Cracking the live ops code

Sensor Tower recently released a report called Cracking the Live Ops Code: How Mobile Games Can Leverage Live Ops Insights, following its acquisition of Playliner, a company focused on live ops intelligence. This report combines app analytics, event data, and revenue trends to offer a clearer look at what’s really happening in the world of mobile game monetization through live operations. While Live Ops has become the go-to strategy for many developers, the report shows that simply running events isn’t enough to succeed. The difference between games that grow and games that fade often comes down to how well live ops are planned, structured, and executed.

Cracking the live ops code: Understanding the state of live ops in mobile games

A key finding from the report is that most live ops games are not growing. In fact, 78% of the top 1000 live ops games by in-app purchase (IAP) revenue in 2024 saw a revenue decline in the first half of 2025. More than 500 of those games lost money year over year. Six of them dropped more than $100 million in IAP revenue. Most others lost between $1 million and $10 million. So, despite using live ops, most games still struggled to hold player spending.

But there’s another side. Seven games managed to grow their IAP revenue by more than $100 million in that same period. Three of those grew by over $200 million. These outliers, Whiteout Survival, Last War: Survival, and Gossip Harbor, stood out in terms of revenue gains, all having launched before 2024. These titles are also some of the highest grossing games globally. The common thread among them is disciplined live ops strategy. It’s not just about running events, it’s about running the right ones.

The report breaks down live ops events into three key categories: monetization, progression, and social. Monetization events are those aimed at direct purchases, like offers and bundles. Progression events help players move forward in the game and include things like milestone rewards and quest chains. Social events build player interaction and include tournaments or co-op challenges.

Each event type serves a purpose, and the top performing games know how to use them effectively. For monetization, event offers like limited-time bundles are now the standard. According to the report, 80% of the top 10 mid-core strategy games and 70% of the top 10 puzzle games used this tactic. These offers are often part of larger events and time-limited, nudging players to spend now rather than later.

On the progression side, milestone rewards are essential. These are rewards for players hitting certain gameplay goals. Every top 10 puzzle game used them, and so did 90% of top 10 mid-core strategy games. This shows that creating long-term paths for player progress keeps people engaged and gives them a reason to come back.

In terms of social events, tournaments are the most widely used mechanic. Puzzle games especially lean on this, with 80% of the top performers running regular tournaments. These foster a sense of community, competition, and in many cases, encourage spending to climb leaderboards.

One important detail is that not all events should last the same amount of time. Monetization events are usually short, 2 to 4 days, while progression and social events tend to run longer. This allows monetization events to create urgency and drive fast spending, while progression and social mechanics support long-term player goals.

The report also shows that event variety plays a big role. Games that rotate between different event types and themes tend to hold players’ attention longer. This is true across both puzzle and strategy game genres. Without variety, events start to feel stale, and engagement drops.

To better understand what successful live ops look like in practice, the report highlights two top-performing games: Gossip Harbor and Whiteout Survival.

Gossip Harbor is a puzzle game that has grown steadily through live ops. It runs a mix of event types but focuses heavily on structured calendars and layered systems. Its events overlap, offers run at the same time as progression tasks, and those stack with seasonal or holiday content. This makes every login feel like something is going on. A key move was the launch of an always-on task system, which replaced a once-a-month feature. This change drove a noticeable bump in retention.

Gossip Harbor also knows when to push monetization. By introducing offer packs that unlock based on progress or activity, the game is able to tie spending to gameplay. This creates a balance between engagement and revenue. Players are not just paying to win, they’re paying as part of an ongoing cycle that keeps them playing longer.

Whiteout Survival is another example of how live ops can be a long-term growth engine. The game focuses heavily on mid-core strategy mechanics and runs a month-long event called “State of Power.” This event involves alliances fighting each other across servers. It builds over time, starting with a preparation phase and ending with a big live PvP event.

This format encourages whales to spend early to prep for battle, and regular players to keep progressing so they can contribute. Whiteout also uses gacha mechanics like “Lucky Wheel” to support these events, where players spin to unlock heroes and gear. The spin system itself becomes another event layer, with players spending more during key periods.

Even with aggressive monetization, Whiteout keeps growing its player base. That’s because the events don’t just push purchases, they create a loop where progress and spending feed into each other.

The big takeaway from the report is that live ops has to be treated like a product feature, not a checklist item. Throwing together a one-off tournament or limited offer might get a quick bump, but it won’t lead to long-term growth. Developers need to build systems that can support frequent events, layered mechanics, and variation.

It also helps to study what others are doing. The report suggests using benchmarks to see what event mechanics top games are using, and how often. This lets teams make better decisions without having to guess. For example, if the top puzzle games all use milestone rewards, that’s a clue that your next event might need one too.

Finally, it’s worth noting that live ops strategy isn’t only about driving revenue. It’s about driving retention, session length, and engagement. These are the same metrics that help with user acquisition and ad monetization too. So, even if a player doesn’t buy today, well-run live ops can keep them around long enough to pay off in other ways.

Cracking the Live Ops Code is more than just a trend report. It’s a look at the real outcomes of games that treat live ops like a growth engine, not just a feature. The gap between games that grow and games that shrink is wide, and live ops execution is a key factor. Indie devs, large publishers, and studios in between can all take something from this data: if you want to compete, you have to learn from what’s working now.

Count of live ops games by lAP revenue change