Marketing·Updated Apr 8, 2026 by Sensor Tower
AAA game advertising peaked in 2023, with top live-service titles like Fortnite spending US$57M and major launches including Hogwarts Legacy, Diablo IV, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III each exceeding US$25M.
YouTube remains the primary advertising channel at 35% of total spend, though publishers are increasingly diversifying into Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to reach broader audiences.
Activision Blizzard and Epic Games led the market in 2023, each allocating over US$70M to U.S. campaigns for both new intellectual properties and established franchises.
Marketing strategies are increasingly reliant on cross-industry brand partnerships, exemplified by Diablo IV’s collaborations with food and hardware brands and Fortnite’s ecosystem involving Nike, LEGO, and Disney.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III successfully shifted its strategy toward a continuous, multi-phase push, allocating 40% of its budget to post-launch activities and pivoting from celebrity endorsements to esports influencers.
Platform-specific branding and subscription models are central to launch success, as seen with Hogwarts Legacy’s heavy focus on PlayStation partnerships and Starfield’s emphasis on the Xbox Game Pass value proposition.
Creative formats are evolving toward shorter, high-impact video content, with Starfield dedicating 94% of its creative to 15-second video ads across YouTube and TikTok.
AAA game advertising peaked in 2023, with top live-service titles like Fortnite spending US$57M and major launches including Hogwarts Legacy, Diablo IV, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III each exceeding US$25M.
YouTube remains the primary advertising channel at 35% of total spend, though publishers are increasingly diversifying into Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to reach broader audiences.
Activision Blizzard and Epic Games led the market in 2023, each allocating over US$70M to U.S. campaigns for both new intellectual properties and established franchises.
Marketing strategies are increasingly reliant on cross-industry brand partnerships, exemplified by Diablo IV’s collaborations with food and hardware brands and Fortnite’s ecosystem involving Nike, LEGO, and Disney.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III successfully shifted its strategy toward a continuous, multi-phase push, allocating 40% of its budget to post-launch activities and pivoting from celebrity endorsements to esports influencers.
Platform-specific branding and subscription models are central to launch success, as seen with Hogwarts Legacy’s heavy focus on PlayStation partnerships and Starfield’s emphasis on the Xbox Game Pass value proposition.
Creative formats are evolving toward shorter, high-impact video content, with Starfield dedicating 94% of its creative to 15-second video ads across YouTube and TikTok.