Rewarded UA Is a strategic advantage – if you treat it that way

• Rewarded UA has evolved from a niche tactic to a cornerstone of performance marketing.
• The market has moved from early 'incentivised installs' to long-term value and engagement.
• Rewarded UA helps acquire the right users - and give them a reason to stay.
• There's no 'one size fits all' approach; understand where the value lies for your game.

Caglar Eger, the CEO of advertising specialist Exmox, takes a deep dive into the world of rewarded user acquisition (UA) and outlines how it can offer developers a significant strategic advantage, if they're willing to look at it differently.

Once considered a niche tactic, rewarded UA has rapidly become a cornerstone of modern performance marketing. Today, it’s a critical growth engine for some of the world’s most successful gaming companies, offering scale, efficiency, and high-quality engagement when done right.

But success with rewarded UA doesn’t happen in isolation. It depends on close collaboration between the gaming companies and the rewarded network, a shared commitment to optimising for real value, not just volume.

Building and nurturing partnerships have always been a core part of my business philosophy. At exmox, we’ve also built our platform around that belief. By working as a true partner to gaming companies, we help turn rewarded UA from a one-off test into a scalable, sustainable channel for long-term growth.

History of rewarded UA

What began as a niche approach has steadily grown into one of the most reliable and effective strategies in user acquisition. Having witnessed and worked in the rewarded space for years, I’ve seen how it has evolved, not just as a performance tactic but as a way to create real value for both users and advertisers.

Rewarded user acquisition was originally a response to a growing frustration with intrusive ad formats, especially in mobile games. Instead of interrupting the experience, it offered users something in return, like in-game currency or bonuses, in exchange for their attention or actions. This shift gave users more control over when and how they engage with ads, resulting in higher engagement rates and a much more positive user experience.

The core idea behind it isn’t new. In the early 2000s, we already saw referral programs ("invite a friend and get $10") and cost-per-action affiliate models. These laid the groundwork for what would eventually become rewarded UA. When mobile apps and free-to-play games took off, developers needed scalable, efficient ways to grow and rewarded UA became a natural fit.

Early on, incentivised installs generated big numbers, but the quality of users wasn’t always there. Many would uninstall the app right after receiving their reward. That experience pushed the industry to look beyond just volume and start focusing on long-term value and engagement.

That’s when we saw formats like rewarded video take hold, giving users something they wanted, without forcing them to install anything. Playables and interactive experiences followed, making ads feel more like part of the game. Attribution tools like AppsFlyer and Adjust also became critical – helping us understand user behavior and optimise for quality, not just quantity.

Over time, rewarded UA became more than just a way to drive install, it became a strategic part of the marketing mix. Especially in price-sensitive or mobile-first markets, the combination of low acquisition cost and high user motivation made it incredibly effective. Today, it’s not just about acquiring users, it’s about acquiring the right users, and giving them a reason to stay.

Not all rewarded networks are created equal


One of the most common pitfalls we see in the industry is treating all rewarded networks as interchangeable. They’re not. Each one brings its own unique strengths, traffic sources, formats, and reward mechanics – and these differences directly impact user behavior and campaign outcomes.

For example, some networks operate on event-driven triggers, others are time-based, and some use a hybrid approach. Some are Android-only; others support both Android and iOS. Even the reward flow varies significantly: some give users their incentives right away, while others stretch rewards over 60–90 days.

These structural differences matter. An upfront reward might drive early engagement, but it often attracts low-intent users. A delayed or longer reward arc can lead to better retention and higher long-term value. That’s why the when and how of the reward can be just as important as the reward itself.

Yet many marketers still evaluate rewarded networks using the same short-term KPIs, like Day one retention or early ROAS. These early signals are tempting because they give quick feedback, especially when testing new networks. But in the world of rewarded traffic, early metrics are often inflated and misleading. If you only look at short-term data, you risk cutting off high-potential campaigns too soon or misjudging user quality altogether.

To truly evaluate performance, gaming companies should go deeper: look at retention over time like Day 7, Day 14, Day 30 and beyond. Measure long-term ROAS and LTV instead of just early returns. Rewarded traffic behaves differently. It requires a different lens.

So if you're serious about sustainable growth, don’t lump all rewarded networks together or rely solely on early KPIs. Take the time to understand the platform’s mechanics, reward structures, and user flow, and evaluate accordingly. That’s how you unlock the real value of rewarded UA.

Getting the most out of rewarded UA

It’s no secret that rewarded UA works, but it works best when approached with a long-term mindset. The studios that achieve the strongest results see rewarded UA not as a one-off test, but as a strategic growth channel.

A key to success is understanding how to measure performance properly. That’s why setting specific KPIs for your rewarded campaigns is so important. Because of the incentives involved, users are often more motivated to engage early on, leading to higher initial conversion rates. This behaviour is quite different from traditional channels, so it’s essential not to compare them directly.

Rewarded UA success comes from combining experience with a clear strategy, whether that’s designing the right reward flows, setting appropriate KPIs, or applying best practices. But none of this can happen without trust and collaboration.

The best results emerge when studios are open with their data and work closely with their rewarded UA partners, treating them as strategic collaborators rather than just traffic sources. Because ultimately, success is shared. That’s also why working with a rewarded network that brings experience and advisory expertise is crucial.

What winning teams are doing right

The studios that consistently succeed with rewarded user acquisition tend to have a few key practices in common. They bring in experienced in-house UA managers who understand the nuances of running rewarded campaigns effectively, rather than treating them like any other performance channel.

They invest in strong analytics infrastructure, tracking deeper in-app events and using those insights to optimise performance. Just as importantly, they maintain a close, collaborative relationship with their network partners.

These teams are also proactive about sharing relevant contextual data, such as upcoming in-game events, content drops, or economy changes, which allows everyone to make smarter, more timely decisions. 

This level of transparency and partnership is what turns a channel into a true growth engine. Rewarded is not a plug-and-play solution. It’s a partnership. And the more you invest in it, the more it gives back.

Rewarded is a partnership, not just a channel

If there's one thing I want gaming companies to take away, it’s this: rewarded networks aren’t just traffic sources, they’re strategic partners.

And like any good partnership, success depends on collaboration. When we’re aligned, when we’re sharing data, when we’re building something together, that’s when the best results happen. “We don’t win unless you do.” Let’s work together to build campaigns that drive real, long-term value.