How to Blow Up Hybrid & Hyper-Casual Games with UA, Monetization, and AI Creatives in 2025

No-BS gaming podcast where 4 a.m. ideas meet caffeinated insights.

That's the tagline of Two and a Half Gamers, and it's precisely what co-hosts Matej, Jakub, and Felix bring to the table. Their conversations are unfiltered, raw, and an odd mix of rants and revelations, but above all, brutally honest. In an era where authenticity reigns supreme, their unique no-holds-barred style draws the mobile gaming community like moths to flame, hungry for their no-BS advice on gaming UA, monetization, and creative optimization.

With over a decade of experience under their belts, they've seen games of all shapes and sizes, from big-budget blockbusters to scrappy indies, casual to hardcore, and everything in between, all trying to make it big on the global stage. And they've been in the trenches with studios, publishers, and developers, helping them succeed. 

Roi, CEO of Airbridge, sat down with Two and a Half Gamers to discuss strategies for topping the charts in 2025 with hybrid and hyper-casual games. Get ready for a takeaway-packed interview. It just might be the spark your game needs to explode onto the scene.

🎥 Watch the full interview with Two and a Half Gamers on Youtube

Mobile Game Growth: No Sign of Slowdown 

Despite the chatter about mobile game growth hitting the brakes, especially after the COVID-fueled boom that supercharged hybrid and hyper-casual games, the industry is far from slowing down. As Two and a Half Gamers points out, mobile game growth is nowhere near saturation, with its continued expansion driven by three key factors: speed, monetization, and globalization.

Gaming studios are cranking out more games than ever by perfecting and reusing winning formulas. It's no longer about creating one fantastic game and crossing your fingers for success. Now, it's all about rapid iteration: how quickly you can develop and launch multiple games. As Jakub notes: 

“If you don't follow this model of templatization, you just won't make it. Habby is the best example of this. They've nailed their template: a roguelike, action RPG metagame that they continually refine with different core game styles. It's all the same metagame but with a different core, and this is something you just can't catch up with. They just change the core, change the visuals—boom, a completely new game. But in the end, it's pretty much a perfected version of their previous game. So it's not about relying on just one hit game, but how fast you can develop the next one.”

Companies like MiHoYo (Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail), Peak (Match Factory) , and DeNA (Pokémon Masters EX) are further setting examples of templatized growth. 

While app store charts might suggest the mobile gaming industry is slowing down, a massive pool of money isn't being accounted for. Webshops are emerging as another revenue stream for games, separate from traditional app store earnings. Felix points out: 

"I worked with companies where 50% of payments went through webshops instead of app stores. This unaccounted revenue shows mobile games are still growing double digits."

Over the years, we've seen a globalization trend in hybrid and hyper-casual games. They're popping up from Eurasia and Asia, particularly from countries like Turkey, Cyprus, Vietnam, China, and South Korea. These developers are creating games with global audiences in mind, and the speed and impact of their growth are aggressive. As Matej notes:

"We were quite amazed at how far ahead China is. For example, when Lucky Defense launched globally, half of the US or European industry didn't even know about it. But in China, there were already 10 companies working on clones or iterations, with prototypes, just two weeks after its release. It's insane!"

UA Diversification: Start Now, Scale as You Go 

User acquisition (UA) is more challenging than ever, but when the going gets tough, the tough get creative. In today's competitive mobile gaming market, diversifying UA strategies is no longer a choice_—_it's a must. As Matej explains:

"You just need to start UA on multiple channels from scratch and from day one, basically, which wasn't the case a few years ago."

A strong starting point is to focus on four key platforms - Facebook, TikTok, AppLovin, and Unity - and gradually expand to others like Mistplay and adjoe. This way you ensure broader audience reach while reducing reliance on a single channel, which can lead to higher CPIs and lower returns. Matej continues: 

"I ran a survey on my subscribers, and the average number of UA channels was between 8 to 12, and the budget went from $100,000 per month to a few million."

UA Diversification goes beyond just choosing platforms_—_it means experimenting with different campaign types. A balanced approach combines high-value strategies, like in-app purchase ROAS campaigns, with cost-effective methods such as app event-optimized campaigns.

Success in today's UA landscape demands early action, cross-channel testing, and rapid data-driven adjustments. Those who can't keep up with the pace risk falling behind.

Hybrid Monetization: The Sweet Spot for Revenue

Two and a Half Gamers define hybrid monetization as a revenue profile where approximately 40-60% comes from ads and 40-60% from in-app purchases (IAP). Combined, these two revenue streams create a hybrid monetization model. Simply put, it's a model that aims to secure quick ad earnings alongside steady in-app purchases, ensuring both immediate returns and long-term profitability.

To achieve hybrid monetization success, your game needs a robust economy with sufficient "spend depth"—the total potential spending available for dedicated players to maximize their progress or power. This means, building a strong game economy, designing an engaging progression system, and gradually unfolding the game's features. As players advance through their journey, you strategically introduce various monetization elements such as interstitial ads, rewarded videos, and banner ads. Companies like Voodoo and SayGames are great examples of  this strategy. Jakub emphasizes: 

“For a game with a longer lifecycle, say 3-4 years, it's crucial to incorporate an IAP economy. This ensures players have ongoing opportunities to spend within the game, supporting its longevity.”

But, its success hinges on personalized strategies and sharp user acquisition. As Felix points out:

“The most important thing to remember is that user acquisition is the tip of the spear—how it trickles down to your game design and your ad segmentation. Without that, you can't have ad monetization or cheap CPI."

With sophisticated segmentation, gaming apps can tailor experiences based on UA campaign goals. Players from IAP-driven campaigns might avoid ads initially, while those from ad ROAS campaigns see banners and interstitials sooner for faster monetization. Attribution tools like Airbridge help mobile games implement real-time segmentation, ensuring the right monetization strategy for each user. As Jakub warns:

"Don't throw away all your monetization into the drain by giving high-value offers to low spenders—they'll actually be repelled by it and won't want to buy."

AI Ad Creatives: Scaling with Speed and Volume

UA success isn't just about creating great ads—it's about creating a ton of great ads, fast. And a big part of that involves AI-powered ad creatives.

Playables are widely considered one of the most effective ad formats for hybrid and hyper-casual games. The challenge is that they're tricky to create and deploy at scale despite their effectiveness. As Matej highlights:

"You need playables for all the SDK networks. If you run Facebook and Google, it doesn't matter, but for AppLovin, you absolutely need them. For networks like Mintegral and Moloco as well, it's critical."

But now, developers can simplify the process by starting with game tutorials and scaling efficiently using tools like playablemaker.com, which helps users to create interactive and engaging playable ads from existing video content.

AI tools aren't just handy—they are a necessity for keeping up with the demand for fresh content. Matej explains:

"On Facebook and TikTok, you need to refresh creatives often—like every 2 or 3 days. And if you don't use AI tools, it's impossible."

The best approach is to strike a balance between quality and quantity. As tools like Midjourney evolve from static to video, and from 2D to 3D, it's becoming easier to churn out story-driven narratives with AI voice-overs. As Matej describes:

"The sweet spot is you have your own creative team building quality creatives. They build their own concepts, which are different and unique. And then on the side, you play around with the AI tools—balancing the volume play." 

With tools like Poolday AI and Runway ML enabling rapid creative production, developers and even UA Managers can efficiently churn out new content. Matej mentions: 

“I use Poolday AI. You can export 1 video with 10 different AI people in the time it'd take 100 people every 5 minutes. This year, the name of the game is the velocity of creatives. How many ad creatives can you pump out? Because that's what the algorithm's hungry for these days.”

Matej Lančarič on AI-powered ad creatives

The Role of UA Managers: Wearing Multiple Hats

UA managers are no longer just media buyers. They now play a much broader role. Beyond hitting ROAS targets, UA managers run marketability tests, collaborate with product teams for soft launches, and even take on design tasks to create ads. As Matej notes:

"As a UA manager, you need to wear multiple hats, obviously, and sit on multiple chairs."

Gone are the days of relying solely on CPI tests. Strategies today include testing multiple onboarding versions designed as mini-games to quickly identify the most effective approach. Jakub highlights this trend: 

"Successful games take the first 60-70 minutes of the game, cut it into versions A, B, C, D, and run tests. It's the same game, but they see which onboarding works best."

Predictive LTV: Making Decisions in Real-time

Predictive lifetime value (pLTV) models have become essential tools for mobile game developers to make faster, data-driven decisions. Matej emphasizes:

"You need to have the numbers daily and ideally for the cohorts, like in the first 3 days. If you're waiting 7 days to make a decision, that's already too late."

While pLTV is critical for projecting performance and optimization, many mobile game companies struggle with maintenance. Matej points out a common pitfall:

"Most companies fail because they build the pLTV model, and that's it. They don't refresh it or look at historical data, and then it becomes a mess. Recalibrating the model every 3 months is a must to ensure it maintains accuracy."

As difficult as maintaining in-house pLTV models is, many mobile game developers turn to solutions like Airbridge to provide pLTV, cohort analysis, and minutely/hourly retention analysis.

Localization: Adapting Games for Global Audiences

Making it big on the global stage goes beyond simple translation—it's about localization, tailoring games to regional preferences. As Jakub notes:

"Feature sets are just much more robust in Asia—3 times more robust—because people in Asia are just much more feature-hungry."

Asian audiences favor complex games with layered progression and multiple systems. On the contrary, these feature-heavy designs can overwhelm Western players. To succeed in the West, games must be simplified. Jakub continues:

"When you're trying to move your game to the West, make it more streamlined, more approachable, more easier. For instance, if we take, let's say, Rush Royale by MY.GAMES, it's just a streamlined version of Random Dice."

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Insights from Two and a Half Gamers highlight a clear path forward in mobile gaming: adapt fast or get left behind. Success in 2025 isn't just about having great games—it's about mastering the trifecta UA diversification, hybrid monetization, and AI-powered creative optimization. As Matej puts it:

"Success comes from balancing strong UA, innovative monetization strategies, and scalable ad creatives. It's about working smarter, not just harder."

For more insights, visit the Two and a Half Gamers podcast and airbridge.io.

‍

Supercharge Your Growth with Airbridge

If you're ready to take your game marketing to the next level, check out Airbridge. Our platform provides:

• Advanced Cohort Analysis for LTV: Track lifetime value with precision and break down performance at a granular level (keyword, creative, country, OS, and more).
• Ad Mediation Integration: Seamlessly combine data from multiple ad networks in one place (e.g., Google AdMob, AppLovin MAX, Unity LevelPlay).
• Predictive LTV (pLTV) Feature: Forecast future revenue in real-time, allowing for faster, data-driven decisions.
• Minutely/Hourly Retention Analysis: Understand player behavior down to the minute or hour for truly actionable insights.
• Competitive, All-Inclusive Pricing: Access enterprise-grade analytics without hidden fees or complicated add-ons.

Whether you're an indie studio or an established publisher, Airbridge gives you the critical tools you need to stay ahead in today's fast-paced market. Visit airbridge.io to learn more.

Level Up Your Expertise with Two and a Half Gamers

For ongoing strategies, case studies, and unfiltered discussions about user acquisition, monetization, and creative optimization:

1. Subscribe to the Two and a Half Gamers YouTube Channel for in-depth tutorials, expert interviews, and real-world examples.
2. Tune in to the Two and a Half Gamers Podcast for industry insights you can't afford to miss.
3. Listen to the Two and a Half Gamers Album for catchy tunes on how to drive game growth. 
4. Connect with Matej, Jazkub, and Felix on LinkedIn to dive deeper into your specific growth challenges.

Stay informed, adapt quickly, and get ready to blow up your hybrid and hyper-casual games in 2025!