Recently, DRAGON BALL Z DOKKAN BATTLE, the card game adaptation of the iconic anime IP Dragon Ball, made a striking comeback into the top 10 grossing games on the U.S. iOS chart.

Originally launched in 2015, the game has now been live for a full decade. This article, based on data from AppGrowing, takes a closer look at the game’s advertising strategy behind its renewed momentum.

Advertising Overview

According to AppGrowing, DRAGON BALL Z DOKKAN BATTLE has run a total of 9,039 ads across 9 regions and 62 ad platforms.

The majority of these were Rewarded Video ads, accounting for over 60% of placements. In-Stream Video ads followed with nearly 21%.

In terms of creatives, videos made up over 45%, with image-based ads contributing about 16%. Within the video category, standard horizontal formats accounted for more than 78%, while vertical video formats made up roughly 22%.

Ad Volume Peaks

In late June, coinciding with the game’s anniversary event, ad volume spiked sharply—daily creatives surpassed 400 groups.

Over the following month, DOKKAN BATTLE maintained this high level of activity, consistently exceeding 400 daily ad groups, with a peak approaching 460.

Key Ad Platforms

DOKKAN BATTLE focused the overwhelming majority of its budget on Google Ads, which accounted for over 96% of placements. The second-largest platform was Meta Ads, but its share was under 3%.

This heavy reliance on Google stems from the platform’s vast user base, which allows for precise audience targeting and improved conversion rates.

Conclusion

AppGrowing’s analysis of DRAGON BALL Z DOKKAN BATTLE highlights the game's refined and diversified advertising approach.

Its long-term success and recent resurgence underscore the power of well-timed, data-driven user acquisition strategies—particularly when supported by a strong IP and consistent event-driven engagement.

We hope this article provides valuable insights to help inform and inspire your future advertising efforts.