Market (Overall)·Updated Mar 17, 2026 by Sensor Tower
The global mobile gaming market contracted in 2023, with a 10% decline in downloads and a 2% drop in total revenue due to rising user acquisition costs and post-pandemic habit stabilization.
Player preferences shifted toward accessibility, resulting in an 8% revenue increase for Casual games and a 30% surge in the Hybridcasual segment, while Mid-core titles saw a 9% revenue decline.
Publishers are pivoting to emerging markets to offset costs, with the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America seeing revenue growth of 8%, 7%, and 4% respectively.
High-profile intellectual property is a primary growth driver, evidenced by the success of Monopoly GO! in Europe and a 194% surge in Netflix gaming downloads following the integration of franchises like Grand Theft Auto.
Mobile gaming now accounts for 67% of global digital advertising spend, with marketing strategies increasingly segmented by platform, such as using YouTube and TikTok for core gamers and Facebook and Pinterest for casual female audiences.
Industry strategy is shifting toward maximizing lifetime value through Live Ops, transmedia collaborations, and the integration of low-cost user-generated content and external subscription models.
The global mobile gaming market contracted in 2023, with a 10% decline in downloads and a 2% drop in total revenue due to rising user acquisition costs and post-pandemic habit stabilization.
Player preferences shifted toward accessibility, resulting in an 8% revenue increase for Casual games and a 30% surge in the Hybridcasual segment, while Mid-core titles saw a 9% revenue decline.
Publishers are pivoting to emerging markets to offset costs, with the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America seeing revenue growth of 8%, 7%, and 4% respectively.
High-profile intellectual property is a primary growth driver, evidenced by the success of Monopoly GO! in Europe and a 194% surge in Netflix gaming downloads following the integration of franchises like Grand Theft Auto.
Mobile gaming now accounts for 67% of global digital advertising spend, with marketing strategies increasingly segmented by platform, such as using YouTube and TikTok for core gamers and Facebook and Pinterest for casual female audiences.
Industry strategy is shifting toward maximizing lifetime value through Live Ops, transmedia collaborations, and the integration of low-cost user-generated content and external subscription models.