In today's competitive and saturated gaming landscape, developers struggle to find and monetize new audiences. At the same time, engaging and retaining existing players is more challenging than ever. To "stay in the game," developers need to think outside the box to monetize their games in relevant and modern ways. That’s where the offerwall comes in. An offerwall is an interactive advertising platform that grants players virtual rewards (in-game currencies, game items, etc.) for completing tasks or activities from advertisers. Imagine a mini-store showcasing a variety of offers to complete, or a board of side quests in a video game. Players can scroll through and see a list of activities, such as installing apps or completing surveys, alongside their respective rewards. Offerwalls existed long before mobile games offered extra lives or coins for watching video ads, pioneering an in-app advertising boom that grew to $399.6 billion in spending in 2024. Offerwalls are attractive because they present a win-win-win scenario: developers can generate new revenue from non-paying players, players can earn rewards without spending a cent, and advertisers can tap into a highly engaged and targeted audience.

Challenges to modern gaming monetization

Despite their impact, developers have been slow to adopt offerwalls. Yet, relying solely on in-app purchases and traditional ads poses challenges in today's game market.

• Missed revenue opportunities. Neglecting the additional income stream from non-paying users limits a game's earning potential. Without exploring beyond traditional monetization methods, developers may miss out on crucial revenue that can enhance profitability.
• Weak player engagement and retention. Without attractive, meaningful rewards, players may slowly lose interest and spend less time interacting with the game, causing the community to suffer. Eventually, players may abandon the game entirely, resulting in lower retention rates and lower popularity.
• Narrow monetization scope. Restricting the scope of your revenue to a small group of paying users may cost you a more significant portion of your audience that would be interested in engaging with your game for free. To appeal to both audiences, offering a diverse selection of tasks and rewards can ensure you maximize revenue without losing players' interest.
• Rigid monetization infrastructure. Monetization without disruptions to the user experience and flow of the game is crucial for developers. With additional flexibility to integrate diverse monetization methods, developers can optimize revenue without compromising gameplay or alienating users.

With these challenges and more to overcome, it's more important than ever for developers to invest in cutting-edge methods to grow and engage their audiences. Luckily, the benefits of a high-quality offerwall are more than worth the investment.

Offerwall’s role in engagement and beyond

Offerwalls naturally synergize with games, affording developers and publishers a host of benefits, including optimized monetization, increased player retention, and unprecedented growth. Unlock new revenue streams Developers can unlock new monetization opportunities by shifting beyond traditional in-app purchases and ads. With offerwalls, engaging non-paying players and reaching untapped audiences across genres and games is now possible. This unlocks the potential for developers to increase ROI and maximize profits. The best part of monetizing non-paying users through offerwalls? Offerwall users are 10 to 14 times more likely to make in-app purchases, increasing your revenue even more. Increase player engagement and boost player retention In-game currency rewards are incredibly attractive to players, keeping users engaged and encouraging higher offer participation. Once players have invested in your game, keeping them retained long-term is easier with an offerwall. By offering attractive rewards for completing tasks, player retention rates of offerwall users are five times higher than non-users. Broaden monetization scope and reach The beauty of offerwalls is that they provide a variety of quests that appeal to all player types, including those who prefer not to make in-app purchases. With an offerwall, developers can offer diverse tasks and rewards that attract players from new markets, capturing new revenue and driving scalable growth. One powerful example:Lilith Games was able to increase app installs by 250% and secure a 50% better retention rate through the application of an offerwall. Offerwalls are the 5th most popular ad format, yet only 15% of game publishers use them. While several offerwalls exist on the market, Xsolla Offerwall stands out as a feature-rich, gaming-focused offerwall that puts your game's success first.

The unique positioning of Xsolla Offerwall

Xsolla Offerwall empowers game developers with an all-in-one solution for strategic monetization opportunities and increased player engagement, all while reducing reliance on third-party intermediaries. Here are just some of the highlights of Xsolla Offerwall:

• Revenue Share: Xsolla leads the industry with the highest revenue share for developers available. Compared to other offerwall providers who typically take between 30 and 50% of the advertiser payout, Xsolla returns the majority of revenue to game publishers, ensuring maximum profits so you can keep making the games you love.
• Xsolla Points: In addition to rewarding players with coveted in-game currencies, Xsolla rewards an additional virtual currency—Xsolla Points—for each completed offer or quest. Players, therefore, earn double the rewards, boosting satisfaction and driving sustained engagement.

• Next-level Fraud Protection: Xsolla strengthens its security by requiring phone number verification to authenticate users, reducing the risk of fraud and streamlining developer payout processes.

Xsolla is committed to providing developers and publishers with an ever-evolving monetization toolkit to grow their games and reach new audiences, and Xsolla Offerwall is a new and powerful addition to unlock those opportunities.

Change the game with a next-gen offerwall solution

Xsolla Offerwalls are game-changers for unlocking new revenue streams, engaging new and existing audiences, and broadening your monetization scope. Effective, efficient monetization is critical to your success as a developer, especially in today's competitive gaming landscape. If you're ready to equip yourself with a modern monetization tool that offers maximum benefits to both you and your players, reach out to our team of experts at offerwall_publishers@xsolla.com to get started. Alternatively, visit www.xsolla.com/offerwall to learn more.