Over the past year, mobile game revenue growth has slowed sharply, dropping from +3.2% YoY to +0.7% YoY
As the industry faces rising CPIs, fewer breakout hits, and revenue increasingly concentrated in long-established titles, studios are relying more heavily on LiveOps to maximize LTV from existing audiences
AppMagic‘s latest LiveOps report highlights how clearly this shift is playing out across the industry
● Avg LiveOps events per game/month rose from 73 to 89, showing a steady increase in LiveOps intensity
● Peak seasons favored proven event formats, reducing risk during high-revenue periods
● Most experimentation happened in mid-spring (March–April), ahead of the quieter summer months
And here’s how LiveOps is evolving across the core segments
𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥
Casual games doubled down on volume and experimentation, showing ~15% YoY growth in event activity, heavily clustered around fall and winter. Events are typically short, repeatable, and highly competitive, with Collection, Race, Album, and Digging mechanics dominating ⛏️
New Trends
● Stamp events – monetization-driven events with +96% YoY growth
● Puzzle Collections – a lighter alternative to oversaturated Albums
𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞
Midcore LiveOps did not grow aggressively but maintained steady momentum with a stable event cadence throughout the year. Unlike Casual, events here favor longer durations and layered mechanics 🎲
Growing mechanics
● Login Calendar – still widely used and +93% in adoption
● Monopoly-style events – still niche, but expanding
𝐇𝐲𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥
Hybridcasual games continue to absorb mechanics from both Casual and Midcore, borrowing depth without sacrificing accessibility. While event capacity remains lower than Casual, it is steadily increasing 📈
LiveOps in Hybridcasual acts as a bridge, introducing midcore-style depth without overwhelming casual players
Key Takeaway:
When designing events, always start with the bigger question:
“What does LiveOps mean for this audience?”