In this special Two and a Half Gamers episode, Matej and Felix sit down with Zino Rost van Tonningen (TyrAds) to deep dive into the history, present, and future of rewarded monetization & offerwalls.

Key insights:

History of rewarded ads:

Early “incent installs” → rank-boosting campaigns (TapJoy, FreeMyApps).

Multi-reward systems (TapJoy, IronSource, Fyber).

Misplay breakthrough: timer-based playtime rewards + personalization.

AdJoe & others scaled Misplay’s model into SDK solutions.

The shift to personalization:

Old offerwalls = one-size-fits-all.

New generation = hyper-personalized rewards per user.

Use of media source data (Google, Unity, AppLovin, etc.) to adapt rewards based on traffic quality.

Publisher perspective:

Offerwalls can contribute 5–30% of game revenue depending on genre.

Biggest impact: retaining non-payers & dolphins by giving them an alternative to IAP.

Integration fights today echo old mediation wars (bonuses, rev guarantees, exclusivity deals).

Best practices for choosing an offerwall partner:

LiveOps environment — events, hot deals, timed offers.

Transparency — explain revenue spikes/drops & media source impact.

Personalization — reward scaling, segmentation by user type & UA source.

UI/UX — aesthetics matter; no more “Windows 95” offerwalls.

Zino’s TyrAds SDK v3.0:

One-time integration, no updates needed.

Customizable design to match game branding.

Hyper-personalized rewards, dynamic leveling systems.

LiveOps events triggered per user (push, in-app messages).

Takeaway: Rewarded monetization has entered its 4th generation: hyper-personalized, data-driven, and LiveOps-powered.

https://tyrads.com/

Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop

---------------------------------------

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠

Special guest: Zino Rost van Tonningen

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rovato/

zino@tyrads.com

Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Rewarded User Acquisition

04:30 The Evolution of Rewarded Monetization

07:10 The Shift from Incentivized Installs to Quality KPIs

09:51 Innovations in Rewarded Advertising: Multi-Reward and Playtime Solutions

12:33 The Role of Personalization in Rewarded Monetization

14:56 Challenges in Current Rewarded Solutions

17:48 Evaluating Monetization Solutions: Key Considerations

20:15 The Importance of LiveOps in Engagement

23:06 Transparency and Optimization in Offer Walls

28:34 Differentiating Offer Walls for Monetization

30:44 The Importance of Data in Monetization Solutions

31:28 Personalization and User Engagement in Offer Walls

33:18 SDK Evolution: From Version 1 to Hyper-Personalization

36:14 Leveraging Machine Learning for Offer Wall Optimization

40:14 Engaging Users with LiveOps and Hot Deals

44:01 Dynamic Leveling Systems for Enhanced User Experience

46:58 Criteria for Effective Offer Wall Implementation

48:47 Revenue Impact and Client Engagement

---------------------------------------

Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

Zino Rost van Tonningen

CEO of TyrAds

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rovato/

zino@tyrads.com

---------------------------------------

Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!

Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!

Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Today, we break down Galaxy Defense, a sci-fi-themed tower defense/survival clone that’s generating $100K/day in IAP with only around 135K DAU.

🎯 Topics covered:

Gameplay breakdown: lasers, turrets, force fields & randomizer

Monetization: IAP heavy, ~12% ads, “Remove Ads” pack as a top purchase

Why CPIs are likely $50–100+ in Tier 1 markets

Revenue: ~$220K/day combined, with Android more than iOS

UA creatives: TikTok memes, fake interviews, AI actors — mostly 3.5/10 execution

Why this isn’t yet the “Western prophecy hit” for tower defense

👉 Subscribe for brutally honest deep dives into UA, monetization & game design.

👉 Comment: is Galaxy Defense the next Rush Royale, or just another clone?

Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop

--------------------------------------

PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.

Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/

They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.

- Scale fast

- Keep your shares

- Drawdown only as needed

- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you

+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors

---------------------------------------

For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.

Our sponsor FastSpring:

Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years

They power top mobile publishers around the world

Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.

---------------------------------------

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠

Podcast:

Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Galaxy Defense

04:02 Gameplay Mechanics and Strategies

07:12 Ad Experience and Monetization

10:09 Comparative Analysis with Other Games

20:55 Energy Systems and Progression

23:50 Customization and Gear Enhancement

34:03 Chinese Market Dynamics and UA Strategies

37:06 The Stability of Waifu Games

38:07 Emerging Trends in Tower Defense Games

41:48 Creative Strategies in Game Marketing

44:02 The Role of AI in Game Advertising

47:57 Cultural Influences on Game Development

49:35 Final Thoughts on Game Trends and Predictions

---------------------------------------

Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

Jakub Remiar

Game design consultant

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar

---------------------------------------

Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!

Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!

Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

---------------------------------------

If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej Lancaric

Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

We dive into AceCraft, Moonton’s new Tom & Jerry–themed midcore gacha shooter that mixes Cuphead-style 1930s cartoon art with Habi-inspired systems and miHoYo-style monetization depth.

Key insights:

Gameplay & Core Loop:

Systems & Meta

Dual banners (Tom & Jerry separately) with pity timers, skewed rates, and duplicate scaling.

Each major character has a signature weapon requiring rolls.

Collectible album (Royal Match / Monopoly Go style) with trade functionality, now ported into midcore — a first.

Co-op synchronous mode

Three-layer skill trees, elemental affinities, wingman companions.

Monetization:

~$330K/day IAP revenue post-launch (peaking with Tom/Jerry banner).

Battle Pass upsell trick:

Downloads ~300K/day at launch, half from China.

Scaling across 17+ networks: TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Unity, AppLovin, IronSource, Mintegral, etc.

UA creatives lean on retro cartoon surrealism, dancing ads, Tom & Jerry music, plus street interview trend (borrowed from Raid Rush).

Prediction:

Likely to fade in Western markets (art style too niche, monetization too punishing).

Moonton may line up other WB/Looney Tunes IPs (Sylvester, Tweety, Popeye, Roadrunner) for similar launches.

Takeaway: AceCraft is one of the deepest midcore gacha launches in 2025 — but built for Asia, not the West.

Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop

--------------------------------------

PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.

Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/

They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.

- Scale fast

- Keep your shares

- Drawdown only as needed

- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you

+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors

---------------------------------------

For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.

Our sponsor FastSpring:

Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years

They power top mobile publishers around the world

Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.

---------------------------------------

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠

Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg

Chapters

00:00 Intro

03:46 Discussion on Ace Craft and Impressions

09:22 Core Gameplay Mechanics and Innovations

12:14 Character Development and Gacha Elements

15:04 Battle Pass and Game Structure

21:05 Exploring Game Modes and Social Features

23:05 The Collectible Album Revolution

25:23 Gacha Mechanics: A Deep Dive

31:48 Event-Driven Engagement Strategies

41:03 Nostalgia in Gaming: The Influence of Classic Titles

47:09 The Role of IP in Game Development

50:32 Cultural Differences in Game Reception

---------------------------------------

Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

Jakub Remiar

Game design consultant

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar

---------------------------------------

Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!

Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!

Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me