Hello, my name is John Wright, and I like to call myself a gaming optimist. I’m known throughout the industry for my relentless love and support of this space because let’s be honest, it really is the best industry in the world. Every so often, those of us who live and breathe it get that unmistakable sense that something is shifting beneath the surface. And when it comes to mobile gaming, I can tell you with certainty: that feeling is here, right now, at least for me.

I’ve been writing on LinkedIn recently about this growing sense of momentum, an air of energy that’s been missing for a while. In one post, I asked: “Is it just me, or is the energy starting to return?” The replies told me everything I needed to know: developers, publishers, investors, marketers, across the board, people are starting to feel it too. Obviously it’s not everyone there was still a couple of naysayers piping up but that’s normal and my gut is telling me I’m right, things are getting better.

And the best part? The data I’ve looked at recently backs it up. The deals back it up. The players back it up. We’re not just imagining a rebound, it feels like we’re at the start of one.

Let’s start with the fundamentals. The 2025 Mobile Gaming Report paints a picture of a sector that’s not only resilient but starting to roar back with growth. Global mobile gaming revenues are on track to reach $166 billion this year, and if current projections hold, we’re staring at a market that could double to more than $330 billion by 2029. This might seem unrealistic based on the last few years but remember, things change quickly in our space, as quick as ATT hurt us, something else could come along and heal us and I’m a glass half full type of guy.

It’s not a gradual incline, and in fact I’m not sure I believe those numbers fully BUT it’s showing an industry putting its foot back on the accelerator.

Engagement metrics tell the same story:

• Sessions are up more than 12% year-on-year.
  
  
• In-app purchase revenue has grown 4% after a flat couple of years.
  
  
• Time spent is climbing nearly 8%.
  
  

We are also for the first time seeing real adoption of D2C and studios circumnavigating Apple and Google to get paid directly and saving upwards of 20% of their revenue they’d normally be paying to those guys. Matej Lancaric recently reported that Playtika has successfully moved $667m of revenue off platform utilizing this strategy. And with the current industry changes coming to android on the 22nd of August this year, allowing studios to finally circumnavigate googles payment systems post the GOAT Tim Sweeney beating Google into submission and allowing companies like Stash and others to see even bigger adoption across the industry.

Show me the money: Is M&A on the rise?

If you really want to gauge confidence in an industry, look at where the money is moving. And right now? It’s starting to move.

The Q2 2025 InvestGame market update revealed that mobile gaming led the way in global M&A, with $6.6 billion in deals in the first quarter alone, the highest quarterly total we’ve seen in two years. It’s a clear signal that strategic players and investors alike see mobile as a growth engine worth betting on and yeah I know the bulk of this came from a handful of deals, but it’s still worth shouting about!

Some of the standouts for me recently:

• Scopely’s $3.5 billion acquisition of Niantic’s mobile unit, A bold statement that location-based and mobile-first IP has enduring value.
• Take-Two reporting 17% growth in bookings, driven heavily by mobile hits like Toon Blast and Color Block Jam. Mobile is now the most interesting part of their huge portfolio.
• Menlo Ventures have increased their commitment to Good Job Games by co-leading their $60m Series A round with Anthos Capital, joined by Bessemer Venture Partners.
• And then there are the recent whispers that AppsFlyer could be acquired by PE at a $3.5–4.5 billion valuation. That’s not just a win for one company, it’s validation for the entire mobile marketing ecosystem and gives me a big amount of confidence.

From where I sit, these aren’t opportunistic one offs. They’re part of a wider pattern: capital and liquidity flowing back into mobile, driven by belief in its long term upside and potential.

Players are speaking and loudly

Markets and investors are one thing. Players are another. And right now, the players are showing up in force.

The most jaw dropping examples I’m seeing right now are Monopoly Go and Clash Royale. Monopoly Go! in just two years has crossed $5 billion in player spending (IAP Revenue). That kind of growth would have been unthinkable for a new game post ATT a few years ago. It’s now a reality, and it sets a new benchmark for what’s possible when gameplay, monetization, and IP all align. Then we have Clash Royale, the 2025 “Brawl Stars”, honestly what are Supercell playing at? How dare they achieve this kind of maddening success recently not once but now twice! If you haven’t been following it, they achieved an 8 year revenue high with close to $58m in IAP in July, the highest since December 2017.

Meanwhile, in Japan, recent surveys show that nearly one in five players in their twenties admitted to spending so much on in-app purchases that it impacted their essential expenses. That may raise eyebrows, but it also underscores how embedded mobile gaming has become in cultural and social life. It’s not a hobby anymore, for many, it’s where they choose to prioritise spending their time and money.

Tencent, the biggest gaming company in the world, recent quarterly results showed 15% year-on-year revenue growth, with international gaming up a staggering 35%. Yep, that’s it folks, the Chinese are coming for the western users! And they’re not just banking on content. They’re investing heavily into AI and infrastructure, a move that signals how they see the next wave of mobile growth being powered.

When the industry’s largest companies are making big bets like this, it reinforces what many of us are already feeling: this isn’t a blip. It’s a wave.

Why I’m bullish

So where does this leave us? In short, I think we could be entering one of the most exciting periods in mobile gaming in years, a proper turning point and curve we’ve been hoping for since 2021. Here’s a few reasons why:

• The fundamentals are back. Revenue, sessions, in-app purchases, and ad spend are all pointing north.
• The money is moving. From billion-dollar M&A to rumored unicorn-level acquisitions, confidence is flowing back into the sector.
• The developers are buzzing. Tools are improving, launches are picking up, and creativity is on the rise.
• The players are all-in. From Scopely and Supercell to Japan’s spending habits, players are showing their passion with both time and wallets.

For me, optimism in this industry is never blind. It’s built on a mix of gut feel and hard signals. And right now, both are telling the same story: mobile gaming is on the verge of something big.

I’ve been around this industry long enough to know cycles are inevitable. We’ve had the highs of the early app store gold rush, the tougher years of tightening privacy frameworks, and the cautious recalibrations that followed.

But 2025 feels different to me. The energy is back (believe me Kress!) and it’s not just hype. It’s backed by data, by dollars, by developers, corporations and by its players.

So my message is simple: if you’re anywhere near this space, lean in and double down. Whether you’re building, investing, marketing, or simply watching from the sidelines, now is the time to engage. Because mobile gaming isn’t just recovering it’s about to start accelerating into its next great chapter.

And I, for one, can’t wait to see where we go next.