At the end of June, YuYu Hakusho: Slugfest, a card-based RPG adapted from the classic anime IP YuYu Hakusho, opened pre-registration in several European markets including the UK, France, and Germany.

The game is expected to officially launch later this year. This article analyzes its advertising strategy based on data from AppGrowing.

Advertising Overview

According to AppGrowing, YuYu Hakusho: Slugfest ran 5,491 ads across 19 regions and 7 ad platforms.

The majority of these ads—98.67%—were in-feed formats, followed by rewarded video, though the latter accounted for less than 2%.

In terms of ad creatives, image-based assets made up approximately 54%, while video creatives accounted for more than 45%, with landscape video representing over 34% and vertical video around 11%.

Ad Volume Peaks

The game began its ad campaigns at the end of June, with daily placements quickly exceeding 500 ad sets per day.

Four days in June saw daily ad counts surpass 1,000, with June 27 and 28 each exceeding 2,000 ad placements—a clear indication that the team heavily prioritized user acquisition during the critical pre-registration window.

Platform Breakdown

YuYu Hakusho: Slugfest primarily leveraged Meta Ads, which accounted for a staggering 98% of its ad distribution. Google Ads ranked second, but contributed less than 2%.

This heavy investment in Meta Ads likely reflects its broad user reach and robust targeting capabilities, making it easier for the game to connect with the right audience and optimize conversions.

Conclusion

AppGrowing’s analysis of YuYu Hakusho: Slugfest reveals a highly focused and diversified advertising strategy.

From aggressive campaign ramp-up to precise creative deployment, the marketing push behind the game shows clear intent to capture attention early and sustain visibility through launch.

We hope this breakdown offers valuable insights for marketers looking to refine their own user acquisition strategies.