By the Numbers: The Markets Driving Mobile Gaming’s Next Boom
By Mariam Ahmad 31 July 2025
Mobile gaming’s centre of gravity is shifting in 2025. After a decade of breakneck expansion, mature markets like Western Europe and North America are plateauing, while emerging regions are driving the next wave of growth. Global mobile game downloads have flattened (down ~5% YoY outside China/Japan/Korea) due to saturation. Yet players haven’t left – time spent in games actually rose 8% globally last year and revenue per user is creeping up (especially on iOS).
This article examines five key regions – LATAM, MENA, China, and Turkey – analysing recent trends in installs, engagement, monetization, and developer activity. From LATAM’s low user acquisition costs to MENA’s revenue boom, from China’s strategic post-ChinaJoy pivots to Turkey’s rise as a development hub, we’ll see where mobile is heading.
LATAM: Low CPI, high retention
Latin America’s mobile gaming market is accelerating, powered by affordable user acquisition and strong player engagement. In 2024, LATAM saw installs grow about 8% and gaming sessions rise 5–7%, the highest of any region. This bucked the global trend of flat or declining downloads. One reason is cost: acquiring users in LATAM remains extraordinarily cheap. Cost-per-install rates in Latin America are the lowest in the world at roughly $0.50–$2.00 per install, versus $2–$5 in North America. These low CPIs give publishers more bang for their marketing buck, enabling them to scale user volumes in countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia without breaking the bank.
Adjust graph showing regional year-over-year change in mobile game installs (purple) and sessions (green), 2023–2024. Latin America (LATAM) and MENA led with growth in both downloads and engagement, while Europe and North America saw declines.
Crucially, those users are sticking around. Latin American players exhibit remarkably high engagement and retention relative to many markets. Session counts per user have been climbing, reflecting players returning frequently. Some titles have achieved almost cultural phenomenon status – for example, PUBG Mobile and Garena’s Free Fire have become immensely popular across LATAM (Free Fire “became a religion in Brazil” as one industry observer put it). This deep engagement translates to solid retention metrics and long-term value. Global data shows a slight dip in median Day-1 retention (from 28% to 27% recently), but Latin American audiences continue to play often and for long stretches, helping offset that decline.
Monetisation in LATAM still lags Western markets – disposable incomes are lower, and ARPU (average revenue per user) remains modest – yet it’s improving. Total mobile game revenue in Latin America climbed +13% in 2024 to $1.5 billion. Notably, this revenue growth came even as downloads fell by 8%, implying that those who are playing are spending more than before. The key for publishers is to leverage LATAM’s “grow with the market” dynamic – competition is lighter and infrastructure (payments, networks) is catching up.
MENA: Rapid revenue gains and monetization potential
The Middle East and North Africa region is currently mobile gaming’s fastest-growing hotspot in terms of revenue acceleration. According to Sensor Tower, player spending in the Middle East jumped 18% year-over-year in 2024 to roughly $1.2 billion. That growth rate outpaced every other region. (By comparison, Latin America’s game revenue grew ~13% to $1.5 B, Europe up 14% to $12 B, while Asia’s actually declined by 3%). MENA’s mobile revenues are still small in absolute terms – the Middle East accounts for only ~2–3% of global mobile game spend – but the monetization potential is huge.
Mobile gaming by region in 2024 - downloads (left) vs. in-app purchase revenue (right). The Middle East saw the fastest revenue growth (+18% YoY) albeit from a small base, while Europe grew +14% and Asia contracted.
MENA was also the only region to see game downloads rise in 2024 (+1%), while other regions declined. Players engage deeply, with average sessions of 30.6 minutes: longer than Europe (27.5) and North America (24.7). Hits like PUBG Mobile dominate, especially in Gulf states, where high spending power drives strong IAP sales.
Localisation fuels growth: more games now feature Arabic language, regional themes, and events tied to local holidays like Ramadan. Payment options have expanded via carrier billing and e-wallets, while governments are investing heavily. Saudi Arabia’s $37.8 billion pledge through Savvy Games Group underscores the sector’s importance.
For publishers, MENA offers high upside. ARPUs remain below Western levels, but rising spend, long play sessions, and cultural tailoring, from Arabic support to VIP bundles for Gulf “whales”, make it one of gaming’s most promising frontiers.
China & ChinaJoy 2025: Strategic realignment
China remains the world’s largest mobile gaming market by revenue, yet its industry is in the midst of strategic realignment in 2025. Years of regulatory crackdowns (like the 2021 game license freeze and strict playtime limits for minors) and a post-pandemic demand cooldown have tempered domestic growth. In 2024, Asia’s mobile game revenues (driven largely by China) actually declined ~3% to $38 billion – a rare dip for a region that had been the growth engine of the 2010s. Downloads in Asia likewise fell ~6%. This flattening at home is pushing Chinese publishers to pivot both creatively and globally, a trend fully on display at ChinaJoy 2025, the country’s major games expo.
This graph shows a global trend toward fewer new mobile game launches, exemplified by the U.S. market. The number of new releases (top) entering top download charts has declined each year 2020–2024. Major publishers like Tencent have pivoted accordingly, prioritising bigger, higher-quality projects over volume.
At ChinaJoy this year, a record number of foreign companies will be participating – 237 overseas firms (nearly one-third of all exhibitors) will fly into Shanghai to court partnerships and players. The conference organisers also announced initiatives to support Chinese game developers in expanding abroad: for example, establishing a special fund for the games industry and a “research and service centre” to help studios go global. These moves underscore a new reality: Chinese companies are looking outward for growth, and the government is tacitly encouraging a more global outlook after years of inward focus. The domestic market, while still huge, is mature and heavily regulated, so the next opportunities lie in exporting Chinese games and know-how to emerging markets (from Southeast Asia to MENA) and collaborating with Western studios in new ways.
2025 finds China’s mobile gaming industry at a turning point. The days of unrestrained domestic growth are over; now it’s about adapting to a new normal of slower home market growth, stricter oversight, and fiercer global competition. The strategic answer: fewer, better games; more original IP; and a much wider international footprint. The ripple effect for the global industry is a mixing of East and West like never before – Chinese studios eyeing emerging markets abroad, and Western studios seeking stability and new audiences beyond China.
Chinese publishers are constantly reinforcing their global competitiveness
From 2024 to 2025, Chinese publishers have demonstrated increasingly strong creative capabilities in the global market, particularly by differentiating themselves in ad creatives and formats. One key trend is the deep integration of AI technologies.
Take "Kingshot", a title from DianDian Interactive, as an example. This game ranked in the Top 30 and Top 10 of the U.S. top-grossing charts in May and June 2024, respectively. One of its core growth drivers is its AI-driven ad creative strategy. The creatives for Kingshot stand out in two major ways:
1. Diverse AI-generated creatives with a variety of styles tailored for different markets by adjusting prompts and models, effectively matching the target audience.
2. A large volume of live-action testimonial-style creatives, which differ from the current popular “number-growth” or “puzzle-solving” mini-game formats by offering a more immersive and novel experience.
For AI-generated image creatives, the team experimented with multiple styles, including medieval realism, fresh anime aesthetics, and exaggerated cartoon looks, to match the aesthetic preferences of players in different regions. AI-generated video creatives, on the other hand, focus more on setting and atmosphere, such as using contrasting body types in composition to create visual impact and reinforce character identities and the game’s worldview.
Beyond AI content, Kingshot also invests heavily in hybrid content blending real footage with gameplay, such as mixing live-action scenes with in-game footage to recreate the game’s setting and enhance immersion and strategic appeal.
In the SLG genre, many publishers are also adjusting their content strategies to emphasize elements like horror, tower defense, or asymmetric gameplay, while actively encouraging UGC on short video platforms. For example, creatives for “Haunted Dorm” style games fall into two categories:
Real UGC featuring iPad screen recordings, real-time commentary, and selfie overlays that emphasize authenticity and a “player-sharing” vibe.
Standardized SLG acquisition templates with 3-second creative hooks, gameplay showcases, and intentional failure sequences, cleverly reusing “mini-game logic” to attract and convert users.
Currently, nearly all publishers are leveraging mini-game-style acquisition creatives to attract casual users. While some players joke about the mismatch between ads and gameplay, this strategy remains effective for driving installs. Going further, products that blend SLG or casual SLG mechanics are becoming the mainstream. Instead of treating mini-games as a mere funnel, they are now integrated directly into the early gameplay flow, allowing a natural transition through story-driven onboarding.
In summary, Chinese publishers are reinforcing their global competitiveness by developing a more localized and diversified content marketing system through AI innovation, live-action editing, user co-creation, and evolving mini-game strategies.
Also, with ChinaJoy coming up soon, a major event for the gaming industry, feel free to connect with the SocialPeta team if you're attending. We'd love to share more insights into the Chinese game market.
Türkiye: Development hub and mobile market on the rise
Türkiye has rapidly ascended to become one of the world’s most dynamic mobile game development hubs – and its domestic market is heating up as well. Istanbul in particular has been called “the world’s mobile gaming capital” by industry veterans, thanks to the remarkable concentration of successful studios and talent in the city. Turkish developers had 8 titles in the top-grossing 100 iPhone games in the U.S. App Store, an astonishing feat for a single country’s studios. Hits like Royal Match (by Dream Games), Toon Blast (Peak Games), and hyper-casual smash hits from studios like Rollic and Good Job Games have made Turkey synonymous with mobile game excellence in genres ranging from puzzle to arcade.
From Toy Blast to Royal Match, Türkiye turned hustle into hits
Economically, the low cost of labor in Türkiye has allowed studios to scale efficiently, especially during the hyper-casual boom. A large pool of unemployed or underemployed young talent created fertile ground for recruitment, with many eager to enter a rapidly growing sector.
However, Türkiye's roots in mobile game development go back to the early 2010s, with pivotal players like Peak Games and Grand Games. These companies served as catalysts, building the first wave of local talent who learned the craft through hands-on experience. Grand Games embraced hyper-casual gaming before it even had a name, pioneering fast-prototyping methods long before they became mainstream. Without traditional game development structures in place, these companies effectively shaped the mobile gaming playbook in Türkiye.
Peak Games took a major step forward in 2015 with Toy Blast, proving that Turkish developers could create polished, visually appealing casual games with global appeal. This success laid the foundation for broader confidence in the local industry.
Then came the hyper-casual explosion. The genre’s broad accessibility made it a natural entry point for newcomers, whether they were gamers or not. Rollic played a critical role here by taking bold risks, establishing hundreds of studios across the country in a short time. This aggressive approach enabled widespread experimentation and rapid learning, creating an immense collective know-how pool.
I would say the final milestone (for now) was Dream Games. They have raised the bar for casual puzzle games with Royal Match. Their goal of creating a game as polished and emotionally resonant as a Pixar movie resulted in one of the most refined and successful titles in the genre and is still considered the gold standard.
Structurally, a strong culture of knowledge transfer has taken root. Companies like Peak Games have become breeding grounds for future founders and key talent, leading to the launch of numerous successful studios. This interconnected ecosystem continues to fuel innovation, collaboration, and global competitiveness today.
To recap, Türkiye’s mobile gaming industry has grown into a global force through bold iteration, shared expertise, and a deep talent pool.
One last factor behind Türkiye’s dominance in mobile gaming is the sheer amount of effort developers pour into their work, especially at the top level. While long hours and high-pressure environments have sparked global discussions around sustainability and burnout, such dedication has undeniably contributed to some of the best games in the world, and Türkiye is no exception. It is a complex, not always comfortable part of the story, but still a crucial one.
Bolder ideas, new mechanics and real innovation defines the Turkish mobile game landscape
Turkish studios move fast, think global, and build like it’s personal. It’s not just a job, it’s a mission. That mindset powers bold, innovative mobile games, built fast, scaled smart, sometimes right up to the edge of burnout or bankruptcy...
I'm not just talking about our Titans like Dream Games, Peak, or Rollic. A whole wave of Turkish studios is building, shipping & scaling with insane speed and grit. That’s why so many top global teams are stacked with Turkish talent, right?
Heading into 2026, I expect bolder ideas, new mechanics, and real innovation because it is a must, more than ever. The talent is already here. So is the transformation.
The regional trends above carry several clear lessons for global publishers, product leaders, and investors looking to plan their next moves.
Here are the key implications and strategies to consider:
Invest Early in High-Growth Regions: It’s easier to grow with an emerging market than to enter it once it’s mature. Latin America, MENA, and Turkey are all growing mobile game revenue at double-digit rates. Getting in now – via local partnerships, regional offices, or tailored games – can secure you a loyal user base before competition intensifies. In the words of an industry report, “Global South markets won’t replace Tier 1 economies tomorrow. But by the time they do, it’ll be too late to get in.”
Prioritise Retention and Engagement: With downloads slowing in many places, retention is the real KPI now. In saturated markets (e.g. Western Europe, US), focus on deeper engagement of existing users through live ops, community features, and monetization of long-term players. In growth markets (LATAM, MENA), leverage that high engagement (longer sessions, social play) to build strong cohorts – even if ARPU is low today, retaining users will pay off as spending rises over time. Essentially, fight for player time and loyalty everywhere.
Adapt to Local Regulations and Platforms: The operating environment is fragmenting. Europe’s DMA means alternative app stores and payment methods will emerge while other regions have unique rules (China’s content laws, Middle East cultural sensitivities, etc.). Successful publishers will bake compliance and flexibility into their strategy – for example, preparing different monetization versions (one with loot boxes, one without), or distributing via web and third-party stores where advantageous. This reduces risk and opens new channels to reach users on their terms.
Embrace Quality over Quantity (and Own Your IP): The era of throwing dozens of apps at the wall is ending. Data shows far fewer new games are breaking through now than in years past. As seen with Tencent and others, doubling down on a few high-quality projects is often smarter. Investing in original IP and gameplay innovation can yield bigger, more sustainable hits (and you avoid hefty royalty fees to IP holders). This doesn’t mean every game must be a AAA-budget production – but it does mean rigorously iterating in soft launch and ensuring your game offers something distinct.
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