Anzu vs iion

Anzu Extends Beyond Games, Reaching Gamers Wherever They Are

Anzu announces expansion beyond games to reach gamers wherever they are, dated Oct 14, 2026.

Anzu Expands In-Game Ad Formats Beyond Gaming

In-game advertising platform Anzu announced its expansion beyond games, now offering ad formats across multiple mobile app categories to reach gamers wherever they are. The expansion includes both SDK and SDK-less integration options for app publishers, allowing full-funnel campaigns targeting the same audience across gaming and non-gaming contexts. The move aims to enable incremental revenue and leverages Anzu's deep understanding of gaming audiences. WPP CTO Stephan Pretorius commented on the evolution, noting that gaming has matured into a core part of omnichannel strategies, and Anzu's extension removes the silo between gaming and other media. Last year, Anzu partnered with Playgama to bring in-game ads to web games via the Bridge SDK.

• Anzu expands its ad formats beyond games to target gamers across multiple mobile app categories.
• App publishers can integrate via both SDK and SDK-less options.
• The expansion enables full-funnel campaigns reaching the same audience in gaming and non-gaming contexts.

Havas Play Partners with iion for Playable Ads in APAC

Havas Play has selected iion as its technology partner to launch a new playable advertising offering across the ANZ and APAC regions. The collaboration integrates iion's playable ad technology into Havas Play's media offerings, enabling brands to create interactive, game-like ad experiences to boost engagement. The partnership aims to expand the use of playable formats beyond gaming into mainstream brand advertising. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

• Havas Play partners with iion for playable advertising.
• The service will be available across ANZ and APAC.
• iion provides the technology for interactive ad formats.

ChinaJoy 2026 Signals Gaming's AI and Monetisation Shift

ChinaJoy 2026, themed "Level up with AI", highlighted AI's pervasiveness in game development and operations and signalled several industry shifts: Western publishers still under-index China, Vietnam and mini-games; direct-to-consumer (DTC) approaches are evolving from user-acquisition tactics into monetisation strategies; AI combined with new hardware (AI PCs, phones, glasses, companions) is emerging as a new computing frontier; publishers are prioritising brand and lifetime value (LTV) over cost-per-install (CPI); and smart TVs/CTV are becoming strategic platforms for gaming distribution, advertising and monetisation. The show emphasised shorter ad-tech supply chains and tighter integration of product, marketing, monetisation and AI.

• ChinaJoy 2026 ran under the theme "Level up with AI" and covered AI across ideation, coding, art, UA, ad creative, live ops, support and analytics.
• The article warns many Western publishers have limited exposure to China, Vietnam and the rising mini-games distribution ecosystem.
• Direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels (web-to-app, game hubs, direct payments, communities, creator ecosystems) are converging into monetisation strategies that capture first-party data and player relationships.