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The Future of Gaming Infrastructure: 2026-2028
The document, "The Future of Gaming Infrastructure: 2026-2028," analyzes the evolving operational, regulatory, and cost pressures reshaping live-service game back-ends, arguing that legacy fragmented architectures are structurally incapable of meeting future demands.
- Studios must transition from fragmented legacy backends to unified, AI-native data planes that co-locate compute and data to overcome latency bottlenecks and support high-velocity live-ops.
- Optimizing real-time matchmaking through low-latency infrastructure can increase player retention by 4% to 15%.
- Regulatory compliance with the 2027 EU Data Act and EU AI Act requires studios to implement immutable audit logs and transparent, explainable algorithmic systems for matchmaking and personalization.
A Deep Dive into Deep Links: The All-in-One Handbook for Mobile App Marketers, Developers, and Product Managers
Adjust's handbook explains deep linking as the mobile equivalent of website URLs, routing users from ads or external sources to specific in-app content, and makes the case for its TrueLink product as the solution for marketers, developers, and product managers.
- Deep linking significantly improves app performance, with CleverTap data showing that users attributed to deep links achieve 81% higher activation rates, 2.5x higher retention rates, and 2x higher conversion rates compared to those using standard links.
- Deep linking technology functions by routing users directly to specific in-app content or screens upon clicking an ad or link, utilizing standards such as Apple Universal Links, Android App Links, and URI schemes.
- Deferred deep linking drives user acquisition by directing individuals who have not yet installed the app to the appropriate app store landing page, thereby reducing friction in the installation process.
Ramadan App Trends Decoded: Benchmarks and Insights for 2026
Ramadan 2025 app performance data from the Middle East, Turkey, Africa and Pakistan (METAP) region is used to help marketers plan for Ramadan 2026.
- Ramadan drives a 11% increase in average daily installs and a 6% rise in session counts across the METAP region compared to the two weeks prior.
- Gaming apps maintain the highest engagement levels during the season, with average session lengths reaching 35.6 minutes.
- The Ramadan growth cycle extends beyond the fasting period, with overall install growth climbing from 10% during Ramadan to 13% in the post-Eid period.
The Shopping App Insights Report: 2025 Edition
Adjust's 2025 shopping app report argues that mobile commerce remains a large growth opportunity despite a more complicated operating environment, and that marketers need AI-driven optimization, localization, and strong retention strategies to capture it.
- Global e-commerce app installs declined 14% year-over-year in H1 2025, though sessions grew by 2%, indicating a shift toward re-engaging existing users over new acquisition.
- Global reattribution share for e-commerce apps rose to 0.18 in H1 2025, up from 0.14 in 2023, with the UAE (0.40) and U.K. & Ireland (0.36) leading in win-back activity.
- Global e-commerce app install per mille (IPM) reached nearly 3.0 in Q1 2025, with North America maintaining the highest regional performance at 5.21.
The Gaming App Insights Report: 2026 Edition
Adjust's 2026 gaming app report argues that the mobile gaming market has moved from a volume-driven model to one centered on retention and lifetime value, as acquisition costs climb and growth in installs slows.
- Global gaming app CPC rose 33% from $0.03 to $0.04 between 2024 and 2025, while global CPM increased 20% from $3.63 to $4.34.
- Hyper-casual games maintained the largest market share of installs at 29.1% in 2025, while action games dominated session share at 17.1%.
- Strategy games saw the most significant increase in session length, growing 18% to 37.51 minutes, and experienced a 133% surge in CPC from $0.03 to $0.07.
Rovio Sustainability Report 2025
Rovio's Sustainability Report for the period of April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, details the company's sustainability performance, activities, and future plans, voluntarily aligning with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards.
- Rovio reported a total carbon footprint of 20,980 tons of CO2e for the fiscal period ending March 31, 2026, with Scope 3 emissions representing 98.6% of that total.
- The company expanded its carbon accounting to include downstream emissions from initial game downloads, a change that improved data coverage but prevented direct year-over-year comparisons.
- Rovio maintains a workforce of 508 employees across six global locations and reports an adjusted gender pay gap of 1.4%.
Video Game Market Update: Q2 2026
The video game market in Q2 2026 presents a mixed landscape, characterized by robust growth in specific segments, a notable shift in investment priorities, and ongoing pressure on public gaming company valuations.
- Private investment in the gaming sector surged sixfold year-over-year to $3.1 billion, with capital increasingly shifting away from content development toward infrastructure, AI, adtech, and immersive hardware.
- The PC sector remains a primary growth driver with Steam recording a 13 percent year-over-year revenue increase, while the console market remains stagnant as Switch 2 gains offset declines in PlayStation and Xbox hardware.
- Mobile gaming is facing a downturn, evidenced by a 4 percent contraction in gross revenue and a 12 percent decline in new installs, with top charts remaining stagnant due to a reliance on legacy titles.
Direct-to-Consumer: A $17 Billion Market for Mobile Gaming
The mobile gaming industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by a 2025 US court ruling that enabled direct in-app transactions, establishing direct-to-consumer (DTC) as a $17 billion market.
- The mobile gaming direct-to-consumer (DTC) market has reached a valuation of $17 billion as publishers shift away from traditional app store ecosystems to reclaim platform fees.
- The global in-app purchase market is projected to grow to $721.4 billion by 2034, signaling a long-term shift toward DTC distribution across the digital economy.
- DTC models allow publishers to secure ownership of first-party player data, which is being used to drive long-term retention and competitive differentiation.
Is There a Shift from Content to Tech Startups Among Gaming VCs?
The analysis examines whether there is a shift in venture capital investment from content-focused to technology-driven startups within the gaming industry.
- Content creators and publishers remain the primary focus of gaming VC, accounting for over half of all capital deployed (approximately $1.76 billion) and the majority of deal volume across all stages.
- Gaming-focused VC funds, including VENTURES, BEHOLD Venture, and Lightspeed Lvp., significantly increased their activity between 2020 and H1 2024, with capital deployed rising from $1.3 billion to over $2.4 billion.
- The number of VC-led funding rounds grew substantially from 67 in early 2020 to 289 by H1 2024, reflecting an overall increase in investment activity.
The Alumni Effect: Studios Founded by Ex-Activision, Blizzard, and King Employees
The analysis examines the "alumni effect" within the gaming industry, specifically focusing on studios founded by former employees of Activision, Blizzard, and King (collectively, ex-ATVI).
- Between 2020 and 2024, 30 studios founded by former Activision Blizzard employees secured approximately $0.7 billion in venture capital across 45 funding rounds.
- Ex-Activision studios demonstrate a 'first-round momentum' effect, being roughly four times more likely than peer startups to secure a second round of financing within the same calendar year.
- Investor confidence in alumni teams peaked in 2021, when 43% of ex-Activision studios raised a subsequent round compared to only 9% of broader gaming startups.
Public Mobile Gaming Publishers: Resilience & Adaptation in a Shifting Landscape
The mobile gaming industry has experienced significant shifts following years of rapid expansion and a pandemic-driven surge, encountering tougher conditions in the post-IDFA era.
- Aggregate market capitalization for major mobile gaming publishers has plummeted by more than 50% since January 2022, with most stocks remaining below pre-IDFA valuation peaks.
- User acquisition costs have surged to as high as $40 million per firm, while diminishing returns on these campaigns have compressed EBITDA margins and forced a shift toward cost control.
- MTG outperformed the broader market with a 50%+ share price increase and 9% organic growth in Q4 2024, driven by disciplined M&A and operational efficiency.
Enabling Growth: Cohort User Acquisition Financing
The mobile gaming market is experiencing a rebound, with a projected 4% growth in 2025, driven by innovations in in-app advertising (IAA), AI-powered AdTech, rewarded ad platforms, multiplatform adaptability, and IP licensing.
- Mobile gaming is projected to grow at a 5.0% CAGR from 2020 to 2025, supported by a 16.2% increase in in-app advertising and AI-driven ad tech.
- Cohort-based UA financing allows studios to fund up to 80% of monthly acquisition costs by leveraging future revenues, providing an alternative to scarce venture capital.
- Studios utilizing cohort-based financing have demonstrated the ability to increase monthly marketing spend by 16–38% while maintaining founder control over equity and IP.