Q5 Opportunities Mobile Game Marketers Can’t Afford to Miss

Every year, gaming advertisers brace for the Q4 rush. This competitive holiday period sees higher acquisition and reengagement costs across nearly every vertical. But in recent years, savvy advertisers are allocating more end-of-year budget to Q5—the short, powerful period spanning late December through early January when user engagement typically stays high but ad costs take a dip.

As consumer brands wind down their holiday spend, mobile game marketers face a rare sweet spot: lower costs, more inventory, and many players with new devices to test out.

To help mobile gaming marketers end 2025 and start the new year on a high note, we’ve examined last year’s cost per mille (CPM) and cost per install (CPI) trends based on aggregated data from our Accelerate platform. We’ve also provided ad creative and budget allocation strategies to increase ROI as we head into 2026.

CPM Trends Show a Less Competitive Market in Q5

Advertisers across e-commerce, retail, and travel verticals tend to pull back on spend at the end of Q4, reducing auction pressure. In 2024, this created a cost-efficient window for marketers looking to scale their reach before Q1 officially started.

On average, we saw Android CPMs for mobile games drop sharply between mid-December and early January. iOS CPMs remained steadier but followed a similar softening trend.

Casual genres like puzzle and simulation showed sharper CPM swings around the holidays. CPMs surge in early December as competition peaks—before dropping steeply through January.

By mid-January, puzzle CPMs had dipped to nearly half their December high, while simulation CPMs briefly rebounded before stabilizing.

As casual genres rely heavily on broad audience reach and high ad volume, they generally benefit the most when CPMs fall and attention spikes—making Q5 an ideal time for scaling UA campaigns efficiently.

Our recommendation is to be flexible during this period. For puzzle games, the end-of-year ad market stayed efficient for longer than expected in 2024. UA teams that kept ad spend high into mid-January likely saw continued efficiency, especially when focusing on higher-cost campaign goals like audience expansion.

Gaming CPIs Fall Fast After the Holidays—But They Also Rebound Quickly

In Q5, installs typically spike from new device activations, but competition from advertisers also eases up, meaning that UA budgets go further. In practical terms, game advertisers who scale campaigns immediately before and after New Year’s Day may see lower CPIs and higher conversions without sacrificing quality.

Last year, similar to CPMs, the steepest cost drop happened in the final week of December 2024 as brand budgets reset and competition cooled.

By the end of December, during the week of New Year’s Day, both platforms hit their lowest CPI levels, marking a prime window. Once January began, however, CPIs started to climb steadily.

A closer look at casual game genres shows windows of opportunity in greater granularity.

Last year, simulation CPIs surged earlier than puzzle games, rising in mid-December—a clear reflection of intense competition during the holiday ad rush. Puzzle CPIs peak slightly later, before both genres saw sharp declines into late December.

The drop signals the sweet, but short-lived window for Q5. By early January, puzzle and simulation CPIs rebounded, indicating elevated competition as Q1 ramps up.

How Gaming Advertisers Can Win Q5

So how can advertisers take advantage of the Q5 window? We have a few recommendations.

1. Get Creative: Run Campaigns With Seasonal Rewards and Highlight In-Game Events

Q5 can be the perfect time to experiment with ad formats that drive deeper engagement at a lower cost. Combining playables with the right offer can pull in new players that continue to engage throughout the new year. 

For Q5, try combining customized playables with time-limited offers or seasonal rewards. “New Year’s Challenge” bonuses, streak-based prizes, or limited-time characters are all ways to convert curious audiences into active players. 

Also, align your campaigns with in-game events to create a sense of occasion and urgency. Promoting a live tournament, collaboration, or themed event inside your creative builds anticipation and signals added value beyond the install itself. (For ideas about aligning your ad creative with a live event calendar, check out how GameRefinery helped Metacore and Nexters scale their event strategies.)

2. Reallocate Budgets for Early-Quarter Efficiency

If your team typically waits until late January or February to ramp UA spend, you’re likely missing out on one of the most cost-effective moments of the year. Shift part of Q1’s budget into early January to take advantage of cheaper installs and impressions. Monitor costs in both platforms—Android saw steeper CPM decline in 2024, if the trend stays consistent, consider leaning more heavily into Android campaigns during Q5 if you’re looking to grow your reach.

3. Re-engage Churned or Idle Players at Lower Costs

Remember that Q5 isn’t just about new users—it’s also an excellent time to re-engage players who dropped off before the holidays. With ad prices low and engagement high, win-back campaigns can deliver meaningful ROI. Target lapsed users from the October and November cohorts with personalized offers, refreshed creatives, or live events that reignite interest.

Q5 Is Approaching Quickly – Don’t Miss Out

Q5 might be short, but it’s one of the most underleveraged growth windows of the year for gaming marketers. Lower CPMs and CPIs create ideal conditions to test creatives, stretch budgets, and bring players back into the fold. Advertisers who act early may build momentum for 2026 before Q1 even fully starts.

Looking for more tips to maximize your Q5? We’re here to help. Get in touch with the Liftoff team.