2026 Global Mobile Game Marketing Trends White Paper

202 6 Global Mobile Gaming
Marketing Trends White Paper
Insights Based on 2025 Global Data
Produced by SocialPeta x Singular x Aarki
Special Invitation:

2
With SocialPeta, you can spy on your competitors’ ad data ,and get ad
data from networks, media, and advertisers around the world to inspire
you .SocialPeta covers more than 70 countries/regions and over 80 well –
known ad channels worldwide, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,
TikTok, and Unity . We provide nearly 1.7 billion ad creatives, updating
millions each day . Through duration, impressions, popularity, and
interactions ,we can quickly locate the active high -quality creatives which
will be provided to you in real time to help with your marketing plan .
As one of the world -leading advertising and marketing platforms,
SocialPeta boasts a huge database and the experience of working with
thousands of game companies and providing mobile game workers with
more practical methods in order to develop more popular games .
6 M
AP P Ad v e r t i s e r s
1.7B
AP P Ad C r e a t i v e s
1.20 M
D a i l y U p d a t e s
We b s i t e : w w w. s o c i a l p e t a . c o m

3
Singular is the #1-rated MMP on G 2 and the only platform that unifies
your spend, attribution, ROI, and performance into one clear view .
With AI -powered tools like Creative IQ and MCP integrations, marketers go
from insight to impact in minutes — no engineering required .Trusted by top
brands like Nike, Airbnb, Rovio and LinkedIn, Singular helps you move
fast, eliminate waste, and grow smarter .
Website ： www.singular.net
#1 rated
Singular has consistently been the #1 user –
rated marketing attribution company on G2.
Billions
of app installs are attributed annually
through the Singular platform.
1,000+
of the fastest growing apps trust
Singular for as their source of truth for
marketin performance.

4
Aarki is an AI -powered mobile performance platform that helps app
publishers acquire and retain high -value users through deep neural
network -powered models and AI -powered creative production . Built on
supervised AI and privacy -safe technology, Aarki operates four owned -and –
operated data centers listening to the world’s ad calls, processing 6M+ queries
per second across mobile and CTV .
Global on -ground presence with offices in San Francisco, New York, London,
Bangalore, Beijing, Manila, and Seoul .Aarki serves leading mobile publishers
including Zynga, ByteDance ,and Rovio .
Founded 2010 .Headquartered in San Francisco .Learn more at aarki .com .
Website ： www.aarki.com
220B
auctions per day
6.5B
unique users
10B
devices
6 M
mobile ad requests/second

5
Funtap Games is one of Southeast Asia’s leading mobile game publishers, with over
a decade of experience and the largest number of publishing licenses in Vietnam .
The company is currently a market leader in SLG games in the local market .
Funtap co -publishes a strong portfolio of global titles, including Genshin Impact,
Mobile Legends : Bang Bang , Arknights : Endfield, Last War : Survival, Top Heroes,
Dark War : Survival, and MU : Across Time, … working with more than 150 global
partners and reaching 9.4 million monthly active users .
We b s i t e ： c o r p . f u n t a p . v n
Funtap Company Introduction:
About
320
GAMES PUBLISHED
150
GLOBAL PARTNERS
+29M
DOWNLOADS ANNUALLY

6
Marketing Insights
into Leading Mobile
Game Advertisers 7
CONTENTS
2025 Global Mobile
Game Top Charts &
Rankings 2
Gaming User
Acquisition In 2025:
What Actually
Changed 3
The Full -Funnel
Framework for Mobile
Gaming 4
Popular Regional
Mobile Game
Marketing Insights 6
Industry Insight Marketing Insights
Into Top Mobile Game
Genres 5
Global Mobile Gaming
Marketing Trend
Insights 1
Special Invitation:

7
Global Mobile Gaming
Marketing Trend Insights
01

8
Advertising Trends in Global Mobile Games in 2025
Active advertisers per
month in 2025
YoY 21.9% ↑ 84.0K
Share of new advertisers
per month in 2025
9.4% New advertisers per
month: 7.9K
8.1% 8.0%
8.8%
9.2% 8.9% 8.9%
9.7% 9.6%
10.8%
10.4% 9.9% 10.2%
0 K
10 K
20 K
30 K
40 K
50 K
60 K
70 K
80 K
90 K
100 K
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Active advertisers Share of new advertisers
51.6%
23.6% 23.4%
0 K
100 K
200 K
300 K
400 K
500 K
2023 2024 2025
Trends of Mobile Game
Advertisers in the Past 3 Years
Advertisers
Share of annual new advertisers
• There were over 84K mobile game advertisers per month in 2025, up 21.9% YoY. The number peaked at over 90K in June. The total nu mber of mobile game
advertisers for the year exceeded 400K.
• Nearly 8K new mobile game advertisers joined each month, accounting for an average of 9.4% (over 10% in Sept., Oct., and Dec. ) o f monthly advertisers.
New advertisers accounted for 23.4% of all advertisers this year, almost the same as last year.
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025
There were over 90K active mobile game advertisers in June 2025, with nearly 8K new game advertisers per month on average.

9
63.6% 62.8% 61.1% 61.9% 63.4%
67.8% 69.3% 69.6% 70.6% 72.8% 75.4% 76.9% 77.9% 77.2%
82.0% 83.4% 82.0% 81.5% 81.4% 82.6% 83.9% 85.4% 85.2% 88.2%
51.4%
46.9% 49.9% 50.7% 50.9%
59.0% 54.9% 52.1% 51.7% 52.8% 52.5% 53.2% 54.3% 52.9%
57.4% 59.4% 57.8% 57.2% 59.1% 58.3% 58.9% 58.2% 60.1%
63.2%
2024 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 2025 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Shares of monthly advertisers with new creatives and shares of monthly new creatives in 2024 & 2025
Share of advertisers with new creatives Share of new creatives
82.5%
Share of monthly advertisers
with new creatives in 2025
58.1%
Share of new creatives per
month in 2025
YoY: 14.6% ↑ YoY: 5.9% ↑
Trends in New Ad Creatives for Global Mobile Games in 2025
There were over 80% of monthly advertisers that released new creatives. New creatives accounted for over 60% in November.
• 2025 recorded an average of over 82 % of monthly advertisers that
released new creatives, an increase of 14 .6% compared to the same
period last year .The share of advertisers with new creatives rose
steadily to peak at 88 .2% in December .
• New creatives’ share of monthly creatives kept increasing to surpass
60 % in November and peaked at 63 .2% in December .In 2025 ,new
creatives accounted for an average of 58 .1% per month, an increase
of 5.9% from last year .
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2024 -Dec 2025

10
Casino Games See a Significant Increase in Marketing Share; RPG Titles Average Over 800 Creatives in 2025
• In 2025 , RPG games led ad spending with over 800
creatives per title annually, followed by strategy games at
728 . The casino/entertainment category surged, with
advertiser share rising to 47 % and creative share to
22 .3% ,showing strong year -over -year growth .
Advertising Analysis of Global Mobile Games by Genre in 2025
Genre Share of
advertisers YoY Change
Casino 47.0% 22.7%
Casual 19.9% -5.9%
Puzzle 8.0% -3.1%
SIM 4.5% -2.5%
RPG 3.2% -1.8%
Action 3.0% -2.5%
SLG 2.5% -1.3%
Arcade 2.4% -0.3%
Adventure 2.0% -1.1%
Card 1.5% -0.9%
Genre Share of
creatives YoY Change
Casual 23.9% -5.6%
Casino 22.3% 13.9%
Puzzle 11.9% 0.3%
RPG 9.5% -2.9%
SLG 6.7% -0.2%
SIM 6.0% -1.6%
Action 4.4% -1.4%
Card 3.2% -0.5%
Board 3.0% 0.3%
Adventure 2.4% -1.0%
801
728
637
584
435 398 391 362 323 322
Monthly creatives by game genre in 2025
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025

11
• Europe had over 46 K monthly advertisers in 2025 ,over 6K higher than
that in North America which came in second .Europe was the only one
that had over 40 K monthly advertisers . Southeast Asia and South
America had over 30 K monthly advertisers .
• Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan recorded 122 monthly creatives per
advertiser, forming the fiercest marketing competition in 2025 .It was
immediately followed by North America with 119 monthly creatives per
advertiser .Oceania and Japan & South Korea also had over 110 monthly
creatives per advertiser .
Most monthly advertisers:
46.2K in Europe
Most monthly creatives per
advertiser:
122 in Hong Kong,
Macao, and Taiwan
103
119
75
104
81
113 107
115 122
93
0.0 K
5.0 K
10.0 K
15.0 K
20.0 K
25.0 K
30.0 K
35.0 K
40.0 K
45.0 K
50.0 K
Europe North America Southeast Asia South America South Asia Japan & South
Korea
Middle East Oceania Hong Kong, Macao
and Taiwan
Africa
Monthly advertisers Monthly creatives per advertiser
Marketing Analysis of Mobile Games in Top Regions in 2025
Europe was the only region that had over 40K monthly advertisers this year. Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan topped all regions
in monthly creatives, followed by North America and Oceania.
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025

12
Video ,
74.1%
Image ,
24.7%
Share of creatives by type for
global mobile games in 2025 Share of video creatives by length 1
Share of image creatives by format 2
12.8% 45.2% 35.1% 6.9%
≤15s 16-30s 31-59s ≥60s
11.5%
2.2%
67.2% 19.1%
Portrait Landscape Square Other
59.9%
36.3%
2024
52.2% 42.2%
2023
Types of Ad Creatives for Global Mobile Games in 2025
In 2025, video creatives accounted for 74.1%, up 14.2% YoY. Square images made up the largest share of image creatives at 67. 2%.
• Video creatives surged to 74.1% this year, up 14.2% YoY. Video creatives under 30s accounted for 58%, and those over 60s for 6.9 %.
• Image creatives made up 24.7%, down 11.6% YoY. Square image creatives accounted for 67.2% of all image creatives.
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025

13
iOS advertisers made up about 35 % in mid -core and hard –
core games .
Android advertisers accounted for over 81 % in light games .
Shares of mobile game advertisers
on iOS and Android
19.0%
35.3% 35.6%
81.0%
64.7% 64.4%
Light Mid-core Hard-core
On Meta’s platforms, iOS creatives accounted for around 21 %.
On X (formerly Twitter), iOS creatives accounted for as high
as 46 .6%.
Share of iOS and Android Creatives on
Major Platforms
21.2% 21.6% 13.1% 15.4%
32.6% 31.9%
18.2%
46.6%
78.8% 78.4% 86.9% 84.6%
67.4% 68.1%
81.8%
53.4%
Shares of Global Mobile Game Advertisers on iOS & Android in 2025
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025
iOS
20.4%
Android
79.6%
Shares of mobile game
advertisers on iOS and Android
In 2025, advertisers on Android accounted for nearly 80%. For Mid -core and hard -core games, advertisers on iOS accounted
for around 35%.

14
Games with more hardcore gameplay had higher shares of
creatives on iOS .
Hard -core games had over 32 % of the creatives on iOS .
Shares of Creatives for Mobile Games on
Android and iOS
13.0%
26.1% 32.6%
87.0%
73.9% 67.4%
Light Mid-core Hard-core
On Meta’s platforms, iOS creatives accounted for around 28 %.
On UnityAds ,Android creatives accounted for as high as 93 .5%.
Share of iOS and Android Creatives on
Major Platforms
28.0% 28.9%
10.4% 19.9% 15.7% 17.7% 6.5%
50.7%
72.0% 71.1%
89.6% 80.1% 84.3% 82.3% 93.5%
49.3%
iOS
22.7%
Android
77.3%
Shares of Creatives for Mobile
Games on Android and iOS
Shares of Creatives for Mobile Games on Android and iOS in 2025
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025
Games with more hardcore gameplay had higher shares of creatives on iOS. However, across most major platforms, Android
creatives still account for over 70%.

15
2025 Global Mobile Game
Top Charts & Rankings
02

16
11 Paint by Number Coloring Games
Oakever Games Puzzle
12 Mafia City
Phantix Games
SLG
13 Mahjong Wonders
Nebula Studio
Casual
14 Wuthering Waves
KURO Games
RPG
15 Kingshot
Century Games Pte. Ltd
SLG
16 The Grand Mafia
KURO Games
SLG
17 Coin Master
Moon Active
Adventure
18 Archero 2
HABBY
Action
19 Travel Town
Moon Active
Board
20 Block Crush!
Wonderful Studio
Puzzle
21 Braindom
Lahana Games
Puzzle
22 Rise of Kingdoms
Lilith Games
SLG
23 Evony
TOP GAMES
SLG
24 Idle Office Tycoon
Warrior Games
SIM
25 Emblem Assemble: Neo
ONG KONG LOME TRADING
RPG
26 Top War
RiverGame
SLG
27 Solitaire Clash
Aviagames
Card
28 Bingo Voyage
VERTEX GAMES
Casino
29 MapleStory : Idle RPG
NEXON
RPG
30 Bible Word Puzzle
Oakever Games
Word
Top 30 Games by Advertising on iOS in 2025
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025
1 Vita Mahjong
Vita Studio.
Casual
2 Block Blast!
Hungry Studio
Casual
3 Last War ： Survival
FUNFLY PTE. LTD.
SLG
4 Jigsawscapes ®
Oakever Games
Puzzle
5 Zen Word®
Oakever Games
Puzzle
6 Zen Color
Oakever Games
Puzzle
7 Tile Explorer
Oakever Games
Casual
8 Lands of Jail
SINGAPORE JUST GAME TECHNOLOGY PTE. LT D SLG
9 Whiteout Survival
Century Games Pte. Ltd
SLG
10 MONOPOLY GO!
Scopely
Board

17
11 Pokémon GO Niantic
12 Gardenscapes Playrix
13 Kingshot Century Games
14 PUBG MOBILE Level infinite
15 eFootball KONAMI
16 Clash of Clans Supercell
17 Call of Duty®:
Mobile Level infinite
18 Toon Blast Peak Games
19 Royal Kingdom Dream Games
20 Brawl Stars Supercell
1 Royal Match Dream
Games
2 Last War:Survival FUNFLY
3 MONOPOLY GO! Scopely
4 Candy Crush Saga King
5 Whiteout Survival Century
Games
6 Pokémon TCG
Pocket Pokemon
7 Clash Royale Supercell
8 Gossip Harbor® Microfun
Limited
9 Township Playrix
10 Coin Master Moon
Active
11 Goods Puzzle:
Sort Challenge ONESOFT
12 Royal Kingdom Dream
Games
13 8 Ball Pool Miniclip
14 Pizza Ready Supercent
15 Among Us! InnerSloth
16 Candy Crush Saga King
17 Free Fire Garena
18 Royal Match Dream
Games
19 Gardenscapes Playrix
20 Hole.io Voodoo
1 Block Blast! Hungry Studio
2 Roblox Roblox
3 Subway Surfers Sybo Games
4 Township Playrix
5 Clash Royale Supercell
6 Color Block Jam Rollic Games
7 Last
War:Survival FUNFLY
8 Magic Tiles 3 Amanotes
9 Vita Mahjong Vita Studio
10 Whiteout
Survival Century Games
Download Revenue
Top 20 Games by Download and Revenue on APP Store in 2025
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025

18
11 Whiteout Survival
Century Games Pte. Ltd
SLG
12 Last War ： Survival
FUNFLY PTE. LTD.
SLG
13 MONOPOLY GO!
Scopely
Board
14 Evony
TOP GAMES
SLG
15 Lords Mobile
IGG
SLG
16 Mahjong Wonders
Nebula Studio
Casual
17 Bible Word Puzzle
Oakever Games
Word
18 PUBG MOBILE
Level ifinite
Action
19 Doomsday
IGG
SLG
20 Last Z: Survival
Florere Game
SLG
21 Total Battle: StrategyGames
Scorewarrior
SLG
22 Tiles Survive!
FunPlus
SLG
23 Coin Master
Moon Active
Adventure
24 Sudoku
Oakever Games
Puzzle
25 Mystery Town
Cedar Games
Puzzle
26 Block Crush!
Wonderful Studio
Puzzle
27 Hero Wars: Alliance
NEXTERS
RPG
28 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
MOONTON
Action
29 Kingshot
Century Games Pte. Lt
SLG
30 Braindom
Lahana Games
Puzzle
Top 30 Games by Advertising on Android in 2025
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025
1 Vita Mahjong
Vita Studio.
Board
2 Tile Explorer
Oakever Games
Casual
3 Jigsawscapes ®
Oakever Games
Puzzle
4 Block Blast!
Hungry Studio
Casual
5 Zen Word®
Oakever Games
Puzzle
6 Lands of Jail
SINGAPORE JUST GAME TECHNOLOGY
PTE. LT D
SLG
7 Zen Color
Oakever Games
Puzzle
8 Paint by Number
Oakever Games
Puzzle
9 The Grand Mafia
KURO Games
SLG
10 Dark War Survival
Florere Game
SLG

19
11 Gardenscapes Playrix
12 Free Fire Garena
13 Last Z: Survival
Shooter
Florere
Game
14 Township Playrix
15 Kingshot Century
Games
16 리니지 M NCSOFT
17 eFootball KONAMI
18 PUBG MOBILE Level infinite
19 Brawl Stars Supercell
20 Fishdom Playrix
1 Last War:Survival
Game FUNFLY
2 Roblox Roblox
3 MONOPOLY GO! Scopely
4 Coin Master Moon Active
5 Royal Match Dream Games
6 Whiteout Survival Century
Games
7 Candy Crush
Saga King
8 Gossip Harbor® Microfun
Limited
9 Pokémon GO Niantic
10 Pokémon TCG
Pocket Pokemon
11 Tile Explorer Oakever
Games
12 Extreme Car
Driving Simulator
AxesInMotion
Racing
13 Snake Calsh Supercent
14 Mini Games:
Brainrot Challenge
Unicorn
Studio Official
15 8 Ball Pool Miniclip
16 Candy Crush Saga King
17 Tile Club Gamo
Vation
18 Subway Princess
Runner IVY
19 Football League MOBILE
SOCCER
20 Moto Race Go XGAME
STUDIO
1 Roblox Roblox
2 Block Blast! Hungry
Studio
3 Ludo King Gametion
4 Subway Surfers SYBO
Games
5 Pizza Ready Supercent
6 Free Fire MAX Garena
7 Free Fire Garena
8 Hole.io VOODOO
9 Vita Mahjong Vita Studio.
10 My Talking Tom 2 Outfit7
Limited
Download Revenue
Top 20 Games by Download and Revenue on Google Play in 2025
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025

20
# Company Name Number of Advertised
Games
Mainly Advertised
Games
11 EWORLD 10
12 Bole Games 17
13 VOODOO 232
14 Guru Puzzle Game 42
15 CASUAL AZUR GAMES 197
16 JunHai Games 33
17 VERTEX GAMES PTE.
LTD. 6
18 Supercent 139
19 Leniu Game 16
20 HOMA 70
# Company Name Number of
Advertised Games
Mainly Advertised
Games
1 Learnings 44
2 Bingchuan Network 72
3 FunPlus 46
4 Yotta Games 21
5 LoveColoring Game 23
6 Hungry Studio 14
7 Rollic Games 160
8 Florere Game 4
9 IGG 33
10 Level Infinite 89
TOP20 Global Mobile Game Investment Companies In 2025
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025

21
Gaming User Acquisition In 2025:
What Actually Changed
03

22
By 2025 ,mobile gaming user acquisition finally stopped feeling like a constant
state of emergency .
After years of disruption driven by privacy changes, macroeconomic pressure,
and spiraling acquisition costs, the market began to settle .That did not mean a
return to the old playbook .Instead, gaming marketers adapted .They became
more deliberate about how they spent, how they tested, and how they measured
success .
The result was ayear defined less by volatility and more by discipline .
Global gaming ad spend ticked up modestly over the course of the year .It was
not explosive growth, but itwas meaningful .Across 2025 ,gaming ad spend grew
in the low single digit range year over year, signaling renewed confidence without
the excess that defined earlier cycles .Rather than chasing scale for its own sake,
marketers focused on extracting sustainable value from every incremental dollar .
Gaming User Acquisition in 2025: What Actually Changed.
From volatility to discipline
Source: Singular 2025 Quarterly Trends Report

23
Growth returned, but quietly and unevenly
That discipline showed up clearly in how the year unfolded .
Q1 started cautiously .Gaming install volumes declined modestly quarter over
quarter in early 2025 ,as many teams prioritized efficiency, testing, and learning
agendas over aggressive expansion .As performance stabilized in Q2,budgets
began to loosen, even as installs remained slightly below Q1 levels, down mid
single digits quarter over quarter .
Momentum built through Q3,supported by live operations, content updates,
and steady creative refreshes .Gaming installs rebounded meaningfully in Q3,
with several high volume genres posting high single digit to low double digit
quarter over quarter growth .
By Q4, growth accelerated in earnest . Competition intensified during the
holiday period, but something notable happened .For advertisers with mature
creative pipelines and clear measurement frameworks, increased spend did
not erode performance .In many cases, it improved it.Despite higher auction
pressure, many gaming advertisers maintained stable or slightly improved
ROAS compared to Q3,a clear departure from historical peak season patterns .
That marked a real shift from prior years, when scaling into peak periods often
meant sacrificing returns .
Gaming User Acquisition in 2025: What Actually Changed.
Source: Singular 2025 Quarterly Trends Report
H2 Rebond

24
Gaming User Acquisition in 2025: What Actually Changed.
Scale and monetization continued to diverge by genre
At the genre level, familiar patterns held .Casual and hybrid casual games
continued to dominate install volume throughout 2025 ,while mid core and
strategy titles remained the primary revenue drivers, absorbing CPIs 30 to
50 percent higher in exchange for stronger payer conversion and lifetime
value .
What changed was how advertisers connected acquisition to monetization .
Leading teams increasingly optimized around early value signals, aligning
creative, bidding, and channel mix to payer propensity rather than raw
installs .This approach gained momentum over the year and was especially
evident in Q3 and Q4,when value based optimization helped advertisers
sustain scale despite rising costs .
Source: Singular 2025 Quarterly Trends Report

25
www.singular.net
Gaming User Acquisition in 2025: What Actually Changed.
Seasonality became clearer and more actionable
Seasonality has always shaped gaming UA, but 2025 made the inflection
points more predictable .
Q1 was conservative and optimization focused .Q2 marked a shift toward
expansion as confidence in performance predictability improved, despite only
modest install growth .Q3 sustained that momentum, with gaming installs
and spend both increasing quarter over quarter . Q4 combined peak
competition with peak opportunity, as gaming spend climbed sharply into the
holiday window without the corresponding ROAS collapse seen in prior years .
The takeaway was clear . Success in 2025 was less about avoiding
expensive periods and more about being operationally ready to compete
during them .
The contrast between Q1 caution and Q4 confidence summed up the year .
Gaming UA ended 2025 defined not by restraint, but by selective, well
measured growth .
Source: Singular 2025 Quarterly Trends Report

26
Android scaled installs ，
iOS drove value.
Where Budgets Went in 2025
Android scaled. iOS defined efficiency.
At a global level, platform dynamics remained familiar .Android continued
to deliver the majority of installs, driven by scale, broader geographic
reach, and lower average CPIs that were often 40 to 60 percent lower
than iOS benchmarks . iOS generated fewer installs, but a
disproportionate share of revenue, reinforcing its role as an efficiency and
monetization focused channel .
What evolved was how marketers treated the platforms .
Top performers stopped trying to optimize Android and iOS the same way .
They approached them as fundamentally different acquisition
environments, tailoring creative, bidding, and measurement strategies to
each .
Source: Singular 2025 Quarterly Trends Report

27 Source: Singular 2025 Quarterly Trends Report
Where Budgets Went in 2025
Paid social stayed dominant, but concentration risk grew
Paid social remained the backbone of gaming user acquisition throughout
2025 ,accounting for the majority of spend and installs globally .However,
quarterly data showed that marginal returns within primary social channels
declined more quickly in the second half of the year, particularly in Q3and Q4.
Auction volatility, creative fatigue, and rising competition all amplified the
downside of over concentration . Advertisers who diversified beyond their
primary channels often achieved stronger marginal returns, with some seeing
mid single digit improvements in ROAS compared to peers that remained
channel constrained .
By Q4,diversification was no longer just a growth lever .It became a risk
management strategy .

28 Source: Singular 2025 Quarterly Trends Report
Where Budgets Went in 2025
Creative became the most controllable performance lever
Across platforms and channels, creative emerged as the single most
controllable driver of performance in 2025 .
Short form video, UGC inspired assets, and fast iteration cycles
consistently outperformed static or overly polished formats .Advertisers
with high creative velocity sustained performance longer, while those with
slower refresh cycles saw ROAS decay accelerate, particularly during Q4
peak competition .

29
Moving beyond last touch
attribution
Last touch attribution continued to understate
the value of upper and mid funnel activity .
Gaming advertisers that adopted multi touch
attribution gained visibility into assist value and
cross channel influence .
That insight enabled more balanced media
strategies and reduced the tendency to over
invest in bottom funnel tactics at the expense of
long term growth .
Modeling filled the gaps left
by signal loss
Privacy driven signal loss, particularly on iOS,
did not disappear in 2025 . But leading
advertisers adapted .
Modeled conversions and blended performance
metrics allowed teams to maintain optimization
continuity . By aligning stakeholders around
modeled outcomes, top performers reduced
internal friction and made decisions faster .
Measuring Growth When Signals are Imperfect
In 2025 ,measurement sophistication was often the difference between confident scaling
and cautious stagnation .
Advertisers with advanced attribution frameworks allocated budgets more decisively and
optimized with greater clarity .Those relying on simplistic models struggled to interpret
performance signals in an increasingly complex environment .
Measurement maturity became a competitive advantage
Source: Singular 2025 Quarterly Trends Report

30
1
2 Creative velocity delivered more durable gains than simply adding new channels.
3
Source: Singular 2025 Quarterly Trends Report
What 2025 Taught Gaming Marketers Heading into 2026
Most importantly, confidence unlocked smarter scaling. Advertisers who trusted
their measurement frameworks moved faster, navigated competition more
effectively, and exited 2025 in a stronger position than they entered it.
Discipline outperformed aggression. Structured growth beat volume chasing.
Top 3 lessons:

31
The Full – Funnel Framework
for Mobile Gaming
04

32
Rising acquisition costs, flat user growth, and rapid churn are exposing the limits
of performance -first marketing . As early user churn becomes the defining
constraint, 2026 marks a turning point — growth will no longer be driven by
spend or isolated optimization .
In this section, Aarki introduces a retention -led, full -funnel framework that
unites acquisition, engagement, and reactivation into a continuous learning
system — where signals compound and intelligence grows with every interaction .
The marketers who win next will be those who move from campaigns to
systems ,and from short -term conversion to lasting value .
The Full -Funnel Framework
A simple, repeatable framework for profitable growth.
www.aarki.com

33 1. Beat the 4 Bosses Holding Back Your App’s Growth, Aarki 2025 . | 2. Forecast number of mobile users worldwide from 2020 to 2025, Statista | 3. Mobile game churn rates (2025), Business of Apps, 2025
The shift
According to Business of Apps, over 95 % of mobile game installers churn within
30 days across both iOS and Google Play 3.
With churn at this scale, 2026 marks a turning point for sustainable growth — one
that demands retention -led orchestration, where acquisition, engagement, and
reactivation operate as one learning system .
“ Retention is the new performance.
And performance is the new brand.”
Rajeev Ranjan,
VP of Product, Aarki
Aarki data reveals UA costs rose 12 % year -over -year while budgets jumped 26 % 1.At
the same time, user growth was nearly flat growing only 2% 2.
This widening gap between spend and growth signals a clear limit to performance -first
thinking .
Marketers need a new framework — one that prioritizes building genuine user
connection, not just driving short -term conversions .
Growth You Can Sustain
Mobile growth is full -funnel growth.

34
Growth today is not a straight line .It is a continuous exchange of signals,
stories, and actions that compound over time .
The left loop captures and converts attention through
User Acquisition (UA) .
The right loop re -engages and retains users through Retargeting
(RT) .
At the center is Aarki’s differentiator, an intelligent engine powered
by supervised AI , creative intelligence, and data feedback
loops that accelerate both sides .
The Infinity Loop is Aarki’s model for connected, sustainable growth . It
replaces the one -way funnel with a living system where every user action
fuels the next .
Supervised AI combines human insight with machine precision . It learns from
campaign performance in real time, applies those learnings across channels, and
keeps optimization transparent even as signals fade .This balance of human context
and algorithmic speed turns automation into advantage .
● Each cycle strengthens the next
● Awareness becomes advocacy
● Insights from retention reshape acquisition
How Growth Actually Compounds
The real value is created after installs -not before it ends.
www.aarki.com

35
The Full -Funnel Framework
www.aarki.com
This is where the Aarki Infinity Loop evolves into a Full -Funnel Framework .
This continuous system unites UA, RT ,and user lifecycle into one engine of
profitable growth . It’s a simple, repeatable system where every signal
becomes a decision, every creative becomes intelligence, and every
campaign strengthens the next .
What’s Changed :The funnel is no longer linear
Growth loops are value loops
● Every creative choice, signal, and user action is a source of insight
that can increase lifetime value .
The app store is no longer the storefront
● Users enter your app on their own terms, from web, mobile, and
new touchpoints like webshops and alternative app stores .
Distribution is fragmented
● As entry points multiply, the ability to design and connect owned
experiences becomes the edge .
The opportunity: Own the relationship, not just the install
● Remove friction across the funnel
● Connect acquisition to re -engagement
● Prioritize LTV as the key metric of growth

36
The Fantastic 5: Your New Rules of Retention
● Track quality over quantity .
● Engagement frequency, session depth, and
reactivation cost give you the 360 -degree view
of your user base .
● Don’t chase momentum ;sustain it.
● Reinvest in audiences and creatives that build
lasting value, not quick wins .
Teams that maintain a consistent reactivation budget see steadier
ROI curves and reduced volatility in campaign returns.
● Every re -engagement campaign is atest .
● Winning messages reveal what matters most
to users who are about to churn, so harness
this insight to power smarter UA .
Aarki observes that reactivated users deliver significantly higher LTV than
newly acquired users in the same cohort.
● The most valuable users don’t just stay .They
start strong .
● Build engagement into onboarding and show
your value before the first purchase .
● Creative relevance decays in days .
● Plan refresh cycles proactively to stay
ahead of attention loss and maintain
consistent storytelling across the loop .
Aarki’s creative intelligence data shows that CTR can drop ≈
45% after 4 exposures without refresh, while structured cycles
improve performance stability by 30% 1.
Avi Das,
CRO, Aarki
When lifecycle and creative work in sync,
each retained user becomes a multiplier,
boosting ROI, building loyalty, and
powering the next cycle of growth .
Retention isn’t a phase.
It’s a performance system.
“Retention isn’t a phase of marketing. It’s
the proof that your strategy works.”
Retention starts on
Day 0, not Day 30. 01 Measure relationships,
not reach. 02 Refresh faster than
fatigue. 03
Reactivation is R&D. 04
Scale what works,
pause what plateaus. 05
Five Rules. One goal: Users who stay, spend, and compound your growth .
1. Aarki internal data, 2025

37
Your next move
Rajeev Ranjan,
VP of Product, Aarki
The marketers who win aren’t running
separate systems; they’re conducting a single,
smart orchestra.”
anchors loyalty and amplifies creative
learnings across channels
brings in qualified signals that improve
audience learning
When teams work in isolation, insights stay trapped.
Together, they create what Aarki calls the orchestration advantage ,a growth engine
fueled by collaboration, creative intelligence, and unified measurement .
● Teams sharing creative learnings across UA and RT see up to 30 % faster
optimization cycles ;
● Combined UA+RT campaigns deliver 20 % higher LTV than siloed activations 1.
But when acquisition, retargeting, and lifecycle marketing share
the same data, creative, and feedback systems, growth stops
being a series of campaigns and becomes a continuous
performance cycle .
UA
extends user value through timely re –
engagement. RT
Lifecycle
marketing
“
Orchestrating UA, RT & Lifecycle Marketing
1. Aarki internal data, 2025

38
Aarki analysis shows overlapping audience segments
create self -competition within auctions, driving up CPMs
and exhausting creative .
1.A Survey on The Current State of Creative Testing in Digital Marketing, Darwin, 2023 | 2.Aarki Internal Data, 2025 | 3. ATT opt -in rates: 2025 data & benchmarks, Adjust, 2025
The result? Confusion, not conversion.
The solution? Connecting UA and retention to deliver the value isolated teams can’t match.
But first, teams have to beat what Aarki
CRO Avi Das calls the “ four bosses ”:
Ad fatigue sets in within a week of high –
frequency exposure . Yet only 10 -20 % of
marketers actually turn data into creative
performance 1.
Creative Gridlock
Global CPIs keep rising across nearly every category .
Fewer than 5% of users monetize, and in casual
genres, that figure is below 2%2.Break -even now
stretches beyond 90 days .
Inflated Costs
Global privacy laws now limit how data can be
tracked, stored, and shared .Consent is harder to
earn, and users are less tolerant of intrusive ads .
Privacy Constraints
Apple’s ATT framework has sharply reduced user -level
visibility . Data shows global opt -in rates near 35 %3,
leaving most advertisers optimizing on incomplete data .
Signal Loss
“ You’re not just wasting budget.
You’re bidding against yourself .”
Avi Das ,
CRO , Aarki
The way forward isn’t to fight harder.
It’s to fight smarter by rewiring how acquisition and retargeting work together.
When Operating in Silos, Duplication and Waste Multiply.

39
The power of pacing
It’s about balancing performance signals, creative
feedback, and retention data to make smarter decisions.
Sustainable growth isn’t about speed .
It’s about timing, precision, and
knowing when to hold your ground .
Aarki analysis shows that marketers who pace spend based on
retention and creative performance sustain a 20 % + ROI stability
and reduce quarter -over -quarter volatility by 25 % 1.
Avi Das, CRO , Aarki
• When new audience segments or creative
learnings show early promise, reinvest.
• Shift budgets from plateauing campaigns to
proven performers that sustain LTV growth.
• When CPIs rise faster than LTV or creative
fatigue exceeds 40 % ,slow down .
• Reassess segmentation, refresh creative,
or rebalance between UA and RT .
• When retention outperforms the median
and reactivation ROI is at least 1.5x UA
ROI, increase spend .
• Push high -performing audiences and
creatives that prove consistent lift across
channels .
Smart growth isn’t constant acceleration. It’s
controlled momentum and learning where to
lean in and where to reset.”
Reinvest Pause Scale
“
When to Scale, Pause, or Reinvest
Sustainable full -funnel growth isn’t about doing more.
1. Aarki internal data, 2025

40
Smart systems respond to signals . Superior systems
remember, refine, and return greater value every time .
This continual learning is at the core
of full -funnel growth .
● Every impression, interaction, and insight powers the next .
● Each interaction refines the model .
● Each campaign makes the next one smarter .
Teams orchestrate user acquisition, engagement, reactivation, as a unified learning engine – one where AI
turns patterns into predictive intelligence for tomorrow’s performance gains .
“ Every loop teaches you something. What matters
is how fast you turn that learning into action.”
Aman Sareen,
CEO, Aarki
Growth in 2026 won’t come from optimizing in silos .It will come from
adopting afull -funnel framework built for learning and retention .
Now is the time to make that shift .
Sharpening Your Competitive Edge
The future of growth isn’t about scale. It’s about staying power.
www.aarki.com

41
How Aarki helped re -engage high -value users and
consistently over achieve their D90 ROI goal
www.aarki.com
Objective
Re -engage lapsed high -value users and
maximize long -term ROI for Angry Birds
2through advanced retargeting .
Aarki Solution
Aarki’s Supervised -AI Powered Retargeting,
Driving Higher LTV and ROI
● Built high -value LTV cohorts using in-app
behavior analysis
● Applied predictive models to estimate user
LTV and optimize bids
● Delivered data -driven, performance –
optimized creatives via Aarki Creative Studio
Key Results
Aarki helped Rovio successfully re -activate high -value
users, drive sustained ROI growth, and unlock long –
term value through AI -driven targeting and creative
optimization .
● D90 ROI exceeded goals by an average of 1.7×
● D7ROI consistently achieved (avg .1.3×)
● D365 LTV goal reached within 3 months
● Scaled budget efficiently while re -engaging high –
value users
“With Aarki’s support and expertise, we
reached our long -term ROI goals and saw
continuous performance improvement.”
—— User Acquisition Manager, Rovio

42
Marketing Insights Into
Top Mobile Game Genres
05

43
Why do early indicators matter? If you are utilizing a “minigame as a hook” strategy, you must
validate whether the “hook” is accepted .
What are the things we will analyze?
• D1Retention :The First Hook and The Funnel Filter .
• D7Retention :The Core Challenge and The Social Filter .
• Playtime Behavior Analysis (Daily Active Playtime, Session Structure) for the first week .
What really determines Global Launch?
D1and D7 Retention :Competitive Level
• Minimum Threshold for UA .At this level, the game can break even iflong -term LTV is strong .
The majority of mid -tier 4X games reside here .
• At this level, the Social Ecology functions well .Guild War events have sufficient participation .
• If your game is a pure Classic SLG with a D1 of only 25 -30 % ,you will lose the “bidding war”
because competitors have awider and more efficient user funnel .
• Alliance Join Rate :In-depth reports from Funtap Games indicate that the D7 of 4X games
depends entirely on the Alliance Join Rate .
• The rate of players joining an Alliance before D3must reach >60 % for ahealthy ecosystem .
• Players who join an Alliance and perform “Help” interactions (reducing build time) or
participate in “Rallies” (Boss raids) have aD7rate 3-4times higher than Solo players .
Perspective: Funtap Games | Analysis of Early Indicators
corp.funtap.vn
Game Segment D1 Retention
(Android)
D1 Retention
(iOS)
Industry Median 20% -25% 25% -28%
Competitive Level 30% -35% 35% -40%
Market Leaders 40% -45% 45% -55%
Game Segment D7 Retention
Industry Median 10% -15%
Competitive Level 15% -18%
Market Leaders 18% -25% (or higher)
4X Strategy: The Competitive Scorecard

44
● The Honeymoon Phase :During the first week, active users commit significant time
(40 -60 minutes daily), with potential whales reaching 1.5 to 3 hours .Day 1 peaks at
~90 minutes due to the “Initial Gratification” of rapid progression and tutorial completion .
● Frequency Over Duration (The “Mindshare” Model) :Unlike MOBA or RPGs, 4X
strategy relies on a “High Frequency, Variable Length” pattern (8-12 sessions/day) .The
gameplay mix consists of 70 % short check -ins (3-5 mins) for maintenance and 30 %
deep engagement sessions (20 -45 mins) for events, designed to occupy the player’s
mind throughout the day .
● The Social Breakpoint (D 7 Bifurcation) :By Day 7,playtime sustainability is entirely
dependent on Social Integration .Players in Alliances maintain high engagement (45 m+
for rallies/PvP), while solo players see a sharp decline ( 45%
D7 Retention 12% 15% -18% > 18%
Playtime (D1) >30 mins >60 mins >90 mins
Session Frequency 4 times/day 8 -10 times/day 12+ times/day
Alliance Join Rate (D3) 40% > 65% > 80%
Funtap Games Recommendations
corp.funtap.vn
Key Recommendations for Early Retention
and Scale Readiness
1. D1>40 % via Hybrid Onboarding
Traditional city -building creates early churn . The
FTUE should deliver strong engagement within the
first 15 minutes by integrating action, puzzles, or
cinematic moments, following proven 4X benchmarks .
2. Secure D7Through Mandatory Socialization
Alliance joining should be a required main quest
within the first 24 hours .Core events must enforce
group play, as D7 retention in 4X titles is driven by
guild participation .
3. Build Habits with Early Time Compression
Accelerate Week 1 progression using abundant
speed -ups . Avoid long early timers ; prioritize
establishing a ~60 minutes/day play habit before
tightening the economy in Week 2.
4. Let Paid Traffic Validate Scalability
Do not rely on Organic metrics .Test early with Paid
UA .IfPaid D1is below 35 %,the product is not ready
for global scaling . These are the minimum required indicators; to be ready for scaling, they need to be significantly higher.

46
76.9% 75.0% 77.8%
80.9% 79.0% 77.7% 79.2% 79.7% 82.2% 83.2% 80.8%
86.0%
2.6 K
2.8 K
3.0 K
3.2 K
3.4 K
3.6 K
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Changing trends of monthly advertisers
Monthly advertisers Share of advertisers with new creatives
52.5% 51.5%
55.9%
58.9%
52.1% 51.2%
57.6%
53.6% 53.1% 51.8% 51.0%
54.9%
0
100
200
300
400
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Changing trends of monthly active creatives
Monthly creatives per advertiser Share of new creatives
“Lightweight + mismatched socializing” has become the norm for SLGs. Among a great number of mini -game creatives,
parkour mini -game creatives became many advertisers’ first choice.
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025
Video ,
83.0%
Image ,
16.0%
Playable ,
0.6% Other ,
0.4%
Percentages of impressions of
ad creatives by type
Shares of SLG ad creatives on iOS & Android
Video ,
76.9%
Image ,
21.4%
Video ,
86.4%
Image ,
12.4%
8% 39% 46%
Share of video creatives by length
0-15s 15-30s 30-60s 60s-Max
20% 6% 73%
Share of image creatives by format
Portrait Landscape Square Banner
Trends in Advertisers & Creatives for SLGs

47
Hitting gates & parkour + AI 3D simulation + a deliberate failure to intrigue people
Analysis of Popular Ad Creatives for SLGs
Popular gameplays:
SLG / RTS / Tower -defense /
Construction
Common patterns in
creatives:
Fall from a height → Number
growth/Hitting gates & parkour →
Do great mid -game → Fail in the
end
Future trends in creatives:
“Mathematical gates + parkour”
will become the first choice for
casual SLGs in creative patterns.
The original mathematical gates
are replaced with three tracks,
new tools, moving gates, and
other new features.
Click the image to play
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025

48
77.2% 74.2% 77.4%
81.1% 78.7% 78.9% 79.3% 79.4% 82.7% 82.9% 81.2%
89.3%
4.0 K
4.2 K
4.4 K
4.6 K
4.8 K
5.0 K
5.2 K
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Changing trends of monthly advertisers
Monthly advertisers Share of advertisers with new creatives
57.2%
53.0% 54.0%
60.0%
58.4% 59.4%
62.6%
59.0% 60.5%
56.8%
60.7%
65.8%
0
100
200
300
400
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Changing trends of monthly active creatives
Monthly creatives per advertiser Share of new creatives
Traditional numerical progression combined with IP -linked progression, new idle RPGs, roguelike RPGs, and martial
arts/mild horror MMOs have gained an advantage in audiovisual promotion and are currently the mainstream genres.
Trends in Advertisers & Creatives for RPG
11% 44% 42%
Share of video creatives by length
0-15s 15-30s 30-60s 60s-Max
Shares of RPG ad creatives on iOS and Android
video,
68.0%
image,
31.0%
video,
74.3%
image,
24.6%
video,
70.1%
image,
29.0%
playable ,
0.4% other,
0.5%
Percentages of impressions of
ad creatives by type
20% 6% 73%
Share of image creatives by format
Portrait Landscape Square Banner
Source: SocialPetaDate Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025

49
Exaggerated/freakish AI + gameplay display + charming characters
Analysis of Popular Ad Creatives for RPGs
Popular gameplays:
Idle, Roguelike / MMO /turn -based
Open world / Bishōjo , Adaptation
from anime
Common patterns in
creatives:
AI characters → Peculiar
Roguelike items → Multiple
battles, switching map → a
deliberate failure
Portrait generation → Display of
maps → Display of roles →
Combo to clear stages
Future trends in creatives:
Exaggerated skill effects and
content -rich creatives are
commonly used for RPGs. Wuxia,
mystery tales, and other non –
mainstream themes are gaining
popularity. Click the image to play
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025

50
76.9% 74.3%
77.3%
82.3% 81.3% 78.9% 79.8% 78.9%
82.7% 84.6% 82.7%
87.0%
5.5 K
6.0 K
6.5 K
7.0 K
7.5 K
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Changing trends of monthly advertisers
Monthly advertisers Share of advertisers with new creatives
47.8%
48.2%
48.2%
50.8%
48.7% 48.1% 47.5%
50.3%
51.9%
0
50
100
150
200
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Changing trends of monthly active creatives
Monthly creatives per advertiser Share of new creatives
Trends in Advertisers & Creatives for Simulation Mobile Game
Video ,
81.2%
Image ,
16.0%
Playable ,
2.1% Other ,
0.7%
Percentages of impressions of
ad creatives by type
Shares of SMG ad creatives on iOS & Android
Video ,
75.6%
Image ,
19.6%
Video ,
77.8%
Image ,
14.1%
11% 45% 39%
Share of video creatives by length
0-15s 15-30s 30-60s 60s-Max
21% 6% 72%
Share of image creatives by format
Portrait Landscape Square Banner
The realistic management simulation gameplay performed exceptionally well, and the reuse rate of classic user acquisition
materials was higher than in other categories.
Source: SocialPetaDate Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025

51
Combining/connecting minigame + AI -generated sexy girls + 3D version of reality
Analysis of Popular Ad Creatives for SIM Games
Popular gameplays:
Business SIM
Realistic simulator
Sandbox
Make -up/outfit change
interactive novels
Common patterns in
creatives:
Interaction & choices → Plot
development → Deliberate failure →
Sad ending
Cheating/Adultery stories →
Problem solving → Considering
options → Deliberate failure
Future trends in creatives:
Business SIM games also use mini –
game creatives to intrigue people.
Players are more easily intrigued by
non -mainstream themes.
Source: SocialPeta Date Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025
Click the image to play

52
74.1% 72.6%
77.5% 80.5% 78.3% 79.3% 77.9% 77.3%
82.0% 83.4% 83.1%
87.3%
0.0 K
5.0 K
10.0 K
15.0 K
20.0 K
25.0 K
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Changing trends of monthly advertisers
Monthly advertisers Share of advertisers with new creatives
47.2%
48.8%
47.9%
51.3%
48.5% 49.1%
46.5% 46.9%
49.7%
0
50
100
150
200
250
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Changing trends of monthly active creatives
Monthly creatives per advertiser Share of new creatives
Hybrid casual mobile games have achieved dominance in both downloads and revenue, mini -game collection platforms have
overtaken competitors, and rapid iteration and adaptation have become key to the mainstream success of casual games.
Trends in Advertisers & Creatives for Casual Mobile Games
Video ,
84.6%
Image ,
13.1%
Playable ,
2.0% Other ,
0.4%
Percentages of impressions of
ad creatives by type
Shares of CMG ad creatives on iOS & Android
Video ,
76.7%
Image ,
17.0%
Video ,
82.2%
Image ,
12.4%
9% 43% 42%
Share of video creatives by length
0-15s 15-30s 30-60s 60s-Max
23% 3% 73%
Share of image creatives by format
Portrait Landscape Square Banner
Source: SocialPetaDate Range: Jan 2025 -Dec 2025

53
Start with AI -generated crazy stuff + Viral memes + Inspiration from popular jokes
Analysis of Popular Ad Creatives for Casual Games
Popular gameplays:
Parkour/ Jumping/ Matching/
Arranging water
Common patterns in
creatives:
Start with AIGC → Switch to in –
game scenes → Display of
gameplay
Start with viral short videos → in –
game scenes → Display of
gameplay
Future trends in creatives:
More casual creatives are inspired
by viral short videos on TikTok.
Some even use the original short
videos directly. Such ad creatives
are intentionally quirky and
entertaining, becoming the