2024 Mobile Game Ad Highlights and 2025 Action Plan

Kellen.G
Aug 28, 2024
2 min read

The first half of 2024 has seen significant shifts in the global mobile game advertising landscape, excluding mainland China due to its unique advertising platforms. Despite a recovering market, competition has intensified, leading to strategic changes in advertising approaches. I'll cover the key trends, platform performances, and geographical insights that are shaping the future of mobile game advertising.

Decline in Quantity

In 2024, the global mobile game advertising market (excluding mainland China) saw a 6.81% decline in ad creatives, totaling 8.5 million.

Although the market is recovering, competition is becoming fiercer, leading to a trend where a small number of games are responsible for a large volume of ad creatives.

According to AppsFlyer, 2% of ad creatives consumed 68% of the marketing budget, with nearly 90% of the budget concentrated on 10% of the material versions. The ongoing impact of Apple’s ATT policy has made efficiency in mobile game advertising more crucial than ever.

Market Dynamics

The average number of active mobile games globally exceeded 40,000 per month, marking a 26% increase. However, the number of new games launched decreased by 49%, indicating a shift towards focusing resources on existing games rather than new launches.

This trend reflects a move away from quantity towards quality, with companies cautiously testing the market with high-quality games.

Geographical Insights

Chinese companies continue to lead in global mobile game advertising, with their share increasing by 3% compared to 2023.

South America has emerged as a significant market, surpassing regions like China’s Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

North America remains the leader in the number of games advertised, while Europe and Southeast Asia lead in ad creatives volume.

Platform Performance

The distribution of ad creatives across platforms has shifted, with YouTube experiencing a 118% increase in ad creatives. This growth is attributed to the platform’s effectiveness for visually appealing games, such as “Solo Leveling: ARISE” and “School Idolmaster.” In contrast, platforms like Facebook and Instagram have seen significant declines, prompting advertisers to reassess their strategies.

Future Trends and Predictions for 2025

Looking ahead, several trends are expected to shape the mobile game advertising landscape:

1. Vertical Video Creatives

As platforms like YouTube gain traction, advertisers are prioritizing video content, particularly vertical video creatives, to capture audience attention. Short-form vertical videos will dominate advertising, aligning with consumer preferences for engaging, concise content.

In the first half of 2024, vertical creatives became a staple in global mobile game advertising, comprising over 50% of content. This format aligns well with the viewing habits of short video audiences, with the standard duration shifting to 16 to 30 seconds due to the growing preference for concise content.

2. Emerging Markets:

Regions like South America offer new growth opportunities. Advertisers will target these markets to expand their reach and tap into developing mobile gaming ecosystems.

2024 H1 iOS downloads change.

3. Quality-Driven Innovation

Advertisers will prioritize high-quality, creative content that leverages storytelling and interactivity to enhance user engagement. To improve the efficiency of ad creatives, there is a growing focus on quality over quantity. In addition to enhancing visual appeal, advertisers will increasingly rely on improved data analytics to optimize campaigns and boost ROI.