Generative AI is no longer just a buzzword—it’s becoming the backbone of a new wave of mobile apps. According to AppGrowing, active AI app campaigns jumped 20% from Q1 to Q4 2024, marking a clear acceleration in the space. As global competition heats up, Southeast Asia is gaining traction as a growth frontier. One standout is Vietnam’s XTECH, which made generative AI its strategic focus in 2024 and recently launched its flagship photo app, PixArt. In this exclusive interview, AppGrowing talks with XTECH’s CMO Minh Chau Pham and CGO The Anh Tran about the evolving role of generative AI in mobile, and how they’re building for both local users and global ambitions. The following is the edited transcript of the […]

Persona5: The Phantom X, the mobile spin-off of Atlus and SEGA’s blockbuster Persona 5 IP, officially launched in the U.S. market in late June 2025—and quickly soared to the top of the iOS free games chart. The launch follows the enduring global success of Persona 5 Royal, which, according to internal SEGA data, has now sold over 7.2 million copies worldwide as of June 2025. Leveraging this powerful brand legacy, the mobile title was supported by a robust user acquisition campaign. Based on data from AppGrowing, here’s a closer look at the game’s international ad strategy. Advertising Overview According to AppGrowing, Persona5: The Phantom X ran a total of 1,329 ad creatives, spanning 23 regions and 4 ad platforms. Rewarded […]

MARVEL Mystic Mayhem, a new superhero IP mobile title co-developed by NetEase and Marvel, officially opened pre-registration across multiple global markets at the end of May. With its full launch expected by late June, the game has already ramped up a large-scale user acquisition campaign. Drawing on data from AppGrowing, this article analyzes the game's advertising strategy in the lead-up to release. Advertising Overview According to AppGrowing, MARVEL Mystic Mayhem has launched a total of 3,336 ad creatives, spanning 29 countries and 8 ad platforms. The vast majority of placements—over 95%—have been in-feed ads, followed by rewarded video, which accounts for roughly 3% of placements. In terms of ad formats, videos dominate with over 68% share, including standard video (67%) […]

Here is an analysis of the global non-gaming App user acquisition marketing trends for May 2025, based on ad data from 50 countries/regions and 28 global media platforms, according to AppGrowing's report. In May 2025, the global non-gaming app advertising landscape continued the trends observed last month. Tool apps remained the dominant category in terms of total active ad campaigns, with new entries accounting for a record-high 16.06%. Meanwhile, entertainment apps saw a surge in total ad impressions, overtaking shopping apps to claim the top spot. However, when measured by the number of unique creatives, shopping apps still led by a wide margin. 01.Top Non-gaming App Developers & Apps According to AppGrowing, this month's ranking of top global advertisers saw a […]

Adapted from the hit manga series Kaiju No. 8, which has sold over 18 million copies in Japan alone, Kaiju No. 8: The Game officially opened global pre-registrations in late April and is expected to launch by the end of August. Based on data from AppGrowing, this article examines the game’s international advertising strategy. Ad Campaign Overview According to AppGrowing, Kaiju No. 8: The Game has run a total of 2,569 ads across 6 regions and 9 ad platforms. Ad formats: In-Feed ads dominate the campaign, accounting for more than 96%, followed by Rewarded Video at about 3%. Creative formats: Video and image creatives are used almost evenly, with video making up approximately 50% (41% standard video, 19% vertical video) […]

The following analysis of mobile games marketing trends for May 2025 is based on advertising data from AppGrowing across 50 countries and regions, and 28 global media platforms. In the latest AppGrowing data on mobile game ad distribution by category, Casual, Entertainment, and Puzzle games ranked in the top three. Entertainment remained the top genre for new creatives, accounting for 28.58% of all new ads. Casual games showed strong creative refresh momentum, with new creatives making up 26.93%, narrowing the gap with Entertainment. Meanwhile, Puzzle, Adventure, and Arcade also exceeded 10% in new ad share. In terms of total ad volume, Casual and Puzzle again led the pack, with nearly identical levels of ad output. RPG, Simulation, and Entertainment rounded […]

Recently, Etheria: Restart, developed by XD Entertainment and built on Unreal Engine, officially launched worldwide. As a visually stunning anime-style team-based RPG, the game quickly broke into the top three on the U.S. iOS free game charts—an impressive feat for a new IP in a competitive category. In this article, we analyze Etheria: Restart’s global user acquisition strategy based on data from AppGrowing. Advertising Overview According to AppGrowing, Etheria: Restart ran a total of 1,070 ads across 41 regions and 7 major ad platforms. Rewarded Video emerged as the dominant ad format, accounting for nearly 50% of all placements. This was followed by In-Feed Ads, which made up more than 30%. In terms of creative formats, the campaign leaned heavily […]

Over the past year, AI-powered apps have entered a phase of rapid growth. According to data from AppGrowing, the number of active AI app campaigns in Q4 2024 rose by 20% compared to Q1. While mature markets like North America and Europe remain key battlegrounds, emerging regions such as Southeast Asia are drawing increased attention for their vast untapped potential. As competition intensifies, the question for developers is how to seize the opportunities these emerging markets present. One answer may lie in the strategies of local players. Vietnamese developer Xtech began exploring the AI space in late 2023 and has since made generative AI its strategic priority for 2024. The company recently launched PixArt: AI Photo Generator (hereafter referred to […]

Netmarble’s Seven Knights Re:BIRTH (세븐나이츠 리버스) recently launched in South Korea, swiftly climbing to the top of both the Google Play and iOS game revenue rankings. This article, based on data from AppGrowing, analyzes the advertising strategy behind its international rollout. Advertising Overview According to AppGrowing, Seven Knights Re:BIRTH has launched a total of 2,895 ad creatives across 12 regions and 11 ad platforms. The majority of these placements were in-feed ads, which accounted for over 63% of the total. Rewarded video ads followed, making up around 22%. In terms of creative formats, videos dominated, comprising over 62% of all ad creatives. Of these, horizontal videos made up roughly 33%, while vertical videos accounted for approximately 29%. Ad Volume Trends […]

Following the breakout success of Whiteout Survival, which sparked a wave of enthusiasm for the "simulation management + 4X" hybrid model, a number of publishers rushed to get in on the action.Most recently, EWORLD's prison-themed 4X game Lands of Jail has made a strong showing. According to Sensor Tower data, the game's revenue surged 342% in April alone, surpassing $4 million in combined iOS and Android revenue over the past month. The United States emerged as the top-grossing market, accounting for 33% of total revenue, followed by Germany with 13%. So, how did Lands of Jail leverage the unusual appeal of a prison setting to stand out? And what else contributed to its breakthrough performance in an increasingly saturated genre? […]