Observed Signal · Oct 21, 2026 · Technical Release · Source: PocketGamer.biz · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Positive
How to Market a New Mobile Game: Steps and Benchmarks
Ilia Maltsev, CMO at AppQuantum, outlines a systematic approach to marketing new mobile games, particularly for idle and tycoon genres. He recommends starting with Facebook for market fit testing due to its broad audience and fewer false positives, then measuring CPI, CTR, IR, IPM, and early retention (R1, R3, R7). For 2025, benchmarks suggest Day 1 retention of at least 40%, D3 at 20-25%, D7 at 8-12%, and D30 around 6%. Early tests use 300-500 installs, with CPI targets below $1.50. After validating retention, studios should add content depth and test payback with larger budgets (e.g., $15,000), building ROAS and LTV forecasts from around 50 paying users. Scaling up involves expanding to AppLovin, Unity, or Google (using AppLovin MAX as mediation), and ultimately launching globally with at least $100,000 in monthly ad spend. The article provides a practical framework for smaller studios to avoid costly mistakes.
Provides practical guidance for mobile game marketing, but does not announce a major corporate event or industry shift.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- AppQuantum's 2025 benchmarks for tycoon/idle games: Day 1 retention at 40%+, D3 at 20-25%, D7 at 8-12%, D30 around 6%.
- Facebook is the recommended first traffic source for market fit testing due to fewer false positives and fast learning.
- Early ROAS tests can be conducted with around 50 paying users to build initial forecasts for ROAS and LTV.
- Scaling after successful tests typically requires $100,000+ monthly ad spend for a global launch.
- AppQuantum uses AppLovin MAX as its mediation layer, suggesting AppLovin as a next step after Facebook.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mapped“AppLovin is mentioned as the mediation layer (AppLovin MAX) used by AppQuantum, and as a traffic source to expand to after Facebook.”
“Unity is mentioned as a potential traffic source to expand to, but requires careful budget consideration.”
“Google is mentioned as a traffic source, but noted to require a large budget to exit the learning phase.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
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