Game User Acquisition Agencies in 2026: Who Fits Which Publisher
By Jan Rojek
Choosing a user acquisition agency is mostly a question of fit. Some agencies are built around social and app-store campaigns, some around influencers, some around native ads and web registration. This guide sets out who does what among the agencies game publishers most often shortlist in 2026, what agency work costs according to published ranges, and which questions separate a good fit from a bad one.
Full disclosure: Nomads Digital is a game user acquisition agency, and we are on this list. Everything said about the other agencies comes from their own websites, linked in each entry and checked in October 2026.
Key takeaways
- Pick by channel and genre first. The right agency for an influencer launch is rarely the right one for always-on native or social buying.
- Check the spend tier. Admiral Media names US$50,000+ a month in paid media as its ideal client; AppAgent describes typical minimum media spend thresholds of around $25,000 a month.
- Published fee ranges for game marketing agencies: retainers of $8,000–$30,000+ a month, or 10–20% of ad spend; strategic audits of $10,000–$30,000 (AppAgent).
- Ask what the agency reports on. Installs and clicks are steps; registrations, retention and paying players are the result.
Who does what
| Agency | Fits publishers who |
|---|---|
| Nomads Digital | send players to their own landing page or web shop and want native ads, funnels and creatives from one team |
| Udonis | run mobile games and want a large social and app-store UA team |
| AppAgent | want strategy and creative programmes alongside UA |
| Admiral Media | spend US$50,000+ a month on paid media, the client size it names as ideal |
| Zorka.Agency | plan influencer-led launches; packages start at $20K+ |
| PocketWhale | want marketing, PR and influence from one group across mobile, PC and console |
| RocketShip HQ | want a high volume of AI-assisted creative experiments |
The agencies in more detail
Nomads Digital
We plan, buy and optimise paid media for game publishers across 15+ traffic sources and 37+ GEOs, including the large native networks. Our campaigns usually end on the publisher's landing page, where players register first, and we build the interactive funnels and creatives that sit in front of it. We have promoted 137 games for publishers including Plarium, InnoGames, Travian Games, Goodgame Studios and GTArcade, and 85% of our clients return for another title. Case studies.
Udonis
Udonis presents itself as a mobile game marketing agency. Its website states it has acquired over 300 million users and managed more than $500 million in mobile game user acquisition and creative budgets, and it publishes a large blog on mobile game marketing.
AppAgent
AppAgent calls itself "an award-winning growth and creative partner for top mobile game publishers" and lists clients including Supercell, Square Enix, Scopely and InnoGames. Its services are packaged as a strategy programme (Gameplan) plus growth, creative and support programmes. It also publishes one of the more detailed public guides to agency pricing.
Admiral Media
Admiral Media combines performance marketing with AI-made creative. Its website states €500M+ in ad spend managed and 150+ brands grown, and names apps and e-commerce brands investing US$50,000+ a month in paid media as its ideal clients. Games are one of several verticals.
Zorka.Agency
Zorka focuses on influencer marketing for games and lists campaigns for titles such as RAID: Shadow Legends, Marvel Strike Force and Monopoly GO. It is one of the few agencies with public entry prices: influencer marketing from $20K+, a larger package from $50K+ and brand awareness campaigns from $150K+.
PocketWhale
PocketWhale markets mobile, PC and console games from offices in Beverly Hills, Paris and Tokyo. It belongs to the New Vega Group, whose other companies cover PR and events, media buying, influence and creative production. Its case studies include Genshin Impact, Pokémon GO and World of Tanks.
RocketShip HQ
RocketShip HQ was founded by Shamanth Rao, who hosts the Mobile User Acquisition Show podcast. It offers mobile UA, creative strategy and consulting, and positions itself on AI-assisted creative testing at high volume. Gaming is one of several client verticals.
What a game UA agency costs
Agencies rarely publish their own fees, but the published market ranges give a frame. AppAgent's 2026 pricing guide lists monthly retainers of $8,000–$30,000+, fees of 10–20% of ad spend as an alternative model, strategic audits of $10,000–$30,000 and creative production of $5,000–$20,000+ a month. It also describes typical test budgets of $500–$1,000 a day per region during the testing phase (AppAgent).
Media spend comes on top of the agency fee. When comparing offers, ask whether the fee is fixed, a share of spend or tied to results, and what is included in each.
How to choose: questions to ask every agency
- Which channels do you buy on, and which do you not? Social, search, native, influencer and web traffic need different skills.
- Have you worked on our genre, at our spend level? Ask for examples at a comparable size.
- What do you report on? Look for registrations, retention and paying players per market and creative, not only installs and clicks.
- Who makes the creatives, and how many new ones per month? Every creative wears out; volume and speed decide how long a campaign keeps working.
- What happens between the ad and our landing page? A prelander or interactive funnel can change how many visitors register.
- How do we start? A defined test with a set budget, markets and goal makes the first month comparable.
Frequently asked questions
What does a game user acquisition agency do?
It plans and buys paid advertising that brings new players to a game and optimises that spend on what players do next: register, install, return and pay. Most also produce the ad creatives; some build the landing steps and tracking as well.
How much does a game UA agency cost?
Published ranges for 2026 are retainers of $8,000–$30,000+ a month or 10–20% of ad spend, plus media spend. Several agencies name minimum monthly media budgets between about $25,000 and $50,000.
Which agency is best for native ads for games?
Most game UA agencies focus on social platforms and app stores. Nomads Digital runs native campaigns for games on networks such as Taboola and Outbrain, with interactive funnels and creatives built for readers. Our comparison of native networks explains the differences between them.
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