ReportSocialPeta
Insights into Marketing Trends of Global Mobile Games
1 Jun 202343 pages~25 min full read
In Q2 2023, the mobile gaming industry saw a record surge of 9.3 million new creatives, which accounted for nearly 75% of all active advertisements.
See it on page 5Market leaders like Honkai: Star Rail and MONOPOLY GO! achieved rapid global growth by maintaining high-frequency creative refreshes, with new assets making up over 60% of their advertising portfolios.
See it on page 37While iOS casual game installs cost $2.23 compared to $0.63 on Android, both platforms yielded a comparable seven-day return on ad spend of approximately 7.7%.
See it on page 30Casual games represent the largest share of advertisers at over 30%, but RPG and Casino genres recorded the most aggressive growth in creative output during the quarter.
See it on page 7Southeast Asia currently leads global advertising density with the highest number of monthly creatives per advertiser, while the Middle East has emerged as a key high-growth market for strategy games.
See it on page 6To combat rising user acquisition costs, developers are increasingly adopting 'Casual + X' hybrid models and integrating AI-generated content, ASMR, and short-video memes.
See it on page 29Global mobile game marketing reached a pivotal turning point in the second quarter of 2023, characterized by a record-breaking surge in creative volume. Over 9.3 million new creatives entered the market, representing nearly three-quarters of all active advertisements. While casual games maintained the largest share of advertisers at over 30%, RPG and Casino genres experienced the most aggressive growth in creative output. Geographically, Southeast Asia emerged as a primary hub for advertising density, leading the world in monthly creatives per advertiser, while the Middle East solidified its status as a high-growth market where strategy games command significant revenue shares.
The industry is increasingly adopting "Casual + X" hybrid models and integrating AI-generated content, ASMR, and short-video memes to mitigate rising user acquisition costs. Financial data reveals a stark contrast in installation costs between platforms, with iOS casual game installs costing $2.23 compared to $0.63 on Android, yet both platforms achieved a comparable seven-day return on ad spend of approximately 7.7%. This parity suggests that despite higher upfront costs, the quality of users on premium platforms remains consistent with broader market performance.
Market leaders like Honkai: Star Rail and MONOPOLY GO! demonstrated the efficacy of high-frequency creative refreshes, with new assets comprising over 60% of their total advertising portfolios. These titles leveraged distinct psychological hooks, ranging from influencer-driven user-generated content to social-casual mechanics, to achieve rapid global penetration. Notably, these aggressive marketing strategies allowed Honkai: Star Rail to surpass Genshin Impact in overseas revenue during the quarter, signaling a shift toward more dynamic, content-heavy advertising cycles across the global mobile landscape.
