2025 Mobile Game UA Report: Six Million Creatives Analyzed, Shifts Every Marketer Must Know

Master the Latest trends of Mobile Game User Acquisition

To empower advertisers, developers, and marketers with a competitive edge, XMP by Mobvista, in collaboration with Insightrackr, is proud to release the Global Mobile Gaming UA Trends & Strategy Report (Q1–Q3 2025).

This exclusive, data-driven report decodes the critical shifts — from the AI revolution in creative production to the dominance of hybrid ad formats and the untapped potential of key global markets.

Leveraging Insightrackr's unparalleled data from 200+ ad media across 140+ markets, we don't just show you the trends; we reveal the proven strategies behind 2025's biggest gaming hits.

Click to Download the Full Report

Highlights & Key Takeaways

1. Global mobile gaming revenue accelerates to $82.5B, up 13.2% YoY

The global mobile gaming market maintained strong momentum in Q1–Q3 2025, reaching $82.5B in revenue (+13.2% YoY) and 38.9B downloads (+7.4% YoY). Android captured 80.8% of installs, while iOS generated 39.6% of total revenue, underscoring a mature yet expanding ecosystem where each platform plays a distinct role in user acquisition and monetization.

2. Hyper-casual remains the most-download, while Puzzle and Simulation sustain both scale and revenue strength

Hyper-Casual continues to lead with 5.7B installs, ahead of Puzzle (4.5B) and Action (3.3B). Puzzle, Management Simulation, and Shooting appear in both the top download and revenue rankings, proving that these genres combine mass reach with robust monetization efficiency. Puzzle and Shooting’s heavy reliance on IAA is also reshaping genre economics.

3. Hybrid monetization gains traction, Shooting and Puzzle genres rely on IAA

While IAP still contributes 67.8% of total revenue, IAA now accounts for 32.2%, playing an outstanding role in several genres. Shooting and Puzzle games rely heavily on ad-driven income, each of them with ~70% and ～80% ad revenue in total, this result partially proves that player tolerance toward rewarded experiences is rising.

4. Video creatives dominate with ~81% share, hybrid video–playable formats surge in adoption

Video accounts for ~80.9% of global creatives in Q1–Q3 2025, emphasizing its role as the primary storytelling and conversion driver. Image (~13.7%) and Playable (~5%) follow. Hybrid formats—where video transitions directly into a playable moment—have accelerated rapidly, as emotional narrative hooks plus instant interaction have proven highly effective in improving conversion performance.

5. Meta remains the leading ad spend channel across both casual and hardcore genres

Meta continues to rank No.1 in indexed ad spend for Puzzle, Simulation, and Hyper-Casual, outperforming Google, TikTok, Mintegral, and AppLovin, which means advertisers still rely on its scale & optimization. In RPG and Strategy, Meta and Google dominate, while Mintegral shows notable competitiveness in Puzzle and Simulation.

6. AI-powered creatives elevate authenticity and engagement across genres

AI-driven ad formats are reshaping creative production. Word Search Explorer’s AI-avatar testimonial videos generated 6.9M and 1.9M impressions. Screwdom 3D’s AI-generated 3D construction-style video achieved 3.0M+ impressions, transforming simple puzzle mechanics into visually rich narratives. Considering these are made and promoted by publishers, which means AI creatives have clearly moved beyond experimentation and are delivering measurable performance.

Genre-Level Insights: Growth and UA Evolution

Across major mobile game genres including Puzzle, Word, Match, Strategy and Casino, Insightrackr observed distinct advertising and growth patterns:

Puzzle Games

Maintaining steady momentum, Puzzle Games saw 12,000+ titles running ads from Q1 to Q3 2025. Monthly active titles peaked at 8,300 in July, driven by new releases and intensified summer campaigns. This sustained activity underscores the genre's competitive nature and the constant need for fresh, winning creative strategies.

Strategy Games

Strategy Games showed a stronger iOS focus, with 31.2% of ad-active titles running on iOS — highlighting the genre's mid-core audience and higher monetization potential.

Ad activity spiked 44.9% in July, coinciding with developers' summer testing push.

Casino Games

Casino Games exhibited seasonal ad bursts, with activity surging 50%+ in January (Lunar New Year) and again mid-year during promotional seasons — showcasing this genre's strong alignment with festive campaigns.

Inside the Campaigns: How Top Games Achieved Global Domination

Beyond the genre-level analysis, the report features five in-depth case studies highlighting titles that redefined creative and UA strategies in 2025.

Word Search Explorer: Expanding globally with AI-driven relatability

Developed by PlaySimple Games, this word puzzle hit achieved strong traction across the U.S. and Latin America.

Its creatives used AI-generated avatar testimonials, simulating real human recommendations to foster trust and engagement — a refreshing approach for a genre often dominated by static gameplay ads.

Kingshot: 44M Downloads with a Blended-Genre & Creative Blitz Strategy

Launched by Century Games in February 2025, Kingshot surpassed 44M downloads and $56M in revenue by Q3.

At its peak, the title deployed 3,000+ creatives per day while maintaining a globally balanced UA footprint.

By blending tower-defense mechanics with traditional 4X gameplay, Kingshot broadened its audience base and sustained engagement through creative variety and genre crossover.

The insights and case studies highlighted here are only the beginning. For a comprehensive analysis—including genres not covered and detailed breakdowns of all winning campaigns—unlock the full report.

Download Your Free Copy and Transform Your UA Strategy

Don't navigate the complexities of mobile game advertising alone. The Global Mobile Gaming UA Trends & Strategy Report (Q1–Q3 2025) is your ultimate guide to:

• Discover how top studios are cutting costs and boosting engagement with next-generation creatives.
• Identify high-growth markets and tailor your campaigns for maximum ROI.
• Get inside the winning campaigns of breakout games with our in-depth case studies.

📊 Stop guessing. Start growing.

👉 [Download the Full Report Now]