The LiveOps Playbook: Secrets from Gaming's Top Operators
Proven strategies from Brawl Stars, Jackpot Party, and SuperScale that drive massive success
Today, we dive deep into the critical LiveOps capabilities that separate hit games from forgotten downloads. Who are three of the world’s best LiveOps experts we could ask:
Frank Yan: One of the two Franks that led the massive BrawlStars turnaround last year.
Dafna Ben Onn: Leading the #1 social casino game (Top 10 grossing) in the US, Jackpot Party Casino Slots.
Ivan Trancik: One of the most sophisticated LiveOps operators in his 10th year working with mobile game studios on LiveOps.
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Speakers:
Dafna Ben Onn. Director of Monetization at SciPlay.
Joseph Kim. CEO at Lila Games.
Ivan Trancik. CEO at SuperScale.
Frank Yan. Co-founder at Antihero Studios, former Sr. Game Designer at Supercell/Brawl Stars.
In the competitive world of mobile gaming, LiveOps has become the secret sauce of success. Here's a deep dive into the critical capabilities shared by three industry leaders, each bringing a unique perspective to driving game performance.
Frank Yan (Former Supercell, Brawl Stars): The Three Pillars of Agile LiveOps
Frank Yan, who led design on the phenomenally successful Brawl Stars, emphasizes three core LiveOps capabilities:
1. Lightning-Fast Content Deployment
Push new content (events, game modes, shop offers) in seconds
Eliminate delays that could reduce player engagement
Create a responsive, dynamic game environment
2. Dynamic Content Updates
Update game content without requiring client updates
Avoid server maintenance downtime
Maintain seamless player experience
3. Sophisticated Player Segmentation
Customize experiences for players at different journey stages
Create targeted offers based on individual player history
Celebrate player achievements with personalized rewards
Example: Offering a battle pass discount to players who haven't purchased recently, or creating special rewards for players who've achieved challenging milestones.
Dafna Ben Onn (SciPlay, Jackpot Party): Balancing Retention and Revenue
Dafna Ben Onn from CyPlays focuses on the nuanced art of optimizing player experience:
1. Intelligent Reward Optimization
Use data-driven approaches to determine reward structures
Recognize that higher rewards drive player retention
Balance currency inflow with game economy sustainability
2. Holistic Metric Evaluation
Look beyond single-metric optimization
Understand the interconnected nature of game performance metrics
Recognize trade-offs between retention and revenue
Prioritize overall player experience and long-term engagement
Key Insight: A positive, tailored experience keeps players happy and monetizes effectively.
Ivan Trancik (Superscale): The Evolutionary Stages of LiveOps
Ivan Trancik breaks down LiveOps capabilities across different game development stages:
1. Early-Stage: Business Analytics Foundation
Set up comprehensive analytics infrastructure before user acquisition
Ensure data reliability and consistency
Create a learning framework for game development
2. Owned Data Infrastructure
Pull raw data into your own database
Avoid reliance on third-party dashboards
Maintain full data control and insight
3. Unit Economics Analysis
Focus on Cost Per Install (CPI) vs. Lifetime Value (LTV)
Understand the economic fundamentals of your game
4. Bottleneck Identification
Systematically identify critical performance constraints
Focus on most impactful improvements
Address issues in store conversion, adoption, or monetization
5. Rigorous A/B Testing
Implement controlled experiments for product changes
Roll out updates to percentage of players
Compare performance against control groups
6. Scalable Experimentation Machine
Create continuous optimization infrastructure
Test every aspect of the funnel
Maximize testing across user acquisition, creative assets, and pricing
Progression Model: From basic analytics to a sophisticated experimentation platform
The Unified LiveOps Philosophy
While each expert brings a unique perspective, a common thread emerges: successful LiveOps is about:
Data-driven decision making
Continuous learning and adaptation
Personalized player experiences
Balancing technical capabilities with player-centric design
Final Takeaway: LiveOps is not a one-time strategy, but an evolving approach to game management that requires constant innovation and deep player understanding.