The rewarded
_{UA Handbook}

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January 7, 2026

8 min read

Table of contents

Demand More from Your Ad Spend

What 912 mobile game developers across 10 markets are doing with rewarded UA in 2026, and how to get it right.

What's inside

State of rewarded UA adoption and budget share across 10 tier-1 markets

When to launch rewarded UA and which in-game events to optimise for

How much budget to allocate and how many rewarded channels to run

How longer reward structures drive retention, ROAS and LTV, with case studies

Rewarded UA is now standard practice for 93% of mobile game advertisers. This handbook shows you what the channel looks like in 2026, how the studios doing it best are running their campaigns, and where it's heading next.

of studios running rewarded plan to increase their budget in 2026

61%

of studios run 4 or more rewarded UA channels

74%

of studios are positive or becoming more positive about rewarded UA

82%

Budget share

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Based on a survey of 912 mobile game developers across 10 global markets, the handbook combines that industry data with practical guidance from Almedia. Inside: when to launch, what events to choose, how much to budget, what to look for in a partner, and the mistakes to avoid.

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Rewarded UA has earned its place alongside Google, Meta, and AppLovin in the mobile marketing mix. It has become a core channel because the additional user engagement delivered post ad-click drives retention and long-term value that other UA sources struggle to match.

Moritz Holländer

Founder, CEO at Almedia

By showcasing our game directly to people who already play games and tailoring offers around in-game behavior, Freecash helped us scale installs globally faster and more efficiently than traditional channels.

Saras Panigrahi

Marketing Director at Potato Play

Almedia teams deliver full-cycle support for launching campaigns in multiple markets. They monitor KPIs closely, tweak campaign setups in real time, and consistently share new optimization ideas that help elevate results.

Saras Panigrahi

Marketing Director at Potato Play

We required UA partners who can perform at high spend levels and still hit key metrics like retention and a positive return on investment while scaling our game installs.

Saras Panigrahi

Marketing Director at Potato Play

We have been successfully working with Almedia for several years and are looking forward to the next years to come.

Pascal Ludynia

CEO at Ayet Studio GmbH

Almedia’s Talented team delivering results at scale! Always available and supportive.

Ben Asbach

CEO at Bitburst GmbH

Working closely with Almedia, we built and optimized a strategy that outperformed our goals. With aligned targets, transparent feedback, and a shared drive for innovation, we created a funnel that delivered real impact at scale.

Adi Tubul

User Acquisition Manager at Candivore

Almedia stands out as a partner that not only scales but also focuses on long-term performance. They’ve become an essential part of our UA mix.

Antella Yu

User Acquisition Lead at Stillfront (Super Free Games)

Almedia helped us scale high-quality U.S. users across iOS and Android, driving a 120% uplift in Day 7 retention and ROAS while doubling our budget in a competitive market.

Hyekang Seo

UA Lead at Actionfit

Almedia enabled us to achieve consistent monthly growth with profitable margins, fostering a sustainable path to success and ensuring long-term profitability.

Mad Brain Games

Almedia drives top-quality users to our games, among the best of all UA channels. We're happy to keep scaling and strengthening our partnership with this talented team.

Mor Stone

VP of Marketing at Innplay Labs

This was more than a reactivation, it was a relaunch powered by insight. The results speak for themselves: 550% growth in daily spend, 2x competitor performance, and a successful iOS expansion.

Dukryul Kim

UA Manager, Treeplla

We came into this partnership with aggressive growth goals, and Freecash helped us blow past every one of them. Doubling our 30-day ROAS against top competitors was something we hadn’t achieved before.

San Heo

CEO, Treeplla

The close collaboration between Candivore and Almedia’s team allowed us to design and iterate on a strategy that exceeded our performance goals. Through aligned targets, transparent feedback loops, and a shared commitment to innovation, we built a funnel that drove meaningful impact at scale.

Adi Tubul

User Acquisition Manager at Candivore

Almedia offers the broadest worldwide geo coverage among all the incentivized partners we’ve worked with, giving us valuable insights into T2/T3 markets and helping us scale efficiently with lower CPIs.

Antella Yu

User Acquisition Lead at Stillfront (Super Free Games)

Almedia proved that rewarded UA can deliver both high ROAS and strong retention - a combination we hadn’t been able to achieve before. The process was smooth from start to finish, and the ongoing optimization made a huge difference in campaign success.

Jade Baeck

Senior Manager at SUPERBOX

Almedia delivered nearly 3x higher D30 retention compared to other rewarded channels: all while maintaining strong ROAS. It was the first time we found a UA partner that could truly balance both retention and profitability.

Jade Baeck

Senior Manager at SUPERBOX

Partnering with Freecash has been a great fit for our games and community. Their rewarding platform integrates naturally with our player experience, delivering strong engagement and meaningful value for both sides. We’re excited to continue expanding our collaboration and building long-term success together.

Dima Gorodnev

COO, Ovivo

The rewarded UA Handbook

What's inside

of studios running rewarded plan to increase their budget in 2026

of studios run 4 or more rewarded UA channels

of studios are positive or becoming more positive about rewarded UA

Download report

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_{UA Handbook}