Meet Gemma Hogan

The July 2025 Lineup: Crossovers, Culture and Character-Led IP

From nostalgic returns to regional mascots making global moves, July’s IP collaborations brought variety, creativity and commercial impact to the mobile gaming space. Powered by insights from IPVerse, Yodo1’s proprietary platform, we’re highlighting the standouts that made waves this month — including one of our very own.

Let’s dive into the month’s biggest moments in IP.

My Little Pony × Heartopia

China | July 17 – August 24, 2025

XD Games’ sandbox title Heartopia partnered with the globally loved My Little Pony franchise in a colourful collaboration that allowed players to explore Equestria-themed content, interact with characters like Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, and decorate their virtual homes with Ponyville flair.

Yodo1’s Take:
This is character-led IP done right. It appeals to younger audiences while also tapping into nostalgia, particularly among millennial parents. The event also shows how IP can be woven into live service games for extended engagement, a growing trend in the sandbox and simulation genres.

Ragnarok X: Next Generation × Digimon – Phase 1

Southeast Asia | July 1 – 30, 2025

Players took on Devimon in the new Darkness Purge instance, earned free Agumon pets, and dressed their characters in Taichi and Mimi outfits from the original Digimon Adventure. This is the first phase, with more content expected in future updates.

Yodo1’s Take:
This crossover hits the sweet spot of emotional nostalgia and playable content. Ragnarok X has consistently shown how episodic IP events can extend shelf life and re-engage lapsed players. Smart staging in “phases” builds momentum and gives the audience something to look forward to.

Aura Kingdom × Lan Lan Cat

Global | July 2 to 30, 2025

This quirky crossover brought the popular Taiwanese mascot Lan Lan Cat into Aura Kingdom with themed quests, outfits and home decorations. Daily login gifts offered extra incentives to keep players returning throughout the campaign.

Yodo1’s Take:
Regional IPs are increasingly breaking into global markets, and this collaboration proves it can work. The light-hearted tone and strong merchandise potential of Lan Lan Cat made this event a natural fit for an anime-styled MMORPG with broad appeal.

YY Hot Blood Season × Delta Force: Operation

China | July 10 to August 31, 2025

As part of YY Platform’s summer event series, this collab introduced team-up challenges, sign-in bonuses and prize draws linked to Delta Force: Operation, including physical rewards for top players.

Yodo1’s Take:
This is a great example of integrating IP into seasonal campaigns, extending their relevance with tangible incentives. The combination of FPS gameplay with real-world prizes also speaks to the growing convergence of gaming, streaming and influencer ecosystems in China.

YuYu Hakusho: Slugfest

Mobile | July 16, 2025

Zenifun Technology’s anime RPG brings the world of YuYu Hakusho to life with cel-shaded visuals, original Japanese voice actors and a mix of story missions, team building and PvP content.

Yodo1’s Take:
Anime IPs remain among the most consistent performers across mobile genres, and Slugfest delivers a strong mix of authenticity and gameplay depth. Its focus on voice acting and narrative-driven missions makes it ideal for long-form engagement and community-building.

The First Descendant × NieR: Automata

PC | August 7, 2025 (Revealed in July)

Nexon’s upcoming crossover with NieR: Automata introduces character skins for 2B and A2, complete with signature animations, as part of the Season 3 “Breakthrough” update.

Yodo1’s Take:
This crossover blends two stylised, fan-driven IPs in a way that feels organic. Revealing it in July before the August drop created strong buzz. These kinds of high-design collaborations are increasingly key for premium F2P shooters looking to attract wider audiences.

What July Revealed About the IP Landscape

As we wrap July, a few clear trends are emerging:

Character-led IPs are still leading the charge, with My Little Pony, Digimon and YuYu Hakusho showing how beloved universes can drive deep engagement across age groups and regions.

Regional IPs are scaling up globally, with campaigns like Lan Lan Cat reaching wider audiences by leaning into humour and visual appeal.

IP-based content is evolving beyond cosmetics, blending storylines, gameplay modes and phased rollouts to boost lifetime value and create sustained interest.

At Yodo1, we use IPVerse to track these shifts in real time, from brand engagement metrics to revenue performance and player sentiment. Whether you’re looking to run your first crossover or scale your next franchise partnership, we’re here to help you do it right.

Never miss an IP update

Join our monthly IP newsletter to get the latest insights, trend analysis, and standout collaborations delivered straight to your inbox.

If you're a small mobile game studio earning steady revenue from in-app ads, you've probably heard of two big monetisation models: waterfall mediation and in-app bidding. These terms pop up in every monetisation guide and ad tech forum — but what do they really mean for lean teams trying to grow?

Let’s break it down and settle the score.

What Is Waterfall Mediation?

Waterfall mediation is the traditional approach to ad monetisation. You rank ad networks in order of how much they typically pay, and when a player triggers an ad, your game goes down the list — checking each network one by one until it finds a bidder.

Sounds logical, right? But here’s the catch:

• You’re relying on historic averages, not real-time prices.
• You may miss out on higher-paying ads if they’re lower in the order.
• You need to manually optimise your waterfall in the effective way to avoid store penalties leading to revenue losses.

For developers without dedicated ad ops teams, it’s a slow, error-prone process.

What Is In-App Bidding?

In-app bidding flips the model on its head.

Instead of following a ranked list, bidding lets all ad networks compete at the same time in real time. The highest bid wins — automatically, instantly, and without needing constant adjustments.

The result?

• Higher eCPMs from true competition
• Faster load times from fewer calls
• Less manual work — no more waterfall tweaks

This model is quickly becoming the industry standard for a reason.

So Which Is Better?

Let’s compare the two:

Feature

Waterfall Mediation

In-App Bidding

Setup Complexity

High (manual setup needed)

Low (automated via SDK)

Optimisation

Manual & ongoing

Real-time & automatic

Revenue Potential

Moderate

Higher with true competition

Dev Time Required

High

Low

Stability

Prone to inefficiency

Consistent, real-time pricing

Best for...

Teams with ad ops expertise

Lean teams needing simplicity

Why This Matters for Indie Studios

When you're a small studio managing everything from development to monetisation, time is your most valuable resource. Waterfall mediation might offer some control, but it also demands deep expertise and constant upkeep.

In-app bidding, on the other hand, lets you focus on your game while the system works behind the scenes to maximise every impression.

This is exactly why we built MAS (Managed Ad Services).

MAS: Monetisation That Works While You Build

MAS gives you access to 15+ ad networks through a single, bidding-enabled SDK — no waterfall setup required. We handle the mediation, bidding, optimisation, and support so you don’t have to.

• Real-time bidding from day one
• Revenue uplift of up to 20%
• ANR-safe SDK, designed with stability in mind
• Ongoing support from integration through to scale

Whether you’re earning $5K or $30K a month from ads, MAS helps you unlock more value with less effort.

Final Word: Ditch the Waterfall, Embrace the Bidding

Waterfall mediation might still work — but it’s slow, outdated, and hands-on. If you want to grow your ad revenue without scaling your workload, in-app bidding is the smarter choice.

And with MAS, switching is simple.

Ready to take the leap?

Start your MAS upgrade today

‍

Taming the Squirrel: Why We Chose JOMO Over FOMO

Author

FOMO is a trap.

That twitchy impulse to check Slack, skim updates, respond instantly—“just in case”? That’s not awareness. It’s anxiety. And it’s almost never worth it.

It’s the digital-age squirrel brain—constantly darting, hoarding every notification, tail flicking at every ping. We mistake motion for meaning, presence for participation.

At Yodo1, we’ve tamed that squirrel.

We’ve replaced FOMO with something quieter, sharper—and far more powerful.

Her name is MIA.

Meet MIA

MIA is our homegrown AI assistant. She doesn’t just monitor the noise—she understands it. She reads context, detects commitments, tracks follow-through, and surfaces only what matters.

You can disappear for hours. Days. Weeks.

Then return and simply ask:

• “What do I need to catch up on?”
• “Did customer X’s onboarding go smoothly?”
• “Am I still holding the baton on anything?”

MIA answers like someone who’s been paying attention—not just collecting data, but listening with intention.

She filters the chaos. Flags the signal. Skips the rest.

We call it JOMO: the Joy of Missing Out—but not in the yoga-on-a-beach kind of way.

This is strategic JOMO.
JOMO with scaffolding.
JOMO that trusts the system you’ve built to hold what matters while you step away.

Because productivity isn’t about being always-on. It’s about knowing when—and what—to ignore.

We don’t miss out. We opt out—intentionally.

And that’s how we get the right things done.

JOMO over FOMO. Every single time.

At Yodo1, we’re not just building better tools—we’re building a better way to work.
A way that values focus over frenzy. Depth over distraction.
And yes, JOMO over FOMO.

If that sounds like your kind of environment, we’re always looking for curious minds and calm problem-solvers to join the ride.

Explore open roles at Yodo1 and help us tame the squirrel.

Explore Careers

The June 2025 Lineup: IP at Its Best

Welcome to the first edition of the Yodo1 Licensing Blast, our new newsletter spotlighting the biggest moves in the world of game x IP collaborations.

Each month, we’ll highlight standout trends, live events, launches, and licensing strategies that are shaping the future of gaming - across mobile, PC, console, and UGC platforms. Whether you’re a game developer, publisher, or IP owner, this is your go-to for what’s working, what’s next, and how to be part of it.

This month, six bold new activations are proving one thing: the right IP collaboration can make or break your launch.

From console to mobile to UGC platforms, we’re seeing a fresh wave of cross-media innovation -and it's not just about slapping on a skin or two. These integrations are foundational, building deeper narratives, community involvement, and monetization strategies right into the core of the game.

Whether you're a developer, publisher, or IP holder, these examples offer a front-row seat to what works - and why it matters. And us at Yodo1 can help you in you brand licensing journey.

1. Death Stranding 2 x Usada Pekora (Kojima Productions)

PS5 | June 26

When Hideo Kojima brings a Hololive VTuber into his cinematic universe as a permanent NPC, it’s not a gimmick - it’s a message. Usada Pekora’s fully voiced character adds quests and lore, blending streaming culture with deep, narrative-driven gameplay.

Yodo1’s Take: Expect more VTubers and digital creators to appear in-game, not just in promo reels. This is the next phase of influencer engagement.

2. Fortnite x Squid Game (Epic Games)

UEFN | June 27–30

Squid Game joins Fortnite’s UEFN ecosystem, delivering survival-style gameplay and creator tools to build your own Squid-inspired maps. It’s IP meets UGC at scale.

Yodo1’s Take: This is the future of branded gaming—where the fans aren’t just playing the content, they’re creating it.

4. Honor of Kings x Hello Kitty – Phase 2 (Tencent)

Mobile | June 28

Five new skins and a 10-day sign-in event bring Sanrio charm back to the MOBA giant. The phased rollout strategy is textbook IP lifecycle management.

Yodo1’s Take: Cute doesn’t mean casual. Lifestyle IPs like Hello Kitty can massively expand your audience—especially in competitive games.

5. MARVEL Mystic Mayhem (NetEase Games)

Mobile | June 25

A tactical RPG that drops players into a multiversal showdown with Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch. This isn’t Marvel’s first mobile move—but it might be their smartest yet.

Yodo1’s Take: Marvel understands how to localize global IP for mobile-first markets. If you’re launching in APAC, take notes.

6. Persona 5: The Phantom X (Perfect World / SEGA-Atlus)

PC & Mobile | June 26

The Phantom Thieves return with a fully localized, cross-platform spinoff. With synced progression and global support, it’s the most accessible Persona title yet.

Yodo1’s Take: Cross-platform = cross-border. If you want your franchise to scale, eliminate barriers between players.

Activation Type Strategic Advantage UGC + Cinematic IP Empowers community creation and virality Lifestyle Brand Crossover Expands into new audience demographics Anime & VTuber Integration Taps into fandoms with high retention and spending patterns Narrative Franchise Scaling Lowers entry barriers for new markets and player types

Each of these partnerships goes beyond cosmetic. They represent a maturing of the industry, where gameplay, brand, and fan culture intersect in deeper, more monetizable ways.

This is just the beginning.

Every month, we’ll bring you a curated look at the most innovative and impactful brand x game integrations - plus expert insight from Yodo1’s global licensing team.

Want to stay in the loop?

Subscribe to the Yodo1 Licensing Monthly and get the next issue delivered straight to your inbox.