Mobile game UA: ad trends, creative formats, and Meta’s continuing grip
South America leads, playable ads grow, and Meta still wins. What mobile marketers must know
Mobile game user acquisition is evolving fast. If you’re still optimizing based on last year’s playbook, you’re already behind.
The newly released Global Mobile Gaming UA Trends & Strategy Report (Q1–Q3 2025) from Mobvista's XMP and Insightrackr reveals what’s working in today’s market. That includes shifts in ad formats, creative strategies, media mix, and regional dominance.
With mobile game revenue reaching US$82.5B, up 13.2% year-over-year, the market continues to grow. But that growth is being shaped by sharper creative execution and smarter media allocation. This article explores the top-level findings and breaks down what they mean for marketers.
Short on time?
Here’s a table of contents for quick access:
- Hyper-casual and puzzle games lead downloads, not revenue
- Video dominates creatives, but playables are growing
- South America leads in ad volume
- Meta holds top spot for ad spend
- What marketers should know
Patrecia Meliana
Hyper-casual and puzzle games lead downloads, not revenue
Between January and September 2025, global mobile game downloads hit 38.9 billion (excluding Mainland China). Android took the lead with more than 80 percent of those installs.
Hyper-Casual, Puzzle, and Action titles drove most of those downloads. But revenue told a different story. Games in Shooting, Strategy, and Puzzle performed better financially, particularly with ad-supported monetization models.
The main insight: don’t assume high downloads equal high ROI. Monetization model and genre pairing matter more than ever.
Patrecia Meliana
Video dominates creatives, but playables are growing
Video remains the dominant format in mobile game advertising. It accounted for 80.9% of creatives globally in Q1–Q3 2025. Image creatives followed at around 14 percent, while playable ads reached 5 percent and are growing steadily.
What’s new is the rise of hybrid formats. Ads that combine video and playable elements are becoming more common. These formats provide both narrative and interaction, making them more engaging and conversion-friendly.
If you’re still running only video ads, you’re missing a chance to test formats that drive higher retention and intent.
South America leads in ad volume
South America led all regions in total ad creative volume during the first three quarters of 2025. Video accounted for nearly 85 percent of those creatives.
Europe followed with a notable tilt toward playable formats. North America and Southeast Asia showed more balanced distributions, pointing to region-specific creative strategies.
This signals that successful UA isn’t just about localization in language. It also depends on tailoring creative formats by region.
Meta holds top spot for ad spend
Meta remains the top media channel for ad spend across mobile game genres. Whether it’s Puzzle, Simulation, Hyper-Casual, Strategy, or Casino, Meta outpaced all competitors in media investment.
Google, Mintegral, TikTok, and AppLovin also appeared in the top five, depending on the genre. TikTok, for example, made gains in role-playing games, showing potential for creators and influencer-driven performance campaigns.
But if you’re in mobile gaming UA and not allocating serious spend to Meta, you’re likely missing out on the platform’s optimization capabilities and scale.
What marketers should know
Here are four actionable takeaways for UA leaders and performance marketers.
1. Add hybrid formats to your testing roadmap
Ads that combine video and playable formats are becoming more effective. Use them to deliver context with interaction, especially for puzzle and casual genres.
2. Lean into AI creatives
AI-generated avatars and animations are boosting performance while reducing costs. Case studies like Word Search Explorer and Screwdom 3D show how AI is being used to scale and localize creative efficiently.
3. Rethink regional creative strategy
South America, Europe, and Southeast Asia each have distinct format trends. Use regional performance data to guide where and how you localize creative formats, not just language or copy.
4. Watch your platform mix
Meta still dominates, but it shouldn’t be your only focus. Track spend and returns on TikTok, Unity, and Google to avoid overdependence on a single channel.
Mobile gaming user acquisition is more complex, but also more performance-driven than ever. Growth in 2025 is being led by a shift toward hybrid creatives, regional format optimization, and platform-specific media strategies.
To compete in 2026, marketers must stay adaptive. That means testing more formats, embracing automation tools like AI creatives, and tuning your media mix based on genre and region. The opportunity is still huge — but only for those willing to evolve with the market.
