User Acquisition reports and market data
Documents
2.5 gamers x Live AM(F)A #8 - Ask Me Anything @ February 19 5:00pm CET
Modern mobile game development requires a sophisticated approach to user acquisition and data management in an increasingly privacy-centric landscape.
- Developers should prioritize internal testing and beta tracks over global releases to maintain store visibility and maximize feature potential in a privacy-centric environment.
- To bypass the limitations of Apple’s SKAdNetwork and the decline of IDFA, studios are shifting toward creative-level attribution and on-device calculations.
- Early-stage game ideation should be validated using conversion-based campaigns on platforms like Facebook, as these provide more accurate audience behavior data than click-based metrics.
The #1 AI Skill You NEED to Succeed in Marketing (Hint: It’s Not Data Crunching)
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the landscape of user acquisition by functioning as a critical force multiplier that enhances creative production and strategic decision-making.
- Prompt engineering is the critical skill for 2025, as marketers must learn to write effective creative briefs, storyboards, and narratives to direct AI tools rather than relying on full automation.
- AI acts as a force multiplier for User Acquisition (UA) teams, enabling individuals to perform the work of five people by leveraging AI for data analysis, decision-making, and creative generation.
- Strategic implementation of AI in creative production can significantly improve performance metrics, with one expert reporting an increase in creative win ratios from 10% to 50%.
Key aspects for Mobile Game Growth in 2025: UA, speed, monetization & globalization with Airbridge
The mobile gaming industry is undergoing a significant transformation as it moves toward 2025, characterized by the rise of hybrid-casual mechanics and a shift in innovation hubs toward emerging markets like Vietnam, Turkey, and South Korea.
- Mobile game growth in 2025 is driven by three core pillars: speed, monetization, and globalization, with industry development shifting away from Europe toward regions like Vietnam, Turkey, and South Korea.
- The number of apps on the Apple App Store doubled between 2022 and 2023, indicating that despite increased competition and user acquisition headwinds, developer interest remains high.
- Hybrid-casual games are defined by a revenue profile where 40–60% of income is generated via ads and 0–40% via in-app purchases, necessitating a focus on deep game economies to support long-term monetization.
Panel: How User Acquisition Is Evolving In 2025.
User acquisition in 2025 is undergoing a fundamental transformation, moving away from simple ad arbitrage toward a sophisticated, data-driven model centered on long-term retention and high-quality user engagement.
- User acquisition budgets are projected to rise in 2025, driven by a decrease in game development costs which is leading to a higher volume of new titles entering the market.
- Advertisers are increasingly diversifying beyond traditional Google and Apple channels, with platforms like Shopify—which presents ads immediately before checkout—and Meta's Threads emerging as high-intent alternatives.
- Creative production volume has surged significantly, with games spending over $100,000 per month now producing an average of 839 ad variations per month.
Panel: Championing Community – Building Player Connections Outside the App Stores
Mobile game developers are increasingly prioritizing direct-to-consumer strategies to mitigate the impact of rising user acquisition costs and the limitations imposed by platform-specific fee structures.
- Transitioning players to web shops can increase net revenue by approximately 31%, as developers retain 90% of revenue compared to the 70% typically realized through app store ecosystems.
- Leading developers are currently achieving 14% of their revenue off-platform on launch day, with expectations to reach 50% to 60% off-platform within three to six months.
- Web shops are viable across all game genres, including casual titles; one provider has processed over $1.5 billion in transactions across various genres over the past two years.
Panel: Monetisation In 2025 – Navigating The Evolving Landscape.
The mobile gaming industry is undergoing a fundamental shift toward hybrid monetization models, where the integration of both in-app purchases and advertising has transitioned from a strategic option to a requirement for sustainable growth.
- Hybrid monetization models, combining in-app purchases and advertising, are now a mandatory requirement for sustainable growth in mobile gaming due to increased competition and privacy regulations.
- Developers must shift from broad demographic segmentation to predictive lifetime value modeling using machine learning and AI to achieve hyper-personalization by 2025.
- To counter the industry-wide trend of sacrificing long-term retention for immediate ad revenue, developers must prioritize transparency and implement real-time monitoring of ad inventory.
Panel: The Rise Of Rewarded UA – How To Take Advantage Of The Marketing Revolution.
Rewarded user acquisition has transitioned from a marginalized marketing tactic into a foundational growth strategy for the mobile gaming industry.
- Data indicates that 51% of users spend more money within mobile games when they are incentivized or rewarded for their purchases.
- Rewarded UA platforms require a distinct approach from traditional networks, as users are highly motivated to play through specific milestones to earn rewards, necessitating deep-funnel optimization.
- Successful rewarded UA strategies rely on integrating live ops with loyalty programs, allowing publishers to use user data to trigger personalized messaging and promotions during specific in-game events.
How to Monetise Your Game Smarter in 2025
The mobile gaming industry is shifting toward a more holistic, data-driven approach to monetization in 2025, moving away from the hyper-growth strategies of the past toward sustainable, long-term revenue generation.
- Monetization strategy in 2025 must shift from aggressive hyper-growth to sustainable, long-term revenue generation by balancing ad revenue with user retention.
- Publishers should adopt a product-management mindset, utilizing ad quality controls, frequency capping, and sophisticated auction strategies to improve ARPDAU without degrading player experience.
- Nuanced user segmentation based on player tenure and behavior is essential, replacing uniform floor pricing across geographies and cohorts.
The Ultra Positive Market Report: Sensor Tower's State of Mobile 2025
The global mobile market is entering a phase of stabilization and maturity, characterized by a shift in revenue drivers and evolving user engagement patterns.
- Global in-app purchase revenue reached $150 billion in 2024, representing a 12.5% year-over-year increase.
- Non-gaming applications have surpassed mobile gaming to account for over 50% of total App Store revenue.
- Mobile gaming revenue saw a modest 4% recovery in 2024 following a period of decline.
How to Score Treasure as An Indie Game Studio
The mobile gaming industry presents significant challenges for small independent studios, particularly regarding user acquisition and monetization strategy.
- NineZyme OÜ, a four-person indie studio, successfully modernized the classic tile-sliding puzzle genre by integrating character-driven narratives and vibrant animations in their debut title, Tiles Tales: Pirates.
- Indie studios must remain agile by prioritizing direct experimentation and data-driven testing of monetization models over following generic industry-standard advice.
- Transitioning from a premium to a freemium model proved necessary for NineZyme OÜ to broaden audience reach and better align with player behavior.
Session: Unlocking The iOS Platform For User Growth – Key Updates On DMA, DMCC & Emerging....
The mobile application landscape is undergoing a significant shift as regulatory interventions and court decisions challenge the long-standing duopoly of Apple and Google.
- Customer acquisition costs (CAC) on iOS have risen by 60% since 2021, driven primarily by Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy, increased market competition, and ad platform consolidation.
- The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) now allows developers in Europe to utilize alternative app stores (such as Aptoide, Epic, and AltStore) and alternative billing systems to reduce platform fees from 30% to approximately 10–20%.
- Apple imposes a 'Core Technology Fee' (CTF) of €0.50 per user per year for apps distributed outside the official App Store, a policy currently under formal investigation by the European Commission for potentially creating excessive friction.
Session: Podcast Marketing – Insights & Strategies For Success - Sara Guerola, Media Bodies.
Podcast marketing has emerged as a vital, high-growth channel for user acquisition within the gaming industry, serving as a strategic bridge between traditional performance marketing and long-form engagement platforms.
- Podcast ad spend in the gaming industry is growing rapidly, with investment increasing 3.6 times quarter-over-quarter and overall market spend rising at an average annual rate of 22%.
- Gen Z listeners show high conversion potential, with 61% expressing interest in products after hearing an ad and 44% actively using promotional codes.
- Attribution for podcast campaigns is primarily probabilistic, requiring the integration of promo codes, unique URLs, and 30-day attribution windows to account for the medium's extended shelf life.