FirstLook
FirstLook is a player relationship platform for game studios, integrating playtesting, player CRM, analytics, creator management, and AI-powered sentiment analysis into one system. Acquired by Pragma in 2025, it serves 500+ studios including Krafton, EA, and Skybound.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What FirstLook does
FirstLook, founded in 2024 by two indie developers (Robert van Hoesel as CEO/Product and René Klačan as CTO/Infrastructure) and acquired by Pragma Platform, Inc. in 2025, is a player relationship platform for game studios. Operating globally from Los Angeles, CA under parent entity Pragma Platform, Inc., the platform consolidates playtesting, player CRM, engagement analytics, creator management, and community tools into a single integrated system, and serves more than 500 game studios ranging from indie developers to AAA publishers including Krafton, EA, Remedy Entertainment, Skybound, Avalanche Studios, and Battlefield Labs.
The platform's technical foundation rests on native SDK integrations with Unreal Engine and Unity for in-game telemetry, in-game surveys, and custom events, combined with cross-platform identity sync across Steam, Discord, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Xbox, Apple App Store, and Google Play. Core modules include Playtesting and Feedback (multi-platform key distribution, NDAs, in-game and Discord surveys, sentiment tracking), Engagement and Analytics (Player CRM unifying in-game and out-of-game telemetry with retention cohorts, custom funnels, automated messaging), Creators and Content (campaign management with attribution across Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Kick, Chzzk, and SOOP), and FirstLook Agent—an AI chat interface powered by frontier models (Claude Opus, Kimi K2.6, Codex) that queries player data and executes actions, with a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for connecting external AI clients.
FirstLook monetizes through tiered SaaS subscriptions ranging from a free tier (up to 500 playtester seats and 100k player profiles) through paid modules (Analytics Core at $99/month, Playtesting Core at $199/month, Campaigns at $299/month, Playtesting Pro at $1,299/month, Creators Pro at $1,499/month) up to an All-in-One Pro bundle at $4,999/month, plus custom enterprise contracts with SSO, custom MSA, and publisher integrations. The company employs a hybrid product-led growth and sales-assisted go-to-market motion, with self-serve sign-up for SMB tiers and dedicated account management for enterprise customers; annual billing offers approximately a 17% discount versus monthly. Companion networks player.gg (player discovery) and creators.gg (creator marketplace) function as ecosystem entry points that feed into the main platform, and FirstLook has grown from approximately 50 studios and 1 million players at the time of the Pragma acquisition to over 100 studios by early 2026.
FirstLook firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FirstLook
- Legal name
- Pragma Platform, Inc.
- Website
- https://firstlook.gg
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- FirstLook is a player relationship platform for game studios, integrating playtesting, player CRM, analytics, creator management, and AI-powered sentiment analysis into one system. Acquired by Pragma in 2025, it serves 500+ studios including Krafton, EA, and Skybound.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FirstLook industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Player Relationship Platform (Game Development Software)
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- LiveOps Tooling, Remote Config, Feature Flags & Experimentation (A/B) (MPAFAFAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Game Server Hosting & Community Infrastructure (private servers, matchmaking communities) (MPAFAIAF), Creator Economy & Monetization Tools for UGC (tips, subs, rev share, payouts) (MPAFAIAI)
Keywords
Where FirstLook is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
FirstLook business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription - Playtesting & Feedback: Tiered subscription plans for playtesting capabilities including Playtesting Core ($199/mo) and Playtesting Pro ($1,299/mo). Add-ons available for additional seats, emails, and sentiment inputs. Includes features like branded instances, NDA management, surveys, and Discord role management.
- Subscription - Engagement & Analytics: Analytics Core ($99/mo) and Engagement Pro tier for player CRM, retention analytics, custom events, automated messaging, and live ops support.
- Subscription - Creators & Content: Campaigns tier ($299/mo) with 15% commission on creator payouts, and Creators Pro ($1,499/mo) with custom domains, live coverage tracking, and custom programs.
- Enterprise All-in-One: All-in-One Pro at $4,999/mo bundling Playtesting Pro, Creators Pro, and Analytics Pro with Labs access, Games Growth Guild access, and dedicated support. Enterprise tier with custom MSA, SSO, and publisher integrations available at contact pricing.
- Free Tier: Free forever plan with up to 500 playtester seats, 100k player profiles, free playtest listing on player.gg, and free key distribution via creators.gg. Used as acquisition layer for paid tiers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Forever - Starter tier for indie developers |
| Subscription | Annual | Playtesting Core - Mid-tier playtesting with full features |
| Subscription | Annual | Playtesting Pro - Advanced playtesting for larger studios |
| Subscription | Annual | Analytics Core - Player analytics fundamentals |
| Subscription | Annual | Campaigns - Creator campaign management |
| Subscription | Annual | Creators Pro - Full creator program management |
| Subscription | Annual | All-in-One Pro - Complete platform bundle |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Enterprise - Custom enterprise agreement |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
FirstLook product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FirstLook is a unified player relationship platform for game studios that consolidates playtesting, player CRM, engagement analytics, creator campaign management, and community tools into a single integrated system. It enables studios to manage the full player lifecycle from first invite through live ops, using native Unreal Engine and Unity SDKs for in-game telemetry and surveys, cross-platform key distribution across Steam, Epic, consoles, and mobile, and AI-powered sentiment analysis. The platform is complemented by player.gg and creators.gg networks for player and creator discovery, and an AI Agent for natural-language data querying.
Product overview
FirstLook is a full lifecycle player relationship platform for game studios that launched version 1.0 in February 2026, expanding beyond its original playtesting focus. The platform operates as an integrated suite of modules: Playtesting & Feedback handles multi-platform key distribution, NDAs, surveys, and sentiment tracking; Engagement & Analytics provides a Player CRM with native Unreal and Unity SDKs for in-game telemetry and automated messaging; Creators & Content manages creator campaigns with attribution tracking across Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms. FirstLook Agent adds AI-powered natural language querying of player data with action capabilities, available via MCP integration. The platform is complemented by player-facing player.gg and creator-facing creators.gg sub-brands, plus a Discord Audit professional service. FirstLook serves over 100 studios including Krafton, Skybound, and Bad Robot Games, and was acquired by Pragma in 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- player.gg: A platform for players to discover, sign up for playtests, and manage their playtesting activities across games.
- creators.gg
- FirstLook Agent
Products and services
- FirstLook Platform The Player Relationship Platform built for games - a unified SaaS platform covering the full player lifecycle from first invite through live ops, combining playtesting, engagement analytics, creator management, rewards, community tools, and player CRM in one integrated system for game studios.
- Playtesting and Feedback Multi-platform key distribution across Steam, Epic, PlayStation, Xbox, Apple, and Google Play tied to real player accounts. Includes one-click NDAs with audit trail, surveys via Discord, in-game SDK, or web, sentiment tracking from Steam reviews and Discord, and automated Discord role management. Sold via Playtesting Core ($199/mo) and Playtesting Pro ($1,299/mo) subscription tiers.
- Engagement and Analytics Player CRM unifying in-game and out-of-game telemetry with native Unreal and Unity SDKs. Tracks player behavior, runs experiments, automates messaging, manages retention cohorts, and provides custom funnels and event-based segmentation with CSV and API export. Sold via Analytics Core ($99/mo) and Engagement Pro tiers.
- Creators and Content Creator CRM for game studios - prospects creators on creators.gg, tracks attribution across Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Kick, Chzzk, and SOOP, runs paid campaigns and battle-pass-style reward programs, and manages creator onboarding with built-in agreements and key distribution. Sold via Campaigns ($299/mo) and Creators Pro ($1,499/mo) tiers.
- FirstLook Agent AI-powered chat interface for querying player data using natural language. Takes actions like inviting players, tagging cohorts, sending announcements, and changing Discord roles. Includes MCP server for connecting to external AI clients like Claude, GPT, Codex, and Cursor. Uses frontier models including Claude Opus, Kimi K2.6, and Codex.
- Discord Audit Expert Discord community setup and audit professional service - analyzes Discord server structure, roles, permissions, engagement, and security, then provides tailored recommendations and complete server build-out for game studios.
- player.gg Player-facing sub-brand network for discovering playtests, beta tests, and early access games. Players sign up directly and are routed into studio FirstLook pipelines with profiles and playtime data, providing studios a free player acquisition channel.
- creators.gg Creator-facing sub-brand network where creators browse game campaigns, apply for partnerships, and manage creator profiles with reach and engagement data. Free sign-ups for creators with commission-based paid campaign model for studios.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2x more playtesters through low friction signups
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use FirstLook
Customer profileNamed customers24 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
FirstLook technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration16 records
AI capability7 records
Feature9 records
FirstLook partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Frost Giant StudiosfoundationalPartnership with Frost Giant Studios led to the development of FirstLook. The studio needed to onboard thousands of players for playtests, and this custom solution evolved into the FirstLook product. Frost Giant provided early validation and use case development.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
FirstLook competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PlaytestCloud: PlaytestCloud is a dedicated remote playtesting platform that recruits testers, runs playtests, and captures video feedback for games. Directly comparable to FirstLook's playtesting module, targeting the same playtesting use case for game studios.
- GameAnalytics: GameAnalytics offers free game-specific analytics including retention, funnels, and player cohorts. Directly comparable to FirstLook's Engagement & Analytics module on analytics features, with similar freemium positioning toward indie and mid-market studios.
- Helika: Helika provides analytics and user acquisition tooling for blockchain and traditional game studios. Comparable to FirstLook on the game-analytics and UA-measurement side, with overlapping target customers among mid-market game studios.
Broad incumbents
- AppLovin: AppLovin (which acquired ironSource and Adjust) provides mobile game monetization, UA, and analytics. Comparable to FirstLook on the marketing/creator-attribution side of the gaming stack and competes for a share of the same game-studio marketing budget.
- Amplitude: Amplitude is a leading product-analytics platform widely used by gaming studios for funnels, cohorts, and experimentation. Comparable because it competes with FirstLook's Engagement & Analytics module for the same gaming analytics buyer, though Amplitude serves all digital products broadly.
- Sensor Tower: Sensor Tower provides mobile app market intelligence, ad attribution, and usage analytics with strong gaming vertical presence. Comparable because it overlaps with FirstLook's coverage of mobile platforms (iOS/Android), creator attribution, and gaming-industry marketing intelligence.
- Microsoft PlayFab: PlayFab (owned by Microsoft) provides backend game services including player authentication, leaderboards, matchmaking, and economy. Comparable because it offers player data infrastructure for game studios, similar to FirstLook's Player CRM and live-ops capabilities, though as part of a much broader suite.
- Unity Gaming Services: Unity Gaming Services bundles Multiplayer, Game Server Hosting, Player Engagement, Economy, Analytics, and Player Accounts. Comparable because it targets the same game-developer buyer with overlapping player-data, analytics, and live-ops modules that compete directly with FirstLook's stack.
- Mixpanel: Mixpanel provides product analytics including event tracking, funnels, retention, and experimentation. Comparable to FirstLook's Engagement & Analytics on analytics capabilities, with a large installed base among gaming and consumer-app studios.
Others
- Newzoo: Newzoo is a gaming market intelligence and consumer research provider serving game publishers and platforms. Comparable as an ecosystem peer because it sits adjacent to FirstLook's customer base of game studios and publishes industry data (similar to FirstLook's 'Signals of Success' whitepaper) that drives thought leadership.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
FirstLook social profiles
Digital presenceFirstLook compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
FirstLook financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FirstLook leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
FirstLook funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FirstLook M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FirstLook
What does FirstLook do?
FirstLook is a unified player relationship platform for game studios that consolidates playtesting, player CRM, engagement analytics, creator campaign management, and community tools into a single integrated system. It enables studios to manage the full player lifecycle from first invite through live ops, using native Unreal Engine and Unity SDKs for in-game telemetry and surveys, cross-platform key distribution across Steam, Epic, consoles, and mobile, and AI-powered sentiment analysis. The platform is complemented by player.gg and creators.gg networks for player and creator discovery, and an AI Agent for natural-language data querying.
Is FirstLook a public or private company?
FirstLook is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was FirstLook founded?
FirstLook was founded in 2024. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is FirstLook based?
FirstLook is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does FirstLook make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Subscription - Playtesting & Feedback is the primary driver. The others are subscription - Engagement & Analytics, subscription - Creators & Content, enterprise All-in-One and free Tier.
Who are FirstLook's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PlaytestCloud, GameAnalytics and Helika. Broad incumbents are AppLovin, Amplitude, Sensor Tower, Microsoft PlayFab, Unity Gaming Services and Mixpanel. Newzoo is listed as an others.
Does FirstLook have an API?
Yes. FirstLook provides API access for data export and integration. The platform offers webhooks for event-based integrations, API ingestion from external data warehouses, and an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for connecting to AI clients like Claude, GPT, Codex, and Cursor. SDKs available for Unreal Engine and Unity for in-game tracking. API access is included in Playtesting Pro tier. Developer documentation is at docs.firstlook.gg.
What industry is FirstLook in?
FirstLook's product category is Player Relationship Platform (Game Development Software). Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAFAO, LiveOps Tooling, Remote Config, Feature Flags & Experimentation (A/B), with a secondary code of MPAFAIAF, Game Server Hosting & Community Infrastructure (private servers, matchmaking communities). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.