
- Legacy MMO, MMO-lite, online RPG, sandbox PvP, or long-tail F2P projects
- Products needing ongoing KPI, monetization, economy, or live-ops support
- Teams that need senior guidance but are not ready to hire a full-time executive or lead
Key questions answered
- What should the team focus on this week, this month, and this quarter?
- Which features or fixes matter most for launch, retention, monetization, or player trust?
- Are production priorities aligned with business goals?
- Are economy and monetization decisions being reviewed at the right level?
- Are KPIs being interpreted correctly?
- Is the roadmap realistic for the available team and timeline?
- What risks are not getting enough leadership attention?
What I support
- Relaunch production planning
- Roadmap prioritization and feature triage
- Economy design and balancing requirements
- Monetization design, pricing, offers, and shop review
- KPI tracking, dashboard requirements, and performance follow-up
- Live-ops planning and post-launch optimization
- Risk registers and leadership decision support
- Cross-functional alignment between product, design, production, business, and community
- Player-trust-sensitive decisions around economy, monetization, and relaunch communication
Possible engagement modes
- Fractional F2P Producer
- Fractional Monetization & Economy Manager
- Relaunch production advisor
- Economy and monetization lead support
- Live-ops and KPI advisor
- Senior external reviewer for production and commercial decisions
Deliverables
- Weekly leadership support
- Prioritized roadmap recommendations
- Production risk register
- Economy and monetization review notes
- KPI follow-up and interpretation
- Launch or live-ops control dashboard recommendations
- Decision memos for key product or monetization topics
- Monthly executive summary with risks, priorities, and next actions
Typical outcome
Your team gets senior F2P, economy, monetization, and production expertise exactly where the project needs it most.
Instead of adding permanent headcount too early, you get focused senior support to reduce risk, improve decision quality, and keep production, commercial goals, and player trust aligned.
Minimum period preferred: 3 months
Orientative monthly price 4000 - 9500 € depending of project size and engagement required.