How Developers Actually Reach Players in 2026 | Chirag Ambwani Interview

Chirag Ambwani, SVP Gaming & Entertainment, Corporate Development & Partnerships at Sensor Tower, discusses the state of mobile gaming, monetization strategies, and the growing influence of AI and non-gaming categories.

In this video:

• Mobile gaming surpasses $90B, with non-gaming apps also hitting record highs
• Short drama emerges as a fast-growing category, led by former gaming publishers
• Blended monetisation (IAP, subscriptions and ads) continues to drive growth
• Puzzle remains strong, while sports and racing decline
• Legacy titles like Clash of Clans and Candy Crush thrive through live ops
• Asia publishers dominate top-grossing charts
• AI is reshaping workflows, optimisation and ad spend
• Sensor Tower expands into PC, console and web store data

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

00:24 The State of Mobile Gaming: $90 Billion and Growing

01:44 The Rise of Short Drama: Former Gaming Companies Lead the Way

03:43 Why Blended Monetization (IAP, Subscriptions, Ads) Is Key

06:20 Legacy Titles and the Dominance of Asia Publishers

09:00 AI Usage: Optimizing Spend and Workflows

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