Adjust: Gaming App Sessions Rose In 2025 As Retention Becomes A Core Growth Strategy

Key Terms

gaming app tracking transparency (att) regulatory

A policy that requires mobile games to ask each user for explicit permission before the app can follow their activity across other apps and websites for advertising and measurement. For investors, this matters because limits on tracking can reduce the accuracy of targeted ads and performance measurement, which often lowers ad revenue, raises customer-acquisition costs, and changes how quickly game makers can scale and monetize users—similar to a store losing the ability to follow which window-shoppers return to buy.

d2c technical

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) is a business model where a company sells products or services straight to customers without using traditional middlemen like retail stores or distributors. For investors, D2C matters because it can increase profit margins, give a clearer view of customer demand and loyalty, and allow faster changes to pricing, marketing and product lines—like a chef serving customers directly rather than selling through a grocery chain.

ai-generated creatives technical

AI-generated creatives are marketing materials — images, videos, headlines and layouts — produced by artificial intelligence instead of being handcrafted by human designers. Like a machine that can quickly cook many different dishes from a recipe, they let companies produce advertising and content faster and cheaper; for investors this affects marketing costs, growth speed and competitive advantage, while raising questions about quality, copyright and regulatory or reputational risk.

live ops technical

Live ops are the ongoing activities a company runs to keep a digital product—often a game or online service—active and engaging after launch, including regular updates, time-limited events, customer support, and adjustments to how the product makes money. They matter to investors because effective live ops keep users returning and spending, extend a product’s revenue life and show how well a company can turn a one-time launch into steady, repeatable income, much like a store using fresh displays and promotions to keep customers coming back.

Adjust’s Gaming app insights report: 2026 edition finds increase in sessions, stronger paid-to-organic ratios, and growing focus on player value, retention, and measurement

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Leading measurement and analytics company Adjust released today its Gaming App Insights Report: 2026 Edition, highlighting continued engagement across mobile gaming and a growing industry focus on long-term player value. Global gaming app sessions saw an increase vs. last year with the paid-to-organic ratio rising 61% globally, reflecting evolving acquisition dynamics as studios balance user growth with strategies designed to deepen engagement and retention.

Adjust's Gaming App Insights Report: 2026 Edition finds global gaming app sessions increased YoY in 2025, with strategy games up 57%.

“As mobile gaming matures, growth is becoming less about scale alone and more about precision,” noted Tiahn Wetzler, director of marketing at Adjust. “Studios are increasingly focused on retaining high-value players, optimizing creatives and channels, and building ad-to-experience flows that favor sustained play over fast turnover. Understanding where true long-term value comes from, and the ability to connect acquisition, engagement, and monetization data for fast decisions is now a necessity.”

The Gaming App Insights Report: 2026 Edition breaks down top-of-funnel, engagement, retention, and user acquisition cost metrics across gaming subgenres, regions, and countries, giving mobile marketers benchmarks and context to guide strategy in 2026.

Highlights include that:

• Gaming App Tracking Transparency (ATT) opt-in rates continued to climb globally in Q1 2026, reaching 39% among users shown the prompt, up from 38% in Q1 2025.
• Global gaming app sessions increased YoY in 2025, with MENA reporting 2% install growth and a 7% rise in sessions.
• Strategy games saw the strongest session growth of any subgenre, up 57% YoY, while casual and hyper casual sessions rose 37% and 31%, respectively.
• Slots, casino, and casual had the highest installs growth, up 46%, 22%, and 19% YoY, hyper casual, RPG, simulation, and word also grew.

The report also explores the broader trends shaping mobile gaming in 2026, including D2C, AI-generated creatives, live ops, reward-driven mechanics, and cross-platform strategies.

For additional takeaways, benchmarks, and market trends, download the full report here.

About Adjust

Adjust, an AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP) company, is trusted by marketers around the world to measure and grow their apps across platforms, from mobile to CTV and beyond. Adjust works with companies at every stage of the app marketing journey, from fast-growing digital brands to brick-and-mortar companies launching their first apps. Adjust’s powerful measurement and analytics suite provides visibility, insights and essential tools that drive better results.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310424022/en/

Media Contact

Adjust

Tiahn Wetzler

pr@adjust.com

Source: Adjust