Continuing to sum up the results of 2025 with teams related to the gaming industry, next up is an interview with Konstantin Ivanov, brand director of AdQuantum.
How was the year 2025 for your company? Which areas showed the most growth?
It was varied and unpredictable. The area that showed the most growth was Search Arbitrage. We initially knew it would be profitable, but it required a significant investment of time and risk management. However, even in such a turbulent year for the market, we managed to successfully develop this area.
Additionally, we significantly boosted the vertical of AI applications. And it’s no surprise, as revenue from such applications has been growing steadily for quite some time, mostly due to ChatGPT. In October 2025, the "big five" AI applications reached a new historical high. Grok, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity continued to gain momentum, and the total revenue from the top five applications in this vertical increased to $206 million after taxes, with $187 million coming from ChatGPT alone.
Our so-called creative packs division further developed. Throughout the year, companies like Blinkist and others successfully collaborated with us.
How has the mobile UA market changed — in channels, tools, strategies?
Let me highlight several key trends.
In 2025, it was important for many companies to transition from "mass" UA to targeted personalization + retention + monetization.
Marketplaces have accumulated their advertising inventory, now targeting buyers at the most sensitive moments. For example, during the contemplation stage of a purchase. Given the circumstances, this is a smart move — loyal brand audiences have a higher chance of installing the app. But most importantly, marketplaces have first-party data, a killer feature in an era of total anonymity.
With the rise in competition and acquisition costs, ROI has become more dependent on creative quality: emotional, story-driven videos, UGC formats, etc., perform better. Poor-quality AI can be detected by similar AI moderation, leading to higher CPM.
It's vital to test new channels and diversify the media mix to reduce dependence on single sources. Developers should invest in ASO, onboarding, and retention rather than just chasing subscriptions. In response to subscription fatigue and price increases, many apps are experimenting with micro-subscriptions, pay-per-use, and time-limited access to make monetization more accessible and appealing. This helps lower the entry barrier, especially in markets sensitive to purchasing power.
I should note that Facebook* has retained old interface bugs and added new ones. However, there remain instances where old combinations still work, mainly in old accounts.
AI has become widely used by sources in targeting creatives to audiences. The traditional empirical path in advertising creatives has become outdated, and the lifespan of certain creatives has significantly shortened. At AdQuantum, we are completely changing our approach to creating advertising content.
How has the nature of work with gaming studios changed? What new requests, budgets, and interaction formats have appeared?
The demand for Playable Ads has increased manifold. We had to allocate production of such ads into a separate direction with a producer.
Which approaches to user acquisition have proven most effective in 2025? Which ones, on the other hand, have stopped working?
Misleads have finally stopped working. Web-to-Web funnels consolidated their success in UA, leading to growth in horizontals. Another trend is that within a single product, there are multiple funnels, showcasing one product to different target audiences.
What insights from 2025 could be useful for studios preparing marketing campaigns for 2026?
There will always be a shortfall in an advertising budget. And the cost of acquisition always grows faster than LTV, so think one step ahead.
What trends in mobile advertising, creatives, and UA optimization do you expect in 2026?
Search Arbitrage and Playable Ads will maintain their strong pace.
What areas does the company plan to develop in 2026?
AdQuantum continues to move away from positioning itself as an agency. Stay tuned for updates in 2026. Additionally, we will reinvent our creative strategy based on market realities.
*Owned by Meta, which is banned in Russia and recognized as an extremist organization.