How To Get Started With IP Partnerships And Why Crossover Events Will Triumph In 2025
Mobile games and brands stand at a collaborative inflection point. Mobile games have emerged over the past years as a key stage for brands and IP holders, while developers and publishers look to licensing IPs as a way to expand audiences and retain players.
And the intersection between games and brands is only getting stronger. In 2024, nearly half of the top 200 mobile games in the United States integrated licensed IPs, with this figure exceeding 60% in China and Japan.
Over the course of Yodo1 Licensing’s work with games and brands, we’ve seen staggering success. Including Pacific Rim characters and skins boosted Top War’s DAU’s by 1.5 million in 2020. Game for Peace integrated costumes, vehicles, and other elements from TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS and saw its revenue increase over 50% over two weeks.
Going beyond the game is an essential strategy for securing a sustainable, scalable legacy in 2025, and will likely remain through the coming years. Game developers and IP licensors should heed the opportunity, but also recognize that there are challenges to overcome.
Connecting iconic IPs, stories, and characters with the best mobile game studios for crossover events is a powerful way to secure every party's legacy.
Why mobile game studios and IP brands should partner up
Mobile games are prime real estate for brands to bring characters and stories to a wider, more engaged audience. At the same time, studios with recognized IP of their own have a lot to gain by mixing their narratives with the gameplay of peer developers and publishers.
Gamified experiences increase engagement and retention, especially when compared to more traditional marketing methods. Familiar IPs can also sway players to stay engaged for longer sessions.
Globally, 64% of players recall a brand featured in a game they’ve played, highlighting how gaming experiences can positively impact brand recognition. Gamification strategies also see customer loyalty rise 22% on average.
At the same time, more than half of players make in-game purchases in IP-based titles, between 10% and 20% more than non-IP-based games. Special events are especially significant, as IP collaborations have the potential to 10% to 30% during these isolated periods.
Based on Yodo1 Licensing’s current collaborations and how they’re received by players worldwide, these trends are likely here to stay through 2025 and the years to come.
One example of how well partnerships can serve games and brands is the event Yodo1 facilitated between the game Top War and the Pacific Rim franchise. By integrating the franchise’s recognizable giant mechs and monsters into the game via a limited-time event, Yodo1 helped boost its daily active users (+5%) and downloads (+12%), also increasing the game’s revenue ranking in the US and China.
What causes friction in IP partnerships?
Strategic partnerships open new marketing channels for games and brands, and unlock promotional opportunities that meet people where they’re most engaged. But they’re by no means simple.
One of the key challenges for strategic partnerships between game studios and IP holders is finding the right match. Developers need to select IPs that match their gaming experiences and play to their audiences, without risking significant player disruption and churn.
Game companies also need to communicate effectively with IP holders, especially if the brands in question aren’t used to placing their stories and characters into games.
On the flip side, IP holders are rightly protective of their creative properties. Merging two gaming IPs, or games with IPs outside the gaming world, can be incredibly complex, underscoring the importance of a collaborative relationship and an intermediary that understands every element of an IP partnership.
Yodo1 facilitates this dialogue, ensuring that developers understand the IP’s unique characteristics while addressing licensors’ concerns.
See our success stories and find out how we can help write yours
Since its founding in 2011, Yodo1 has united its licensing efforts into a business unit to becoming a leader in digital IP licensing in 2017. We’ve launched a vast number of game and IP collaborations over the past six years, partnering with major global brands like Hasbro’s TRANSFORMERS.
Our new playbook highlights Yodo1’s proactive approach in supporting developers who may be new to licensed games, equipping them with the expertise needed to navigate this space effectively.
By analyzing data from past collaborations, Yodo1 can guide licensors in selecting studios and crafting successful gaming experiences. The book also contains several case studies to show how IP collaborations can swiftly and effectively drive player engagement and revenue growth.
Looking ahead, Yodo1 Licensing is developing innovative solutions to improve data-driven decision-making in IP licensing. This upcoming tool will provide critical insights into brand performance and return on investment, further strengthening the connection between gaming and licensing.
