{"id":14171,"date":"2026-09-09T13:24:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T13:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playgama.com\/blog\/?p=14171"},"modified":"2026-09-09T13:24:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T13:24:01","slug":"which-ad-formats-work-best-for-web","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playgama.com\/blog\/business-faqs\/which-ad-formats-work-best-for-web\/","title":{"rendered":"Which ad formats work best for web games?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Format choice matters less than placement: interstitials at natural breaks drove about 60% of RocketGoal\u2019s revenue from roughly 4.5x fewer impressions, with eCPM about 8x a banner\u2019s, according to Mobidictum (06.08.2026). Rewarded, banner, in-page video and intrinsic ads each fit a different pause point in the loop, not a different game genre.<\/strong><\/p>\n

At a glance<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Fact<\/th>\nValue<\/th>\nSource<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Share of RocketGoal revenue from interstitials at natural breaks<\/td>\n~60%<\/td>\nmobidictum.com<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Interstitial eCPM compared with banner eCPM<\/td>\n~8x higher<\/td>\nmobidictum.com<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Impressions needed for that 60% revenue share<\/td>\n~4.5x fewer impressions<\/td>\nmobidictum.com<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Formats covered by one SDK integration<\/td>\n5 formats<\/td>\nplaygama.com<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
How a developer applies to Playgama Ad<\/td>\napplication, open beta, no public benchmarks yet<\/td>\nplaygama.com<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

Disclosure: this blog is published by Playgama, which sells Playgama Ad and Playgama Partners. Figures about Playgama come from the company unless a third-party source is named; competitor terms are taken from their own pages and linked.<\/em><\/p>\n

What actually decides whether a format works?<\/h2>\n

Three things: where it sits in the game loop, whether it interrupts something the player wants to finish, and whether the reward or the break is stated up front. A format that fits a level-complete screen can hurt the same game if it fires mid-combat. That\u2019s why comparing formats by name alone (\u2018rewarded is better than interstitial\u2019) is the wrong question \u2013 the right question is which moment in the loop can absorb the interruption.<\/p>\n

Format by format<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Format<\/th>\nWhere it fits<\/th>\nWhat it interrupts<\/th>\nWhat it needs from the game<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Interstitial (pre-roll)<\/td>\nBefore the session starts<\/td>\nNothing yet \u2013 player hasn\u2019t committed time<\/td>\nA loading or menu screen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Interstitial (mid-roll)<\/td>\nLevel end, death screen, checkpoint<\/td>\nA natural pause the player already expects<\/td>\nA defined break point in the level structure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rewarded video<\/td>\nPlayer-initiated, for an extra life, currency or hint<\/td>\nNothing if it stays optional<\/td>\nA reward stated before the video starts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Banner<\/td>\nPersistent, edge of the screen<\/td>\nScreen space, not gameplay<\/td>\nLayout room that doesn\u2019t sit over controls<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
In-page video<\/td>\nPortal page around the game, not inside it<\/td>\nNothing inside the game loop<\/td>\nA player who hasn\u2019t started the session yet<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Intrinsic \/ native (Anzu)<\/td>\nInside the game world, as a billboard or prop<\/td>\nNothing if it reads as scenery<\/td>\nAn in-world surface to render the ad on<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

According to Mobidictum (06.08.2026), the RocketGoal case study<\/a> describes the starting mix this way: \u201cRocketGoal kicked off with an ad format mix common to web games, as noted above: overlay banner placements on both sides of the screen and interstitial ads at natural gameplay breaks.\u201d The team then leaned harder into interstitials once the break-point data came in, and the ratios above show why.<\/p>\n

Placement rules that are checkable<\/h2>\n