Drawing on GameRefinery’s and Liftoff’s expertise in game design, monetization, and UA trends, the conversation explores how Township has developed across multiple eras. The episode highlights how the game combines a tycoon-style front end with a match3 system, reflecting a shift in how different gameplay layers contribute to user acquisition and monetization.

The discussion also looks at Township’s UA strategy over the years, including how Playrix has adapted its creative approach, from hyper-casual-inspired concepts to more recent iterations, and how these shifts connect to the game’s broader development.

If you’re thinking about long-term game evolution, creative strategy, or the relationship between UA and monetization, this episode offers plenty to explore.

Listen to the full episode:

Looking for more insights like these? Get in touch with the GameRefinery team to learn how we can support your game strategy.

The post How Playrix turned Township into a $45M/month engine: A Two & a Half Gamers episode with GameRefinery appeared first on GameRefinery.

This year, we recognize midcore and casual mobile games in five categories: Best Collaboration Event, Best Social Event, Best Minigame, Best Newcomer, and Biggest Evolver. You can see the complete list of winners and nominees here. But to provide more context, we wanted to give an account of why we selected our winners and, more importantly, the lessons other game developers can learn from their accomplishments.

Best Collaboration Event: Diablo Immortal x World of Warcraft

Crossovers are increasingly common among the best-performing mobile games. Many franchises have already appeared in multiple games, including Transformers, Snoopy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Evangelion—we could go on and on. But every year, a few titles do something special with their collaborations, taking the best elements of a franchise to provide players with a truly memorable experience.

At our AppDev Awards, we recognized titles that did this well, including Diablo Immortal’s crossover with World of Warcraft. From the outset, this was likely to be a strong pairing because the same developer, Activision-Blizzard, helms the two properties. Diablo Immortal players were likely to be familiar with World of Warcraft, at least in some capacity.

Titled Eternal War, the event series had a lot to offer, especially considering it was Diablo Immortal’s first large-scale collaboration. Players collected Frozen Boons from special events such as special WoW-themed limited-time modes, unlocking exclusive rewards. The modes were impressive, with exceptionally high production values and a strong appreciation for World of Warcraft as an IP.

For example, one of the events that staged one of the most famous moments in the MMORPG was the battle against the Lich King. These events were based on existing limited-time modes, but the aesthetic redesign made them feel new. Players could also earn a vast assortment of cosmetic rewards based on World of Warcraft’s 20th Anniversary, which generated a lot of positive sentiment across the user base.

Takeaways From the Diablo Immortal and World of Warcraft Crossover

Usually, collaboration events introduce a franchise to bring something entirely new to a game. The PUBG Mobile x Venom: The Last Dance or Brawl Stars x SpongeBob SquarePants, for example, introduce freshness without making substantial changes to the gameplay.

By contrast, Diablo and World of Warcraft successfully combined two similar properties by offering varied and enjoyable gameplay combined with a strong appreciation for the World of Warcraft IP. The successful collaboration depended, in no small part, on strong backing from Activision-Blizzard.

The main lesson here mainly applies to publishers with a strong portfolio of IP—bringing your many franchises together can pay dividends when done correctly. As a bonus, you can also use this as a testing ground to see how players might react to a full-fledged mobile installment of a video game franchise available only on PC and/or console.

Best Social Event: League of Legends: Wild Rift – Arcane: Battle of Twin Cities

Social events have proven to be one of the most effective ways to drive engagement on mobile, but that’s hardly surprising. After all, what could be better for keeping players interested than encouraging them to play along with their friends? But the standout social event for this year, at least on the midcore market, was League of Legends: Wild Rift – Arcane: Battle of Twin Cities.

The event was a collaboration too. It was similar in approach to the Diablo Immortal event in that it was a closely related crossover. The collaboration featured Arcane, timed to support the launch of season two of the incredibly popular League of Legends TV series. The series took the top spot on Netflix’s most popular charts in over 60 countries in November. 

As the name suggests, the event revolves around two warring cities, Zaun and Piltover—the same overarching narrative thread of Arcane’s second season. Players chose to align with a city and then had to cooperate with their Zaun or Piltover comrades to complete various tasks, such as Arcane-themed quizzes.

The faction would capture more territories on the event’s world map as it progressed, and the side that controls the most territories at the end of the event was crowned the winner. Winning members received a bonus exclusive Zaun or Piltover-themed profile icon, in addition to the rewards accessible for all players regardless of faction. That blend of social and competitive elements was powerful. They tapped into multiple player motivations and rode the hype around the highly acclaimed series effectively. 

Takeaways From League of Legends: Wild Rift – Arcane: Battle of Twin Cities

It’s no secret that many mobile games encourage players to become part of guilds or factions. When players join these thriving, established communities, they are more likely to remain engaged. They’re not only enjoying playing the game, they’re given a chance to support others and work toward bigger, better rewards.

However, the one drawback to guilds is that they can be intimidating, especially for newer players. Some games have hundreds, if not thousands, of guilds, and choosing the one that’s right for you can be a bit of a learning curve. For example, there’s a strong chance you might end up in a guild that just isn’t your style, or more frustratingly, one that’s right for you but on the cusp of disbanding, leaving you back at square one.

The League of Legends: Wild Rift – Arcane: Battle of Twin Cities event took the benefits of guild-based events and applied them to the entire Wild Rift player base. Everyone could join in, regardless of their experience level or existing guild commitments. This enhanced the event’s appeal and helped guarantee its overall success.

Best Minigame: Merge Mansion – Secret Supply

Games within games have existed for almost as long as video games have, but this concept has come into its own over the past decade. On PC and consoles, some minigames have become so popular that they’ve spawned standalone titles, such as in the case of The Witcher 3’s Gwent. On mobile, minigames have also proven incredibly effective, providing ways to introduce all-new gameplay ideas and experiences without disrupting the core gameplay.

A standout example of mobile minigames in action is Merge Mansion’s Secret Supply, our Best Minigame for the casual market. The event introduced a casino-style arcade machine where players pulled a lever to generate mergeable items, carefully managing limited energy to maximize the score before the machine overheated.

The event is aggressively monetized, requiring players to purchase premium currency to continue. The game’s revenue performance reflects that, as it often spikes whenever this event is active (typically around once every other week).

This event is such a success story because it’s a dramatically different experience from the main game. Usually, Merge Mansion is relatively slow and relaxing, whereas this minigame had you pull the “machine” repeatedly like you’re in an actual casino. The event is so successful that Merge Mansion’s competitor, Gossip Harbor, released its own version of the event, Big Drop Rush.

Takeaways from Merge Mansion’s Secret Supply

Merge Mansion’s minigame highlights the power of hybridization: introducing gameplay elements from a genre different from your own. Merge Mansion players are accustomed to a more laid-back gameplay experience, so throwing them into the social casino genre is a significant change of pace. 

While that might risk alienating some of the user base, it generally works because players don’t have to engage any more or less than they want to because this is a minigame. If they love it, they can jump in whenever the event pops up in the rotation and even invest in premium currency to make the most of its active period. If they find it too much, they can ignore it entirely, or just play around for small intervals when they want a change of pace.

Best Newcomer: Pokémon TCG Pocket

Thousands of new mobile games enter the market daily, but one title stood out: Pokémon TCG Pocket. While it didn’t quite manage to exceed the monumental impact of Pokémon GO’s launch in 2016, where hordes of players could be seen parading through the streets, the game made many headlines when it launched towards the end of October last year. It earned $33.7 million in its first week and hit the $100 million milestone after just 17 days on the market. 

More impressively, it’s largely maintained its performance in the following months, with an average sustained gross rank of seven in the US and two in Japan. We have a few different theories about why the game has proven to be such a hit. For one, Pokémon already has a colossal following as a real-life trading card game, but despite numerous attempts, it hasn’t been able to replicate that success in video game form—until now. 

TCG Pocket differs from past attempts because it revolves around collecting rather than focusing on actual battles. That’s a good fit for mobile as a platform. It’s easy for casual players to engage with: they log in for a few quick sessions a day to open up some card packs, get a surge of nostalgia, and continue to go about their routine. It also aligns well with the IP as a whole—Pokémon’s catchphrase is literally “gotta catch ‘em all”. 

TCG Pocket also caters to more advanced players who want to focus on battling or are curious to learn more about it. The actual mechanics of this are much simpler than the real-world version of the Pokémon TCG game, which has been around for so long that it isn’t very approachable for newcomers. One could almost argue it’s like an expanded tutorial that builds your confidence enough to jump into the physical game, should you want to.

Takeaways from Pokémon TCG Pocket

For most mobile games, in-app purchases are an add-on to the user experience—whether it’s extra in-game resources that give players an edge in battle or flashy skins that will impress other players. However, few mobile games manage to embed monetization into the core experience in the same way that TCG Pocket does—especially without alienating freemium players.

Simply put, people play TCG pocket because they enjoy collecting Pokémon cards. And if they want to open more packs and get extra cards, they need to spend six PokéGold, which costs around $1.20. That’s a fairly reasonable outlay, so much so that the game has a limit to stop certain players from buying too many card packs, too soon (720 PokéGold per day).

Biggest Evolver: Brawl Stars

Let’s move from new games to the seasoned veterans. Countless titles have been on the mobile market for years, adapting to changing market conditions and evolving to meet the needs of their user base. Some mobile games even go so far as to turn themselves from moderate success stories into absolute chart toppers, and one such particular example really surprised our team over the past year.

When Supercell’s Brawl Stars first launched in 2018, it was reasonably successful. Still, the game struggled to maintain that momentum in the following years. Between 2022 and 2023, Brawl Stars saw a significant decline in performance, and questions lingered over how they could turn things around. Thankfully, after releasing some enjoyable new content and well-thought-out updates, Supercell managed not just to revive the game but push it to new heights. 

But how did they do it? There were numerous changes in Brawl Stars, but three truly hit the mark. First, Brawl Stars launched large-scale collaboration events, partnering with beloved franchises like SpongeBob SquarePants, Toy Story, and Godzilla, which helped encourage lapsed players to return to the experience. While these collaborations weren’t the first Brawl Stars ever launched—the game had previously released skins based on the likes of Paris Saint-Germain soccer team and BT21—it was the first time the game had launched events based entirely on a recognized IP.

Second, Brawl Stars made several clever tweaks to its gameplay systems at the beginning of 2024. These included a new linear progression system called Starr Road, which enables players to unlock new characters and upgrades using credits. They also introduced the ability to hypercharge characters, reworked the game’s battle pass, and implemented a more streamlined ranked mode to better appeal to competitive players. 

Finally, Supercell also enhanced its live events by introducing limited-time boosts and skills for characters. For example, the Angels and Demons event introduced limited-time boosts that added a layer of progression during the event and resulted in the game’s biggest daily revenue spike in its entire lifetime.

Takeaways From Brawl Stars

Brawl Stars offers a powerful masterclass on sustaining and reigniting user engagement for any mobile game developer—even those working with an established title. It’s a testament to the fact that even ageing titles can survive and genuinely thrive by being proactive.

If you enjoyed this blog post and would like to learn more about our 2025 AppDev Awards, remember to check out the full list of winners and nominees here and listen to the latest episode of our podcast.

The post What Mobile Game Developers Can Learn from the Winners of the 2025 Mobile Appdev Awards appeared first on GameRefinery.

Collaboration events can also provide new monetization opportunities, with many players willing to purchase cosmetics and other items based on their favorite franchises. These events can also benefit the franchises, as they get exposed to an existing game’s user base—and many of these players might grow to become long-term fans.

With all that in mind, it’s no surprise that IP collaboration events have seen a surge in popularity over the past few years on mobile. That’s particularly true of the midcore side of the market, with almost 60% of the top 200 titles incorporating them as part of their LiveOps strategy, especially those within the shooting, sandbox, and 4X strategy genres. But they’re also becoming increasingly prominent in casual space, as demonstrated by the likes of Stumble Guys and Roblox, which have a new crossover every month (if not more).

Two people who know all this too well are Kalle Heikkinen, Market Insights at Liftoff Intelligence, and Altti Fromholdt, Content Creator at Liftoff Intelligence. In our recent Unlocking Growth with IP Collaborations Webinar, the pair discussed some of the most successful IP collaborations and looked at the latest trends in branded LiveOps. Below, we go through the highlights.

Transformers x Mob Control

We’ve written much about how mobile games have been using blockbuster movie releases to generate engagement, which Kalle said was in full swing once again this year with Transformers One. However, this time, the crossover wasn’t just in one mobile game but several at once—with Mob Control, Roblox, and Squad Busters launching events simultaneously.

You’d think that having multiple crossovers at once would result in over-saturation, with Transformers fans unsure where to turn. While that might have been the case to some extent, each title performed well on its own merits mainly because they all offered wildly different experiences in their genre. Mob Control is a tactical battler, Squad Busters focuses on action, and Roblox is more of a sandbox-style experience, meaning they avoid stepping on each other’s toes.

However, Kalle and Altti thought that the most successful of these collaborations was that of Mob Control, which rather unusually lasted for almost six months, beginning in March and wrapping up in September. Its drawn-out approach meant that the game released its Transformers updates in stages rather than all at once, with highlights including three battle passes with Transformer-themed cosmetics, a competitive Transformers league, and a story-based event called Echoes from Cybertron that explored the lore behind the franchise.

Mob Control saw its biggest performance increase in June following the release of its second battle pass, which resulted in daily revenue almost doubling in the US iOS market. There was also a similar spike near the event’s start, which saw daily downloads hit a 150% increase over the previous month. 

Strangely, the event was its least successful in September, when Transformers One was released in theatres. Of course, the film had a lengthy marketing campaign, and earlier spikes may have coincided with trailers and other advertisements. Mob Control also generates significant ad revenue, which isn’t reflected in the chart below and may have increased during the film’s theatrical release. 

Spongebob x Brawl Stars

Supercell’s Brawl Stars has had a spectacular year-and-a-half on mobile after launching and retooling a wide range of features, which catapulted the game back to the top reaches of the mobile market after a downward slump. Kalle and Altti said the latest addition to Supercell’s comeback efforts is collaboration events, which started with Spongebob Squarepants.

Squad Buster’s collaboration event was noteworthy because it consisted of several separate yet loosely connected events. It all started with Krusty Kash, a new premium currency introduced as part of the event, which players could spend in a limited-time store offering a range of Spongebob-themed skins and cosmetic items.

That sounds very typical, but what’s interesting is that players could also use their Krusty Kash to purchase Power Meals, special power-ups utilized in all-new Spongebob-themed game modes. One such game mode was Jellyfishing, where two teams raced to capture a designated number of jellyfish. There were seven upgradeable power-ups for each of the game’s seven Brawler Classes—the Tank Class, for example, could get a Krabby Patty that orbits around them as a shield.

It all came full circle, as the first Spongebob-themed game mode win of the day awarded the player additional Krusty Kash. It was a case where you must spend money to make money: By investing in Krusty Kash and getting the upgrades, you could perform better and grab your daily reward faster. This was also bolstered by a collaborative guild event, The Club, where grouped-up players had to work together to attain a certain amount of Krusty Kash to unlock exclusive rewards, including the SpongeBob El Primo skin.

Overall, the crossover was an immense success, fuelling a 300%+ spike in daily revenue on the US iOS market when the event launched on 5 September. Notably, the event also included many of the more standard features you might expect from a collaboration event, such as a new premium battle pass, which will also have supported the revenue boost.

Dave the Diver x Goddess of Victory: NIKKE

Finally, the last example of successful collaboration events that Kalle and Altti focused on was in Goddess of Victory: NIKKE. This incredibly popular title has launched a few crossover events since it blasted onto the scene in November 2022—including Chainsaw Man, Nier: Automata, and most recently, Neon Genesis: Evangelion—but its partnership with the award-winning PC and console game Dave the Diver was by far its most noteworthy.

Rather than simply creating a selection of live events inspired by Dave the Diver, developer Shift Up dived much deeper with Aegis the Diver, an almost like-for-like version of Dave the Diver faithfully recreated within the confines of Goddess of Victory: NIKKE. Recreating any game from the ground up is no small feat, but it’s particularly impressive as Dave the Diver, developed by MintRocket, is such an unusual title.

For those unfamiliar with Dave the Diver, it’s an unusual hybrid of an action-adventure diving and fishing game with a restaurant management sim, brought to life with a soothing tropical soundtrack and a colorful pixelated aesthetic. That impressive combination has landed the game a huge amount of critical and commercial acclaim, winning in multiple categories at the Golden Joystick Awards 2023 and selling more than five million units to date.

Playing through the event in Goddess of Victory unlocked Dave the Diver-inspired items for the main game. There was also a battle pass with a premium option. However, monetization was generally light, suggesting that the event aimed to drive user acquisition rather than revenue. Adding to that was the fact players could also get a special Goddess of Victory-themed skin for their boat in Dave the Diver by entering a code, encouraging fans of the diving restaurant sim to take a look at Goddess of Victory’s recreation.

Dave the Diver itself was also on sale across PlayStation, Switch, and other platforms for the duration of the event, presumably timed to push those who enjoyed its gameplay in Goddess of Victory (and own a suitable PC or console) to pick up the full title. 

Given that Dave the Diver isn’t yet available on mobile, this crossover almost raises the question of whether this was some sort of test for how it could work on pocket-sized devices. That seems unlikely, given that the game’s director has gone on the record saying that Dave the Diver started as an idea for a mobile game but shifted to other platforms early in development. Nevertheless, Goddess of Victory proves Dave the Diver could work on the platform.

The future of IP collaborations on mobile

With these three innovative and highly successful examples of collaboration events on mobile, it’s hard to imagine crossovers getting any better than they are already. However, according to Kalle and Altti, this is likely just the beginning, and they have three different theories as to how these events might improve in the near future.

More brands will collaborate with multiple titles simultaneously

As demonstrated by Transformers, done correctly, it’s possible for a major franchise to successfully crossover into multiple mobile games at once. The key, it seems, is to ensure that each collaboration offers something unique or caters to a different genre. For example, having the same franchise front and center in a puzzle game, a 4X strategy, and a racing game is most likely fine, but you wouldn’t want two shooters at the same time. 

With that in mind, it’s likely only a matter of time before other franchises with significant fanbases start taking a multi-game approach, especially when something important is happening with the brand—such as a new movie, video game, or milestone. We recently touched upon something similar happening for Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary in our September 2024 analyst bulletin, suggesting this trend is already in the works.  

Collaboration Events Will Become Even More Expansive

While six months might sound like a long time to run a collaboration event, Mob Control has demonstrated that the long-winded approach can be effective. As time goes on, Kalle and Altti suspect that more titles will extend their crossovers for longer periods of time, especially considering that there’s likely a lot of back-and-forth between the developers and the IP holders in negotiating these types of events.

The pair also predict that crossovers will incorporate more event types, modes, and cosmetics to cater to as many different player motivations as possible. The potential list goes on, including a story-driven narrative, competitive leaderboards, guild-based challenges, and multiple battle passes.

There will be even more collaboration events

Given the costs and challenges involved with user acquisition, Kalle and Altti expect that collaboration events will become even more commonplace as many see them as a potential solution. Inevitably, as more collaboration events launch on the market, at least some will become a roaring success, which will inspire even more games to jump on the bandwagon. 

If you enjoyed this blog post and want the full lowdown on Mob Control, Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, and Brawl Star’s collaboration events, be sure to catch the full Unlocking Growth with IP Collaborations Webinar on demand.

The post Webinar Recap: How Mobile Game Developers Are Using IP Collaborations to Enhance LiveOps appeared first on GameRefinery.

With all that immense popularity, it’s perhaps unsurprising to note that anime has crept into the mobile market, too. We’ve previously explored how collaborating with fan-favorite IPs as part of a LiveOps strategy can have a drastic impact on in-game performance, and that logic very much applies to anime crossovers. We’ve seen everything from the likes of PUBG x Jujustu Kaisen, to Puzzles & Dragons x Demon Slayer, Fortnite x Naruto, and Grand Summoners x One Punch Man—to name a few historic examples.

But it’s not just collaboration events that feature anime; there are also an overwhelming number of titles entirely based on popular IP—from Dragon Ball: Legends and One Piece: Bounty Rush to Fate/Grand Order. Some titles, such as Umamusume: Pretty Derby, have taken things one step further by taking a multimedia approach, with mobile games, anime, and manga series all coexisting and building an ever-expanding universe.

Below, we dive into some more recent examples of anime in mobile gaming, from retention-boosting crossover events to blockbuster new titles that have made waves in the grossing charts.

Anime collaboration events

From Barbie to Spongebob SquarePants and even Hot Wheels, Stumble Guys is no stranger to in-game collaboration events. Almost every month, it brings in a fan-favorite franchise and puts them front and center, using it to theme an all-new Stumble Pass, stages, and a vast array of cosmetic items. With that in mind, it was inevitable that Scopely would eventually bring an anime franchise onto the racetrack, which finally happened in August 2024 with My Hero Academia (MHA)

My Hero Academia is one of the most popular anime series in the world. It’s based on a manga and is estimated to have over 100 million copies in circulation (including several spin-offs), making it one of the best-selling series ever. The anime series first aired in Japan in 2016 and is still going today, with an eighth and final season expected to air sometime next year. The series has even hit theatre screens with three film installments, the latest grossing over $26m worldwide.

The series is themed around a school called UA High, where the students learn to master superpowers known as Quirks. As such, that formed a major part of the Stumble Guys MHA event, with the headline new playable map being the “Hero Exam,” which students in the show have to pass to be allowed into the school.

There were also several quirk-themed events where you could wield the powers used by some of the series’ most iconic characters. For example, the One for All Quirk event was inspired by the character All Might, with everyone gaining super strength and speed. Players who opted for the premium version of the Stumble Pass could also unlock cosmetic Outfits based on these characters, alongside several emotes based on the show.

Interestingly, it also launched alongside a new permanent in-game feature: special abilities. These abilities allow players to gain an advantage in the race to the finish line by grabbing or punching other competitors. While they didn’t match the same scale of superpowers in the show, where characters have abilities like gravity manipulation and control of fire and ice, it did tie into the overall themes of the series.

Goddess of Victory: NIKKE x Neon Genesis Evangelion

Another title with plenty of experience hosting collaboration events is the action RPG Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, known for its crossovers with Japanese IP. The game’s LiveOps event calendar started with the video game franchise Nier: Automata before moving on to Chainsaw Man and, most recently, Neon Genesis Evangelion—which launched in August 2024.

Unlike most anime, Evangelion is unique in that it’s entirely original as opposed to being an adaptation of an existing manga. Despite being released almost thirty years ago, it is still widely regarded by many as one of the best anime today and is estimated to have made over 150 billion yen in Japan. The show is known for its complex sci-fi themes, which revolve around giant monsters called “angels” that descend onto the Earth and can only be stopped using enormous battle mechs.

Its long-standing cultural relevance means it’s a trusted go-to for anime collaborations. Over the years, many titles have jumped on the bandwagon, spanning a wide variety of genres. To name just a few, these include Fortnite (Battle Royale), Top War (4X Strategy), Puzzles & Dragons (Match3), and Tower of Fantasy (MMORPG). Evangelion collaborations aren’t exclusive to video games either, as demonstrated by a recent crossover with McDonald’s in Japan. 

In the Goddess of Victory: NIKKE Evangelion event, players entered a special event area that functions as a physical menu system where they can interact with various features. The main attraction gameplay-wise was the story mode, which was divided into several episodes directly inspired by the show, with angel-like monsters invading the game world. There was also a minigame, event shop, and challenges to complete.

However, what likely appealed most to fans of the game—which is infamous for the extreme “fan service” approach it has taken to its recruitable female android characters—was the addition of Asuka, Rei, and Mari (Evangelion’s primary female characters) through a Limited Pick Up Recruitment Gacha, which required rare Advanced Recruit Vouchers or premium currency. Once acquired, players could use these characters in battles but also interact with them through messages and other in-game social mechanics. 

Many players came along to take a look, and downloads of the game spiked significantly by around 50% in the weeks following the collaboration event.

PUBG Mobile x Dragon Ball, Jujutsu Kaisen, Spy × Family, and more!

If you’re looking for inspiration for running your own anime collaboration, a good place to start is by looking at Krafton’s PUBG Mobile, which has launched a vast range of anime-themed events over the years. These have included Dragon Ball Super, Neon Genesis: Evangelion, Jujutsu Kaisen, Spy × Family, and more. 

PUBG’s anime crossovers are particularly noteworthy as they each come with a unique gameplay mode that integrates iconic elements from each anime. Here are some of the most interesting examples:

• In PUBG Mobile’s Dragon Ball Super event (launched July 2023), PUBG added a limited–time mode that transformed the map into an anime-style battleground where players duke it out as fan-favorite Dragon Ball characters, such as Goku and Piccolo, unleashing powerful abilities like the Kamehameha (an energy beam).
• PUBG’s Evangelion crossover (launched May 2022) introduced the “Core Circle” game mode, where players were tasked with assisting a towering Eva Unit-01 in destroying an Angel, bringing the series’ colossal sense of scale onto the battlefield.
• The Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration saw players seeking out Cursed Object Crates, which contained Sealed Sukuna Fingers. Those who managed to find and collect all the fingers unlocked various rewards and achievements. While that may sound grotesque, the anime’s main character, Yuji, gets his powers after eating a cursed finger, so it was quite on-brand for the source material.

Of course, PUBG Mobile’s anime crossovers also introduce cosmetic items to boost monetization opportunities and overall event engagement. For example, in the Spy × Family collaboration event, players could obtain outfits, emotes, gliders, ornaments, and many other items inspired by the show. Some of these could be obtained by playing through the event, while others required in-app purchases, so there was a balance in trying to keep all players relatively happy. 

Most of the rewards depended on players upgrading their Prize Path level, which, as suggested above, could be done by completing in-game missions or spending UC (PUBG’s premium currency). Once reaching Level 20 in the Prize Path, the anime’s main protagonists, Loid and Yor, became available as character sets. However, players could only pick one outfit. The other could be obtained by completing even more special missions or purchasing it outright with UC.

Other notable in-game anime collaboration events

Still looking to read up on even more anime collaboration events? Here are some additional examples our analysts have encountered in leading mobile games:

• While not an official collaboration, Clash of Clans launched an anime-themed season that took inspiration from One Piece, Studio Ghibli, and Gundam. 
• Like PUBG, Free Fire has also launched several anime crossovers, most recently with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. The battle royale is also going through a full circle moment, with its own dedicated anime series also in production.
• Konami’s eFootball showed that even sports sims can have anime collaborations, launching a crossover with Blue Lock in March earlier this year.
• Netmarble’s Grand Cross: Age Of Titans launched a collaboration with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, expanding the playable roster with characters from the beloved anime series.

Anime-based mobile games

Anime in mobile isn’t just about crossovers, though, as many licensed mobile games look to capitalize on anime’s worldwide popularity. In Japan, listing all the anime-based titles on the market is virtually impossible, as there are simply too many to count. 

At the time of writing, 21 of the Japanese top 200 grossing titles are based on anime and manga properties, including the likes of Umamusume, One Piece, Dragon Ball, Jujutsu Kaisen, Fist of the North Star, Bleach, and many more. There are also many more titles that, while not based on an anime, have grown popular enough that they’ve spawned their own anime series—such as Idolmaster, Arknights, and Princess Connect.

One criticism that could be thrown at these anime IP-based games is that they’re formulaic, with the vast majority being some form of RPG, most likely turn-based. Fate/Grand Order, Jujutsu Kaisen: Phantom Parade, SLIME – ISEKAI Memories, and One Piece: Treasure Cruise are just a handful of examples of turn-based RPGs based on anime, and there are many more scattered throughout Japan’s top-grossing ranks.

That being said, some outliers break the mold, like One Piece: Bounty Rush, a multiplayer battle arena, and Umamusume: Pretty Derby, which focuses on idol management, where players oversee the careers of fictional celebrities. There are even some anime games that focus on sports, like Haikyu!! Fly High, which sees players manage a team of Volleyball players. 

Regardless of genre, most anime-based titles are monetized through gacha mechanics. The idea is that players spend premium currency to acquire their favorite characters from each respective anime or manga. As a result, it’s common to see new anime-based titles enter the market and rapidly ascend the charts, only to rapidly drop off after a period once the hype has fallen. That’s something we saw with Lord of Nazarick this year, which dropped out of the top 200 just weeks after its October launch. 

On the Western side of the market, there are significantly fewer titles based on anime IP in the top-grossing charts. The only titles that stood the test of time are those based on the Dragon Ball IP, such as Dragon Ball Legends and Dragon Ball Dokkan Battle. Dragon Ball is one of the most prolific anime IPs in the world and has had a strong following in the West since the late 90s, long before anime’s recent surge in popularity, which may explain why it’s an outlier.

Instead, the West is more attracted to titles with anime-like qualities but aren’t based entirely on anime IP. The likes of HoYoVerse’s Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail are prime examples, the former of which hit over $6.3bn in mobile revenue last month, both boasting a cartoonish art style that takes on elements of anime as well as comic books. They’ve already begun to sprout several direct competitors too, such as Wuthering Waves and Tower of Fantasy, both of which are performing admirably in their own right.

The major benefit to these more original titles is that they can explore their ideas without being tied to their source material. They also avoid the issue that many anime games have, which is that they end up feeling like a lesser version. You see, many anime-based games attempt to retell the same story from the series they are based on. However, it can be extremely challenging to meet the production values in a mobile game without an exceedingly high budget. 

However, some games, like SLIME—ISEKAI Memories, have made this work by mixing up the original narrative with all-new twists, making it more interesting to reexperience while avoiding unflattering comparisons. 

A note on anime-themed knockoffs

Alongside all the officially licensed anime games on the market, while you’re browsing the Apple App Store, there’s a good chance you might come across one of the many “fake” anime games out there. They can usually be spotted fairly easily, as they tend to feature weird knockoffs of beloved characters with only minor changes, such as tweaks to their outfits or even just swapping out their names. 

As you can imagine, the official license holders aren’t too pleased about these titles, and they usually leave the market just as fast as they entered it. For that reason, you’ll notice that many of these knockoffs are in “early access,” hoping to generate as much revenue as possible before being taken down.

Our tips for integrating anime into mobile games

Anime is becoming increasingly popular across the globe, and collaborating with these series as part of your LiveOps strategy—or even as the basis of an original game—is an excellent way to attract a lasting audience. Many anime fans are eager to interact with their favorite characters, settings, and stories in new ways and might be drawn to your game even if it’s not their usual genre. Plus, anime collaborations can open up new monetization opportunities, such as exclusive characters, skins, items, and themed events.

But before diving into the anime world, here are some key factors you should consider first:

How can I make the most of my anime IP?

The widespread popularity of anime worldwide has meant that the mobile market is flooded with a lot more original titles and collaborations than it was a few years ago, meaning it’s much more difficult to stand out against the pack. There’s no guarantee that shelling out for an expensive license will ensure your title or event is a success, so think carefully about whether or not it’s worthwhile.

The most interesting uses of anime IP in the mobile market tend to do something more aspirational from a gameplay perspective. PUBG’s mobile crossovers are a great example, letting players unleash Dragon Ball energy beams and fight alongside Evangelion’s towering mecha. 

How will this collaboration boost monetization?

Anime collaborations can significantly impact your bottom line if planned strategically. Limited-time characters, skins, and other items tied to beloved anime properties are often irresistible to fans.

For example, Goddess of Victory: NIKKE’s Evangelion event was an obvious tie-in as it meant players could acquire the series’ most popular female characters from gacha. Think about which anime would likely appeal most to your target audience, as that will be the basis of your collaboration’s ability to drive revenue. 

Where am I planning to launch my game?

While anime has made great strides in the West, it’s still nowhere near the same heights as it is in Japan. If your game’s success hinges on how it’s received in the US and surrounding markets, you might want to think carefully before basing it entirely on an anime franchise unless it’s Dragon Ball.

Likewise, if you’re planning a collaboration event, it’s more likely to be successful if it’s based on one of the more recognized heavy hitters, like One Piece and Demon Slayer, than something more niche.

Carefully plan your timing

As with any collaboration, timing is always important to consider. Suppose you can launch your IP-based game or collaboration event around a significant moment in the series, such as the launch of a new season or a theatrical film hitting theatres. In that case, fans will be much more excited about jumping in and playing as their favorite characters. 

If you enjoyed reading this post, here are a few more you should check out:

• From Idol Culture to Gacha Mechanics: A Deep Dive into Japan’s Mobile Gaming Market
• Breaking Down the Biggest Trends Shaping the Mobile Gaming Landscape
• BarbieOps: How Mobile Games Are Using Blockbuster Movies to Boost Engagement

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