The Data Advantage: How Top Mobile Studios Navigate Post-ATT Reality
A deep dive into CAPI, Web-to-App, and the future of mobile UA with Airbridge CEO Roi Nam
The mobile UA landscape has been in upheaval for four years since Apple's ATT framework arrived, yet most studios are still flying blind. In this technical deep-dive, I sat down with Roi Nam, founder and CEO of Airbridge, to uncover what's working in measurement today.
What struck me most? The gap between studios that "get it" and those that don't is widening. While some struggle with 10% ATT opt-in rates, others are hitting 50%. While some view CAPI as optional, the most astute players are utilizing it to achieve 3-5% ROAS lifts.
The difference isn't budget—it's understanding the new playbook.
Key takeaways from our discussion:
Why there's no "silver bullet" solution anymore—and the multi-tool approach that actually works
How to boost ATT consent rates from 10% to 50% with simple but effective tactics
The real differences in data availability between iOS, Android, and Web (and how to exploit them)
Why CAPI is the most underutilized tool in your arsenal—especially for PC/console crossover
The Web-to-App strategies generating higher ROAS than traditional app campaigns
How a $0.01 CPI increase can unlock massive scale (hint: it's not linear)
The UA-monetization convergence that's creating 54% LTV lifts for early adopters
Why AppLovin performs 4X better with their own mediation (and what it means for the industry)
Join us going hella deep - because that's where the real competitive advantages hide.
Top 5 Gaming News
Sony Sues Tencent for Horizon Franchise Clone (The Verge): Sony has filed a lawsuit against Tencent, alleging that its upcoming game “Light of Motiram” is a direct clone of Sony’s acclaimed Horizon series, sparking legal battles over IP rights and game originality.
Battlefield 6 Hits Half Million Steam Wishlists in Opening Weekend (Insider Gaming): Battlefield 6 found a spot on half a million wishlists in a single weekend Battlefield 6 Release Date and Price: Drop & Costs Revealed following its July 24 reveal trailer, with 60% coming from previous Battlefield 2042 players. The game's reveal trailer has surpassed 7.6 million YouTube views ahead of the multiplayer reveal event on July 31, 2025.
1047 Games Announces Second Round of Layoffs (Game Developer): 1047 Games laid off an undisclosed number of employees on July 22 and "unlaunched" Splitgate 2 to rework it until early 2026. CEO Ian Proulx admitted to "many, many mistakes" including launching too early and controversial decisions like wearing a "Make FPS Great Again" hat at Summer Game Fest.
KRAFTON Acquires Last Epoch Developer (XBOXEra): South Korean publisher KRAFTON acquired 100% of Eleventh Hour Games for $96 million on July 25, with potential earn-outs up to $60 million through 2033. The Oregon-based studio behind the successful action RPG Last Epoch, which sold over 3 million copies since 2024, will remain a wholly-owned subsidiary under existing leadership.
Data Points to Slowing Layoffs, True Harm Unknown (Game Developer): While data suggests the pace of layoffs in the industry is slowing, the lingering effects on teams and studio culture remain difficult to quantify, emphasizing the long tail of industry disruption.
Top 3 AI x Gaming news
OpenAI Deepens Gaming Investments, Drives Major Partnerships (TS2.Tech): In a whirlwind July, OpenAI launched groundbreaking new game-centric products and partnerships, including the expansion of its Sora toolset, with industry experts calling it a “watershed moment” that’s drawing close scrutiny and raising the bar for both innovation and responsibility in generative AI for game
Generative AI in Gaming: Optimism and Anxiety (Fortune): Leading developers discussed generative AI as a double-edged sword—making game production faster and cheaper by allowing small teams to create massive worlds and millions of characters, but also intensifying worries about job losses and the future of creative work.
Tencent Launches Revolutionary Open-Source 3D World Generator (ETV Bharat): Tencent released Hunyuan3D World Model 1.0, the first open-source AI that generates fully explorable 3D worlds from text or images. The model can export to popular game engines and creates interactive environments with physics, supporting game development, VR, and digital content creation.
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Speakers:
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Mastering Mobile UA in the Post-ATT Era: A Data-Driven Playbook
The mobile gaming industry has been navigating choppy waters since Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework fundamentally changed how we measure and optimize user acquisition. In a recent deep-dive conversation with Roi Nam, founder and CEO of Airbridge, we explored the practical strategies that winning studios are using to maintain their growth advantage in this new reality.
Here's what game executives, product managers, and marketers need to know about turning data limitations into competitive advantages.
The Current State: It's Complicated, But There's Hope
Four years after ATT's introduction, the iOS measurement landscape remains challenging but not insurmountable. The key insight? There's no single solution anymore—success requires a sophisticated blend of multiple measurement strategies.
The Two-Pronged Challenge:
• Visibility Loss: Difficulty in accurately measuring campaign performance
• Signal Loss: Reduced quality of user data flowing back to ad platforms, impacting targeting effectiveness
The Evolution of Tools:
• SKAdNetwork Updates (2.0 to 4.0): Now offering up to 3 postbacks, 4-digit source identifiers, and more granular data
• Privacy-Preserving Algorithms: Meta's AEM and Google's ICM providing additional touchpoints
• Conversions API (CAPI): Enabling richer server-side event data with improved match rates
• Web-to-App Strategies: Creative workarounds leveraging web traffic to guide users into apps
• Holistic Measurement Frameworks: Lift studies and Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) for aggregate-level insights
The Data Availability Hierarchy: Know Your Battlefield
Understanding the differences in data availability across platforms is crucial for strategic planning:
Android: The Relaxed Environment
• Google Play Referrer enables click-based deterministic tracking
• Advertising ID remains opt-out based (no explicit consent needed)
• Bottom line: Android visibility remains largely unchanged
Web: The Middle Ground
• Click parameters can be carried through URLs for accurate tracking
• Browser limitations are increasing (Safari's ITP, Private Relay)
• Cookie restrictions limit tracking windows to as little as 24 hours
iOS: The Strict Frontier
• Probabilistic matching (the industry-friendly term for fingerprinting)
• SKAdNetwork as the default framework despite limitations
• ATT framework with low opt-in rates (20-40%)
• Combined approach required: probabilistic + SKAN + ATT-based deterministic
The Measurement Strategy Playbook
Roi emphasized dividing your approach into two key categories:
Visibility Strategies:
• SKAdNetwork (SKAN): Focus on the first postback window (2-4 days) for actionable insights
• Web-to-App flows: Direct users from web campaigns to app stores
• Advanced SAN solutions: Leverage Meta's AEM or Google's OCM for additional touchpoints
• Lift studies: Run A/B tests for incrementality measurement
• Marketing Mix Modeling: Requires 2-3 dedicated data scientists but provides strategic insights
Signal Enhancement:
• Conversions API (CAPI): Send enriched signals with hashed emails, phone numbers, and click IDs
• Signal engineering: Carefully select which user behaviors to send for campaign optimization
CAPI: The Game-Changer You're Probably Underutilizing
The Conversions API represents one of the most impactful yet underutilized tools in the modern UA toolkit:
What Makes CAPI Powerful:
• Richer identifiers beyond advertising IDs (hashed emails, phone numbers, click IDs)
• Higher match rates between your data and platform data
• Better targeting algorithms through improved training data
• PC/Console gaming compatibility (critical for Steam and cross-platform titles)
Real-World Impact:
• Typical performance lifts of 3-5% in ROAS
• Essential for free-to-play games tracking downstream events
• Enables optimization for in-game purchases, not just installs
Web-to-App: The Creative Workaround That Works
This strategy, originally popular with subscription apps, is gaining traction in gaming:
Two Main Approaches:
Web-to-App: Direct traffic from web campaigns straight to app stores
Web-to-Web-to-App: Route users through landing pages, quizzes, or playables first
Effective Funnel Examples:
• Web shops with app install prompts: Guide purchasers back into the mobile app
• HTML5 games as landing pages: Hook players immediately, then prompt app download
• Interactive quizzes: Pre-registration flows for IP-based games
• Playable ads: Let users experience gameplay before committing to download
Why It Works:
• Less restricted by App Store policies
• Better parameter tracking through web SDKs
• Often generates higher ROAS than standard app promotion campaigns
Boosting ATT Consent: Your First Line of Defense
Before diving deep into SKAN, focus on improving ATT opt-in rates. Some studios have increased consent from 10-15% to 40-50% using these tactics:
• Pre-prompts with clear explanations: Tell users why you need the data
• Direct appeals: Sometimes simply asking "Can you please opt in?" works
• Customized ATT prompts: Test different messaging approaches
• Re-engagement campaigns: Periodically ask opted-out users to reconsider
MMM: For the Data-Mature Studios
Marketing Mix Modeling isn't for everyone, but for studios with sufficient scale and resources:
Requirements:
• 2-3 dedicated BI/data science team members
• Significant media spend across multiple channels
• Patience for longer feedback cycles
Implementation Steps:
Choose a model (Meta's Robin or Google's Meridian)
Select variables (marketing spend, target metrics, context factors)
Calibrate with lift studies every 3-6 months
Run weekly or monthly for budget optimization
Key Insight:
MMM results will differ dramatically from MMP dashboards—this is normal and requires careful interpretation.
The Monetization-UA Convergence: Your Next Competitive Edge
The future lies in understanding the symbiotic relationship between user acquisition and monetization:
The Compound Effect:
• Higher LTV enables higher CPIs: Even $0.01 more in bidding can dramatically increase install volume
• More UA volume increases eCPMs: New users typically command higher ad prices
• Better monetization creates a virtuous cycle: LTV → UA scale → eCPM → LTV
AI-Powered Optimization:
Airbridge's Airflux demonstrates the potential of AI in this space:
• Dynamic ad timing and frequency: Adjust based on user segments and geography
• Automated A/B testing at scale: Test variations impossible to manage manually
• LTV lifts of 10-54%: Real results from production deployments
Three Rapid-Fire Recommendations
For Optimizing UA:
• Bigger studios: Invest heavily in your measurement stack
• Smaller studios: Start with CAPI implementation
For Improving Monetization:
• Focus on smarter segmentation and continuous A/B testing
The Biggest Pitfall to Avoid:
• Don't blindly trust last-touch attribution, especially with SKAN's 30-day lookback window
The Bottom Line
The post-ATT world isn't about finding a silver bullet—it's about skillfully orchestrating multiple measurement strategies and data signals. The studios that win will be those that:
• Embrace the complexity rather than fighting it
• Invest in understanding and implementing multiple measurement approaches
• Focus on the compound effects between UA and monetization
• Leverage AI and automation where it makes sense
• Never stop testing and iterating
The data advantage is still there for those willing to work for it. The question is: will you be one of them?