Cyberpunk 2077 × Arena Breakout collaboration was a first in some way for everyone involved — the kind of first that worked out because we tackled it together!

For Yodo1, it was our first time stepping into the Cyberpunk 2077 universe. For CDPR (CD PROJEKT Red), it was the first time partnering with a Chinese title. And for Tencent Morefun, the team behind Arena Breakout, it was their first collaboration with a AAA game IP for both mobile and PC on a global scale.

Despite what they say about first tries, this one turned out far above expectations. The collaboration became a commercial hit, sparked a wave of excitement among players, and quickly dominated market conversations around the world.

Let’s unpack how we made it happen. In this article, we’ll cover:

• Background of both studios and games
• Integration overview
• Main results and players’ reaction
• Yodo1 role

Background of the Studios and Games

A smooth IP integration starts with understanding the game, the developer behind it, and the IP holder — their style, their pace, and their priorities.

Game: Arena Breakout by Tencent Morefun

Arena Breakout is a hardcore shooter built around a tight loop of combat, missions, and evacuation. Its community is loyal and highly attuned to the game’s feel and presentation.

Tencent Morefun’s compact team was managing several projects in parallel, so we focused on keeping communication clear and the workflow efficient from the start.

IP: Cyberpunk 2077 by CDPR

Cyberpunk 2077 is an AAA title known for its instantly recognizable HIGH TECH, LOW LIFE aesthetic and rich visual identity.

CDPR brings a well-defined creative direction for visual style and lore, so we concentrated on getting the details right — from outfits to props — to make the content feel true to the Cyberpunk universe and enjoyable for players.

Overview of the Integration

Event period and promotion

The event launched in Arena Breakout on July 29, with the announcement going live on July 20 and supported by a coordinated promotional push through July 30.

How the character entered the world

To keep both universes flexible and avoid overdefining the narrative connection, the collaboration intentionally left the crossover mechanics to players’ imagination.

Collaboration scene

To pay tribute to Cyberpunk 2077, the developers added the ‘Horizon’ bar to Arena Breakout as the main interface and scene for the collaboration, where players received missions and took part in event activities.

Integration content

A wide range of Cyberpunk-themed items became available to players, including:

• Characters (Costumes): Judy & Johnny Silverhand
• Weapon Skins: Arasaka, Militech, and more
• Themed Tactical Gear: Trauma Team, Samurai, Maelstrom, and more
• Classic Jackets
• Other collab-items: keychains, sprays, stickers, and more

Key results

The collaboration delivered strong results, setting new benchmarks in early demand, visibility, and player reception.

Pre-Launch Momentum

‍Before the collaboration officially arrived on Steam, Arena Breakout had already built extraordinary traction: wishlists surpassed 2.2 million, placing it №3 among all shooters, behind only ARC Raiders and Battlefield 6. This early momentum signaled strong cross-market anticipation well ahead of the collab’s launch.

Worldwide Visibility

‍The launch ignited massive attention worldwide. In China, the event generated 470M+ topic plays, while global coverage from IGN and a 3M-reach stream by LVNDMARK sparked strong fan interest and enthusiasm around the IP. On Steam, the game earned a “Very Positive” rating with a steadily rising review curve — driven heavily by overseas players. On Twitch, it peaked at 101K viewers, outperforming new releases and even overtaking long-time chart leaders.

Meeting Player Expectations‍

With Cyberpunk 2077 ranked as the №1 requested IP, the collaboration delivered exactly the type of content players were hoping for. Feedback highlighted the authenticity, visual quality, and overall execution of the integration.

Yodo1 Role

This project highlighted how Yodo1 can streamline complex workflows and enhance team alignment at every stage.

1. Project Coordination. With this being a first-time collaboration between the IP holder and the developer, Yodo1 helped keep the workflow organized, communication aligned, and milestones on schedule.
2. Ongoing Operational Support. Steady day-to-day support from Yodo1 project managers ensured clarity across teams and helped maintain momentum during fast-moving phases of the project.
3. AAA IP Alignment. Yodo1 focused on deeply understanding the Cyberpunk universe and ensuring the integration aligned smoothly with the IP’s visual style and thematic direction.

About Yodo1

Yodo1 helps mobile game developers grow globally through licensing, monetization, IP partnerships, and publishing. Yodo1 Licensing builds lasting IP collaborations between mobile games and media brands, helping both sides create crossover strategies that boost loyalty, attract new players, and stand out in a competitive market. Learn more at yodo1.com.

The Heartopia × My Little Pony collaboration was one of the cutest aesthetic partnerships we facilitated this year — and also one of the strongest in performance, boosting Heartopia’s revenue by 171%. So, how did we make it happen together with XD Inc. and Hasbro?

In this case study, we’ll cover:

• Background of the studios and games
• Integration overview
• Opportunities and challenges
• Key results
• Essential learnings for simulation games

About the Studios and the IP

This was our first time bringing Hasbro’s IP and XD Inc. together — so here’s a quick look at both sides.

Game: Heartopia by XD Inc.

Heartopia is a 3D life simulation game set on a dreamy island where players, guided by the Star Spirit, develop their towns, customise freely, and uncover hidden stories through interactions with residents.

XD Inc. is a global publisher and developer with 38 free-to-play and premium titles and over 50 million MAU (Monthly Active Users) as of 2022.

IP: My Little Pony by Hasbro

My Little Pony (MLP) is a toy line and media franchise with a 41-year history, known for its cute, colorful ponies. Designed to inspire girls to express their individuality and embrace others’ uniqueness, it has evolved through five generations from G1 (1983) to the current G5 era.

Hasbro is a global entertainment company and one of the world’s largest toy and game manufacturers, home to brands like Transformers, Monopoly, Nerf, and My Little Pony, and a developer of both physical and digital IP experiences across gaming and media.

Bringing My Little Pony into the World of Heartopia

Event period and promotion

The event ran from July 17 to August 24, 2025, and was available exclusively in Mainland China

How character entered the world

While the ponies were preparing gifts for the School of Friendship, Discord’s chaotic spell accidentally sent both the Harmony Cards and the Tree of Harmony to another world. They traced it to Heartopia’s Whale Island, where the Tree is slowly withering — and the ponies themselves can’t freely enter or leave this world.

Integration content

• IP Content: The ponies themselves don’t appear in Heartopia, but their themed costumes, vehicles, and collectible cards do — inspired by the six main ponies: Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy.
• Gameplay: This collaboration uses ‘the Tree of Harmony’ and ‘Elements of Harmony’ to develop event gameplay and story. Players can collect elements and rewards from the withered Tree of Harmony, then contribute energy by watering it for additional prizes.

Finding the Right Fit and Overcoming the Challenges

To provide more insight into this and the following sections, we invited Sylvie Shi, Project Manager of the collaboration, and Ke Sun, Head of Strategy and China Publishing, to share their perspectives in an interview-style format.

Q: How did we identify this growth opportunity?

Ke Sun: After its July 2024 release, Heartopia quickly climbed into the top ten sales charts. The XD team wanted to sustain that momentum by partnering with an IP that complemented the game. We identified My Little Pony as the perfect fit — bringing a fresh dose of charm and cuteness that resonated with Heartopia’s core audience of 15–35-year-old females.

Q: What was the biggest challenge Yodo1 helped to solve?

Sylvie Shi: Time management was a major challenge — especially around licensing approvals and coordinating market events. For example, the extra steps required for music licensing required careful tracking to keep everything on schedule. Also, we ensured brand alignment on both sides and kept refining creative integration options throughout the process.

Costumes based on the Mane Six characters from My Little Pony.

Despite the complexity, our expertise in IP collaboration project management and deep understanding of the IP made the process seamless, saving significant time for both XD Games and Hasbro, which was our goal.

Results and Impact

Q: What are the performance highlights of this collaboration?

Ke Sun: This collaboration delivered impressive results in both revenue and downloads, while also making a strong impact on the fan community. Compared to the non-collab period, the event achieved:

• +171% in Heartopia’s revenue (totalling $5.89M)
• +34.38% in Heartopia’s downloads (totalling 642K)

The campaign also set new records for community engagement and brand visibility:

• Record-Breaking Social Performance. Promotional content surpassed 18.2M views, with event posts becoming the game’s best-performing of all time.

• Successful Combination of Online and Offline Exposure. The Taptap Fest stream reached 3.53M+ views, while the offline Ponyverse Festival generated 33.8M+ Rednote hashtag views, pushing Heartopia’s search indices on Weibo and WeChat to all-time highs.
• Higly Positive Player Feedback. Players praised the high quality of assets and the My Little Pony–themed atmosphere, leading to a notable boost in positive community sentiment.

Data source: AppMagic

Key Learnings and Takeaways

Q: What are the top insights this collaboration brings to life stimulation games?

Sylvie Shi: There’re three key points we highlighted to keep in mind for facilitate future collaborations in this simulation genre:

• Timing collaborations with key game events or milestones can amplify their impact. We strategically launched Heartopia x MLP collaboration during Heartopia’s anniversary celebration, maximising user engagement and tapping into moments when players are most active and likely to spend.
• Social Interactions are important for life stimulation games too. These features encouraged players to share their in-game experiences and collaborate with others, enhancing and deepening fan engagement. For example, Heartopia introduced a unique Tree of Harmony map where players could gather, take photos, and complete quests, as well as a Badge Collection feature that let them exchange badges and use them to decorate their homes.
• Exclusive content sales help boost revenue. In Heartopia, the launch of My Little Pony–themed items created a strong monetization stream, as players eagerly purchased unique pieces to dress up and share the vibe with others in the game.

Commemorative Merchandise (Badge Collection) that were introduced in Heartopia.

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Vehicles based on Mane Six characters’ ponies that were introduced in Heartopia.

By integrating these insights, simulation games can effectively enhance their gameplay, engage diverse audiences, and increase their commercial success.

About Yodo1

Yodo1 helps mobile game developers grow globally through licensing, monetization, IP partnerships, and publishing. Yodo1 Licensing builds lasting IP collaborations between mobile games and media brands, helping both sides create crossover strategies that boost loyalty, attract new players, and stand out in a competitive market. Learn more at yodo1.com.

When Yodo1 took over publishing and LiveOps for Transformers: Earth Wars, one of our top priorities was to strengthen the game’s long-term revenue sustainability.

A key part of this strategy was expanding DTC revenue by guiding more players to the webshop instead of relying solely on in-game purchases. To make this shift effective, we partnered with Neon, a leading DTC and fintech platform for games.

By combining Neon’s infrastructure with Yodo1’s LiveOps execution and player-facing communication, we increased the webshop’s revenue share from 25% to 57% in just eight months.

Here’s how we did it.

Challenge: Shift Player Spend Toward the Webshop

Our main challenge was to increase the share of Transformers: Earth Wars players making purchases in the webshop rather than inside the app, while also driving consistent traffic and improving overall visibility.

First, let’s quickly recap why studios prefer revenue from webshops (DTC) instead of in-game purchases:

1. Lower fees: In-game purchases carry a ~30% platform fee, versus ~0–5% via DTC.
2. Direct player relationship: Studios can collect emails, run targeted promos, build loyalty loops, and better track LTV.
3. More pricing freedom: DTC enables flexible discounts, bundles, regional pricing, A/B tests, instant updates, and promotions not possible within app stores.
4. Higher reinvestment potential: Better margins mean more budget for UA, LiveOps, and player value.
5. Reduced platform dependency: DTC revenue is resilient to App Store policy shifts, privacy changes, and platform volatility.
6. Transparent analytics: DTC provides full-funnel visibility—from item preferences to repeat purchase behavior.

Knowing all these, it was clear that increasing DTC revenue was key to strengthening long-term monetization and reducing risk. So, we needed to:

• Shift players’ purchasing habits toward the webshop
• Communicate the value of DTC offers to players
• Integrate webshop incentives into the game without disrupting core gameplay
• Drive consistent traffic to the webshop
• Improve visibility of DTC offers across all channels

To do that, we focused on four core areas.

Ingredients of Success: Strong LiveOps, Clear Visibility, Smart Conversion & Player Re-Engagement

Using both expertise of our team members and Neon’s support we focused on LiveOps and promotions:

Extending LiveOps Beyond the Game

We expanded LiveOps to include the webshop as an integral part of the weekly content rhythm.Before major in-game events, we refreshed DTC offers with themed bundles that matched upcoming mechanics.

This made webshop visits a natural part of event preparation—establishing a weekly routine and reinforcing the webshop as an extension of gameplay.

‍Consistent In-Game Promotion

After the Epic v. Apple ruling enabled direct linking to DTC experiences on iOS US, we embedded clear, consistent in-game prompts that guided players to the webshop.

Paired with predictable Friday offer refreshes, these links boosted visibility, increased traffic, and established strong player expectations around weekly webshop updates.

First-Time Purchase Promotion

As traffic grew, we focused on converting new visitors into buyers through a streamlined first-time purchase promotion:

1. A free gift was offered to players who had never purchased in the webshop.
   • On iOS US, promoted through an in-game pop-up.
   • Elsewhere, communicated through Discord and other out-of-app channels.
2. After claiming the gift, players saw a CTA to enter their email to receive a 50% off discount for their first webshop purchase.
3. Once submitted, the promo code was displayed instantly and automatically applied to the cart—persisting until the player completed their first purchase.

‍Re-engaging High-Value Players Through Direct Outreach

To maximize long-term retention and revenue, we also implemented targeted outreach campaigns:

• We contacted spenders with a low percentage of webshop purchases to make them aware of the benefits and exclusive offers available on the Web Store.
• We also reached out to spenders who had stopped visiting the Web Store, encouraging their return with discount codes provided by the LiveOps team.

These personalized nudges helped recover at-risk spenders and strengthened the overall DTC funnel.

Results: 2.2× Growth in Webshop Revenue Share in 8 Months

Within eight months, we achieved significant results for Transformers: Earth Wars:

• Webshop revenue share grew from 25% to 57% (a 2.28× increase), as more players chose to purchase outside traditional app stores

• First-time purchases grew 1.8×, driven primarily by the first-time purchase promotion that converted non-spenders.

These outcomes demonstrate how extending LiveOps, increasing in-game visibility, and optimizing first-time conversions can drive both immediate uplift and long-term behavioral change—shifting players from in-app spending by habit to direct purchasing by choice.

About Yodo1

Yodo1 is a global publishing and growth partner for mobile and PC games, with over a decade of experience working with studios like Rivergame, Candivore, 37Games, and Tencent Studios, and collaborating with IP partners including Hasbro, Paramount, Legendary, and Sony Pictures. Learn more at yodo1.com.