ReportTenjin
From Hyper to Hybrid: Hypercasual Gaming Trends 2023
1 Jan 202327 pages~4 min full read
The mobile gaming industry is shifting from hyper-casual to hybrid-casual models, driven by declining ad revenue profitability and the impact of iOS App Tracking Transparency.
Developers are increasingly adopting in-app purchases and meta-gameplay components to replace the traditional reliance on pure advertising revenue.
Data from 2022 shows a consistent downward trend in ad impressions and eCPMs across both Android and iOS platforms, while in-app purchase volume grew.
The United States remains the primary market for both ad revenue and in-app purchases, while India leads in total Android installs, emphasizing the split between scale in emerging markets and monetization in Tier 1 regions.
AppLovin is the leading monetization channel by total ad revenue across both iOS and Android platforms.
Apple Search Ads holds the top position for retention and lifetime value on iOS, while Meta Audience Network and ironSource lead eCPM performance on Android and iOS, respectively.
Developers are increasingly moving toward self-publishing models to retain greater control over their assets as major publishers become more selective.
The mobile gaming landscape is undergoing a significant structural shift as developers transition from hyper-casual models toward hybrid-casual strategies. This evolution is driven by a marked decline in ad revenue profitability, influenced by the implementation of App Tracking Transparency on iOS, shifting post-pandemic user behaviors, and increased selectivity from major publishers. To maintain sustainability, developers are increasingly integrating in-app purchases and meta-gameplay components into their titles while opting for self-publishing models to retain greater control over their assets.
Data from 2022 reveals a downward trend in ad impressions and eCPMs across both Android and iOS platforms. Conversely, the volume of in-app purchases grew on both operating systems, signaling a successful pivot toward diversified monetization. Geographically, the United States remains the dominant market, ranking first for both ad revenue and in-app purchases across platforms. India emerged as the leading territory for total installs on Android, highlighting the importance of emerging markets for scale, even as monetization remains concentrated in Tier 1 regions.
The competitive landscape for ad networks and monetization channels shows distinct leaders. Apple Search Ads dominates the iOS ecosystem, securing the top position in multiple categories including retention and lifetime value. On Android, AppLovin and ironSource lead the market. AppLovin specifically stands out as the top monetization channel by total ad revenue on both operating systems. For eCPM performance, Meta Audience Network and ironSource lead on Android and iOS respectively.
These findings are based on anonymized data collected throughout the 2022 calendar year, utilizing a weighted average methodology. The analysis focuses on high-scale performance, only including countries and ad networks that exceeded a threshold of 25 million installs. This comprehensive view underscores a broader industry movement where the traditional reliance on pure advertising is being replaced by a more balanced, hybrid approach to game design and revenue generation.
