ReportSensor Tower
The State of Mobile Game Advertising: U.S. 2021
1 Jan 202130 pages~21 min full read
Mobile game advertising in the U.S. remained resilient through H1 2021, showing no immediate negative impact from IDFA privacy changes.
See it on page 26Mobile games continue to dominate the share of voice across major ad networks, with platforms like AppLovin, MoPub, Facebook, AdMob, and Unity reporting an increased focus on gaming-related advertisements.
See it on page 4Successful user acquisition strategies are increasingly dependent on matching specific game genres to networks with compatible demographics, such as YouTube for younger, male-dominated strategy/RPG audiences and Adcolony for older, female-focused casino players.
See it on page 16While video remains the primary creative format, mid-core titles like Call of Duty: Mobile and State of Survival are increasingly adopting playable ads, a format previously limited to hypercasual and puzzle games.
See it on page 23Publishers are shifting toward creative experimentation, incorporating tactics such as relaxing background music for casual titles and real-world conversational ads that emphasize social proof or financial rewards.
See it on page 20The industry is moving away from traditional video formats toward interactive and narrative-driven advertising techniques designed to capitalize on player psychology and specific genre appeal.
See it on page 20The mobile game advertising landscape in the United States remained resilient throughout the first half of 2021, showing no immediate negative impact from industry-wide privacy changes such as the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) updates. Data indicates that mobile games continue to dominate the share of voice (SOV) across major ad networks, with several networks reporting an increased focus on gaming-related advertisements. The industry is characterized by a strategic alignment between specific ad networks and target demographics, where networks like YouTube cater to younger, male-dominated audiences interested in strategy and RPG titles, while platforms like Adcolony attract older, female-focused demographics, particularly within the casino genre.
Video remains the primary creative format for mobile game advertisers, though playable ads have gained significant traction. While playable formats were historically reserved for hypercasual and puzzle games, mid-core titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile and State of Survival have increasingly adopted simplified mini-game versions of their titles to drive user acquisition. This trend highlights a broader shift toward creative experimentation, which also includes the use of relaxing background music to differentiate casual titles and the deployment of real-world conversational ads that emphasize social proof or financial rewards.
The analysis, which covers the period from 2018 through the second quarter of 2021, utilizes data from major ad networks including AppLovin, MoPub, Facebook, AdMob, and Unity. Findings suggest that successful user acquisition strategies rely on matching game genres with networks that possess compatible user bases. As the market evolves, publishers are increasingly leveraging these granular insights to optimize their creative assets, moving beyond traditional video formats to more interactive and narrative-driven advertising techniques that capitalize on player psychology and specific genre appeal.
