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Maor Wurembrand, the senior director of supply operations at Anzu, explores the future of game monetisation and speaks to four developers, from very different areas of the global games market about how they’re finding new ways to connect with – and realise revenue from – players.
In game development, finding sustainable ways to generate revenue without compromising the player experience often feels like an endless boss battle. But every so often, developers hit that pivotal moment – a shift in mindset, a new approach, a turning point – that opens the door to long-term success.
We spoke with four developers at different stages of the journey: two indie solo devs, an ad monetisation lead at a major studio, and a director at a mid-sized team. Each one shared the moment everything changed for them, how they’ve tackled monetisation, and where they believe the industry is headed.
That moment everything changed
Every developer remembers the moment – the one that changed everything. Indie developer Ömer Sina Ceylan, who has developed several successful racing games including Fast&Grand under his studio Candy Gaming, points to the moment he learned how to properly set up Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) campaigns.
“I realised that organic growth alone was never enough to scale,” he states. “Testing in-app purchases (IAP) ROAS campaigns and releasing an update that emphasised IAP helped those campaigns scale, which significantly accelerated the growth of my game.”
Indie developer Petr Šimůnek, known for his racing game Engine Evolution, found that integrating intrinsic in-game ads was his breakthrough.
“It multiplied my income fivefold overnight,” he says. “That meant I could finally focus full-time on my passion.”
Ads now generate between 50% and 80% of his revenue – enough to turn a hobby into a viable business.
At the other end of the spectrum, Jeremy Leone, ad monetisation lead at Nordcurrent, the studio behind Cooking Fever, highlights a broader industry shift: the transition to full in-app bidding.
“It required a complete strategy rethink – working closely with mediation partners, revisiting how we prioritised networks, and refining our segmentation and testing,” he explains.
“I realised that organic growth alone was never enough to scale.”
Ömer Sina Ceylan, Candy Gaming
For Gilles Duplouy, director at Oddshot Games, the shift was internal: building the right team.
“Hiring the right people filled knowledge gaps and helped us produce better updates, which improved acquisition, retention, and monetisation,” he says. It was a mindset change that pushed him to focus on long-term value over short-term fixes.
The balancing act: Experience vs. revenue
The golden rule? Don’t sacrifice player experience for short-term gains. All four developers agreed: keep the player at the centre.
Ceylan focuses on giving players value first: the freedom to play, customise, and enjoy the experience.
“Monetisation is a balance that needs to be guided by data,” he explains. “Whenever I implement something related to ad monetisation, I make sure that it doesn’t negatively impact the user experience by gathering data and running A/B tests.”
Leone also takes a data-first approach: “Every new monetisation feature goes through rigorous A/B testing. If it lifts LTV without hurting engagement, it stays.” He sees IAPs and ads not as rivals, but as tools that can complement each other when implemented thoughtfully.
Duplouy sees it as non-negotiable: “A great player experience isn’t just important – it’s a prerequisite.” That philosophy led to building monetisation into the foundation of his game Slapshot: Rebound. When they introduced intrinsic in-game ads, players didn’t just accept them – they welcomed them.
“Ads around the hockey rink made the game feel more realistic,” he says. “Players even commented that they weren’t intrusive like on mobile.”
Šimůnek echoes the sentiment. He had always struggled with finding a fair monetisation model that didn’t frustrate players. Intrinsic ads became his solution.
“They didn’t cost me anything in terms of gameplay,” he states. “In fact, they let me scale back other monetisation and make the game better.” His rule of thumb: keep ads under 20% of the screen and place them where they feel natural.
What Do Players Want Now?
Ceylan believes that long-term trust is becoming more important than quick monetisation wins.
“I think hybrid monetisation – combining IAP, ads, and subscriptions based on user behaviour – will become the standard,” he says. “Higher quality games with refined IAP strategies and fewer ads are raising the bar, so monetisation models need to evolve to meet those expectations.”
Players’ expectations around monetisation are evolving. They still want value – but not at the expense of immersion.
“Players want ads to feel like part of the experience, not a disruption,” Leone says. Intrinsic formats work well here, especially when they’re seamlessly integrated into the game world. Rewarded formats also continue to resonate when they offer clear value and agency.
Duplouy stresses the importance of understanding your specific audience. “What players define as ‘value’ is shifting. It’s on us as developers to figure out what our community cares about and build around that.”
Šimůnek adds that today’s players are more selective than ever. With so many games launching, quality and compelling gameplay are non-negotiable. “They want more content, faster – but they won’t tolerate grind or friction.”
What actualy works?
Ceylan emphasises the importance of exploring user acquisition. “Every small detail matters when you’re trying to scale,” he notes. “From creative testing to targeting, small optimisations can make a huge impact on growth and profitability.”
“What players define as ‘value’ is shifting. It’s on us as developers to figure out what our community cares about and build around that.”
Gilles Duplouy, Oddshot Games
So, what strategies are genuinely moving the needle?
For Leone, continuous experimentation is key: “A/B testing is our most powerful tool,” he explains. “Integrating new ad formats, adding partners – it all contributes to more robust monetisation.”
Duplouy focuses on core gameplay and community: “Tight gameplay, regular updates, progression systems – that’s what keeps players coming back.” In-game ads gave them a stable income stream without upsetting players. Their results speak for themselves:
- 62% increase in total revenue
- 75% increase in ARPU in the US
Šimůnek, with his racing games, found that strategic placement made all the difference. Ads placed where players slow down or pause had higher impact and helped him optimise revenue without hurting the experience.
Challenges on the road ahead
Game developers today are facing mounting pressure from tighter margins, rising player expectations, and an oversaturated marketplace.
Ceylan highlights two major shifts shaping how he develops and monetises games: privacy-focused attribution and the rise of AI tools.
“The biggest trend right now is the shift toward privacy-focused attribution methods,” he says.
“SKAN and stricter policies are forcing us to rely on different methods beyond granular tracking. At the same time, AI tools are transforming how I build and operate games – from content generation to smarter personalisation.”
Seamless ad integration is becoming a must-have. “It’s not just about where to show ads,” Leone explains, “It’s about when, who to, and under what conditions.” That means more coordination with product teams and more time for testing and iteration.
“It’s not just about where to show ads. It’s about when, who to, and under what conditions.”
Jeremy Leone, Nordcurrent
Standing out in a crowded market is another major hurdle. Duplouy tackled it by getting hyper-focused on a niche audience and giving them what they care about – from competitive features to cosmetics – while choosing monetisation options that fit the gameplay.
And Šimůnek sees AI as a double-edged sword. It’s helping speed up development, but could lower quality if misused. His PhD research is even exploring how procedural generation can be used to build virtual environments and optimise ad placements in racing games.
The takeaway: Seamless monetisation is the new standard
The next era of game monetisation won’t be led by aggressive popups or disruptive formats. Much like the turning points shared by these developers, success will come from those willing to rethink old habits and align monetisation with what truly serves the player experience.
Whether it’s custom activations, cosmetic IAPs, or intrinsic in-game ads, the strategies that work are the ones that feel right in context. They’re built around the game, not bolted on after.
The future isn’t about squeezing revenue from every corner. It’s about making monetisation a part of the game that players actually accept – and maybe even appreciate.
Learn how Anzu is helping developers build immersive, player-first monetisation strategies with intrinsic in-game ads. Explore more.
