The global mobile gaming market in 2024 experienced continued growth, driven by increasing smartphone penetration, particularly in emerging markets where a wave of new users entered the mobile gaming space. In established markets like North America and Europe, players’ strong willingness to make in-game purchases provided a solid foundation for growth.
While the market presented both opportunities and challenges, expanding into international markets became a key strategy for both large and small companies. The demand for mobile games from global users continued to rise, and the potential for growth in international markets remained significant.
In response, SocialPeta released the “2024 Global mobile games marketing trends and insights” whitepaper, providing a data-driven analysis to explore new growth opportunities globally. The report featured insights from industry leaders at Google, AdQuantum, App Masters, Gamelight, AppSamurai, Gamee Studio, Gamesforum, Geeklab, UGC Ninja, Mobidictum, Appcharge, Odeeo, Leke Games, Cost Center, Tenjin, and experts Daniel Camilo and Gokhan Uzmez.
Key takeaways:
- Global mobile game market recovery: Over 250,000 advertisers participated in global mobile game ad campaigns in 2024.
- Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are the most competitive markets: These regions are the only ones where the average number of creatives exceeds 100. The US leads in number of advertisers, surpassing Europe.
- RPG games dominate creatives: RPG games have the highest average number of creatives, exceeding 220, surpassing strategy games.
- iOS creatives decline: The share of iOS creatives has dropped below 30%, with new creatives now almost evenly split between iOS and Android.
Despite global economic fluctuations, the mobile gaming market showed strong growth. In 2024, the number of advertisers exceeded 250,000, marking a 60.4% increase from the previous year, while mobile game creatives grew by 15.4%, surpassing 4.5 million. This growth underscored the increasing reliance on advertising for mobile game success.
Marketing trends in global mobile games I
Source: SocialPeta
In 2024, monthly mobile game advertisers consistently exceeded 65,000, except in Q1. However, the proportion of new advertisers declined, suggesting market maturation and fewer opportunities for newcomers. This also highlighted the stability of existing advertisers and the increasing competition.
Marketing trends in global mobile games II
Source: SocialPeta
The number of new advertisers and creatives steadily increased, with new creatives consistently making up over 52% since June. In June, the share peaked at 58.2%, marking a 2.1% year-on-year growth. This reflected the growing demand for innovative content in the mobile gaming market.
Trends in new ad creatives for global mobile games
Source: SocialPeta
In 2024, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan led as the most competitive mobile gaming markets, with over 100 creatives per month. Oceania and Southeast Asia followed, while the US surpassed Europe with over 33,000 advertisers per month.
Advertising analysis of global mobile games in popular regions
Source: SocialPeta
The US mobile gaming market remained stable in 2024, with high acceptance and willingness to pay for IP-based games. Creative ads and local cultural integration were key to attracting US users.
The US was the only global mobile gaming market to see a year-on-year decline in advertisers, with 91.7K in 2024 — a 7.1% drop. Despite this, the demand for high-quality creatives remained strong, as the number of mobile game creatives grew by 2.0% to 15.6 million. Casual games, especially mini-game collections and mobile ported products, made up over 35% of advertising and continued to perform well on US charts.
Marketing analysis in the USA
Source: SocialPeta
In 2024, advertising strategies in the global mobile gaming market became more diversified. RPG mobile games, with an average of 224 creatives per month, led the market in marketing efforts, surpassing strategy games to become one of the most competitive categories. Additionally, the share of advertisers in the entertainment sector increased by over 14.5%, and the proportion of puzzle and puzzle-solving creatives rose by 1.2% compared to the previous year, highlighting the growing potential and player interest in these categories.
Advertising analysis of global mobile games by genre
Source: SocialPeta
Chinese overseas developers dominated the RPG mobile game marketing space, with the number of advertisers launching new creatives showing a fluctuating upward trend. Notably, MMO and anime-style mobile games gained significant popularity, with short video creatives (30 seconds or less) being especially favored by players. This trend reflected players’ preference for fast-paced, high-efficiency content, offering developers clear guidance for their marketing strategies.
Marketing analysis of mobile RPGs
Source: SocialPeta
Advancements in text-to-video technology led to a significant increase in AI-generated video creatives for genres like fantasy, magic, and urban-themed games. These technologies not only improved visual effects but also diversified RPG game marketing formats. For example, promotional videos featuring AI-generated female characters, free item giveaways, and endorsements by local celebrities successfully captured players’ attention, boosting the game’s appeal.
Examples of RPG’s popular creatives
Source: SocialPeta
This white paper also offered a detailed analysis of the marketing cycles for five popular games in 2024: Capybara Go!, Vita Mahjong, Hero Wars: Alliance, Whiteout Survival, and Jujutsu Kaisen Phantom Parade.
Spanning 70 pages, the report provided an in-depth look at five major game genres and valuable insights into key overseas markets, including the US, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and more. It delivered actionable intelligence to help companies navigate the global mobile gaming landscape and refine their marketing strategies for improved results.
Download your copy today and stay ahead in this fast-evolving market.
