Mobile reports and market data
Documents
Session: Rewarded UA In 2026: The Growth Playbook - Jan Sommerfeld, Almedia.
Rewarded user acquisition (UA) is evolving from a simple volume-based strategy into a sophisticated, data-driven channel that functions as a long-term loyalty program.
- Rewarded user acquisition has shifted from focusing on install volume to prioritizing long-term engagement, with platforms now extending reward windows from 30 days to 90 days and beyond to drive Day 360 performance.
- The US market for rewarded platforms has grown to an estimated 100 to 150 million users, with major players like Freecash acquiring 3 to 4 million users per month and reaching a total user base of 60 million.
- Modern rewarded platforms now utilize automated bidding systems, such as Almedia's 'Max ROAS,' which allow advertisers to define return-on-ad-spend targets rather than manually managing individual CPIs.
Session: Future of UA: Creatives, Predictions & Funding - Halil Ibrahim Özdemir, Leus Capital.
The mobile gaming industry faces significant challenges in user acquisition (UA), specifically regarding the identification of high-performing creative assets, the accuracy of long-term return on ad spend (ROAS) and lifetime value (LTV) predictions, and the availability of sufficient marketing capital to scale effectively.
- Leus Capital provides marketing capital funding for mobile game studios, covering up to 80% of monthly User Acquisition (UA) budgets to help scale operations without requiring traditional equity investment or publishers.
- The firm utilizes a predictive analytics tool that claims 99% accuracy in forecasting app performance, including ROAS and LTV metrics, across channels, countries, and companies for up to 52 weeks.
- Leus Capital offers a 'Visual' search tool that allows studios to identify 'heat creatives' by analyzing competitor strategies, hook types, and CTA performance across various ad networks.
Session: From Installs To Lifetime Value How Snapchat Powers Gaming Growth - Sara Antonelli, Snap.
Snapchat’s strategy for driving growth in the gaming sector centers on a four-pillar framework: scalable audience reach, performance-driven solutions, accurate measurement, and automated onboarding.
- Snapchat's 'App Power Pack' suite of performance solutions has demonstrated a 25% lift in app installs for advertisers focusing on mid-funnel volume.
- Snapchat's audience is highly relevant to gaming, with 78% of daily Snapchat users engaging with gaming apps and a significant portion playing multiple times per day.
- Target Cost bidding solutions have enabled gaming advertisers to achieve up to 84% lower CPIs and 90% lower cost per purchase, while simultaneously driving six times more first-time depositors.
Session: What’s Really Limiting Publisher Monetisation Today - Olga Zharuk, TeqBlaze.
Modern mobile game monetization is increasingly hindered by an overly complex ad technology stack that strips publishers of essential control over their own revenue streams.
- The modern mobile ad tech stack has become overly fragmented, forcing publishers to rely on multiple vendors and mediation platforms that prioritize their own internal metrics over the publisher's long-term business health.
- Current monetization infrastructure functions as a 'black box,' preventing publishers from auditing auction outcomes, diagnosing revenue fluctuations, or maintaining granular control over the specific ads displayed in their apps.
- Loss of control over the ad stack creates operational risks, including the unintentional promotion of direct competitors and the delivery of poor-quality, long-form ads that negatively impact player retention.
Fireside Chat: The State of DTC In Mobile Games - Maor Sason & Harri Manninen.
The mobile gaming industry is undergoing a fundamental shift toward direct-to-consumer (D2C) monetization strategies, moving away from total reliance on platform-controlled payment ecosystems.
- Direct-to-consumer (D2C) monetization has transitioned from an experimental tactic to a core strategic pillar, with early adopters in social casino and casual gaming sectors now generating 30% to 40% of their total revenue through these channels.
- Successful D2C implementation requires a dedicated operational stack that integrates community building, personalized player interactions, and automated engagement rather than simple payment processing.
- Developers are segmenting their D2C strategies by player value, utilizing human-touch experiences for high-spenders and AI-driven automation with real-time data analysis for broader player bases.
Panel: Running DTC at Scale - Lessons From Mobile Game Leaders.
This panel discussion explores the strategic shift toward Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) models within the mobile gaming industry, emphasizing how publishers are leveraging web shops to bypass traditional app store fees and improve monetization.
- Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) web shops are now a core strategic requirement for mobile game publishers to bypass app store fees and improve monetization in a difficult user acquisition environment.
- Aggressive education of creators and players can drive rapid adoption, with one platform increasing web shop revenue from 10% to 40% in just a few months.
- Successful DTC implementation requires integrating the web shop into the core product vision rather than treating it as a bolted-on utility.
Session: Unlocking MENA Gaming Growth Through Local Payment Methods - Faisal Al Bitar, Tamatem.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) gaming market represents a significant growth opportunity, currently valued at over $7 billion.
- The MENA gaming market is valued at over $7 billion with a young demographic of 500 million people, 67% of whom are under age 35.
- Developers can increase ARPU by 100% and improve checkout conversion rates by 30% by implementing localized payment solutions that cater to the region's high unbanked population.
- Adopting a direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategy allows developers to reduce transaction fees from the standard 30% down to as low as 5%.
Curated Panel: The Privacy-First Advantage: Smarter Data, Smarter Monetization In 2026.
By 2026, privacy compliance has transitioned from a mere legal obligation into a fundamental operational strategy that dictates the success of monetization and user experience within the gaming industry.
- Privacy compliance has evolved from a legal checkbox into a core component of the monetization stack, with non-compliance leading to significant financial penalties, such as the $1.4 million fine issued to Jam City for CCPA violations.
- Publishers must shift from passive data collection to active activation of first-party data to improve ad targeting, eCPMs, and overall monetization strategies.
- Major ad networks, including Google, have moved toward making the sharing of publisher first-party data a default requirement to improve ad relevance and player journey insights.
Session: From Steps to Spending: A New Motivation Loop That Turns Player Movement Into Engagement...
The integration of physical activity into mobile gaming serves as a novel motivation loop designed to address two persistent industry challenges: low player retention and stagnant conversion rates.
- A 'conditional payer' segment exists among non-paying mobile gamers, representing 5% to 15% of that group, who are willing to make purchases if they can offset costs using earned rewards.
- Allowing users to pay for a portion of in-game currency with earned rewards significantly increases purchase intent, with a 3x growth in intent at a 50% reward-coverage level and a 5x growth at 75%.
- Integrating physical activity into a motivation loop drives retention, as 73% of surveyed gamers reported they would check their earnings progress at least once daily.
Panel: Getting Real Success, Keeping Afloat & Comebacks.
Long-term viability in the contemporary gaming industry requires a strategic synthesis of high-performing internal culture, operational flexibility, and a globalized business outlook.
- Long-term studio viability depends on a strategic synthesis of high-performing internal culture, operational flexibility, and a globalized business outlook to withstand market volatility.
- Studios must aggressively pursue international expansion and strategic partnerships to ensure financial sustainability, as the domestic Canadian market represents only a narrow segment of total demand.
- Adopting remote and flexible work models allows studios to transcend geographic limitations, access a more diverse global talent pool, and improve responsiveness for live operations.
Session: Bring Your Games To China—Unity China Publish Service - Wang Wei, Unity.
The Chinese gaming market represents approximately one-quarter of the global industry, with a player base of nearly 700 million people.
- The Chinese gaming market represents approximately 25% of the global industry, with mobile games accounting for 70% of total revenue.
- Mini-games—playable directly within apps like WeChat and TikTok without downloads—are a major growth driver, with the sector expected to reach $10 billion annually by 2025.
- Entering the Chinese market requires navigating a fragmented ecosystem of local app stores (e.g., Huawei, Xiaomi, TapTap) and obtaining a government-issued ISBN number, which is mandatory for legal monetization.
Fireside Chat: A Life in Mobile: From Games to Music to Apps – 15 Years of Wins, Losses and Learns.
This discussion explores the evolution of mobile development through the career of Simon Hade, a veteran entrepreneur who transitioned from founding the mobile studio Space Ape to his current role as Head of New Subjects at Duolingo.
- Duolingo is actively recruiting game developers to transition from traditional gaming to app-based product development, focusing on making core user experiences inherently fun rather than relying solely on gamification or paywall-focused product management.
- The shift in the mobile industry has moved from the early era of 'aping' successful titles like Clash of Clans to a current landscape where success requires deep product differentiation and specialized studio expertise.
- Modern studio fundraising now requires a complete, experienced team and a clear ambition to build a game that can self-fund the studio, as investors are less likely to fund concepts without proven execution capabilities.