The Rise of Hybridcasual: Supersonic’s Vision for the NEXT

We sat down with Igor Bereslavski, GM at Supersonic, to unpack the studio’s bold leap from hyper-casual dominance to hybridcasual innovation.

Just asked him what we’re curious about. 🦄

From the breakout success of Screw Master 3D to smarter UA and LiveOps strategies, Igor takes us behind the scenes of Supersonic’s hybrid-powered future, where data meets design, and scale meets sustainability.

SuperSonic?

From Trash Tycoon to Screw Master, Supersonic has already published 130+ Games, hit 190M+ MAU, and racked up 6.4 Billion installs.

Hybrid isn’t just a new genre, it’s now a whole new mindset.

To kick it off, let’s first make “Hybridcasual” clear.

The term is suuuper vague. Let’s make the borders clear, you know, from Casual to Hyper.

What does “Hybridcasual” really mean at Supersonic?

Hybridcasual at Supersonic is about mixing key elements from casual and hypercasual games to boost user engagement, monetization, and retention. It’s focused on combining the easy, low-friction gameplay of casual games with the quick, addictive loops of hypercasual games.

Hypercasual & Hybridcasual games rely heavily on marketability because they target a wide audience. Their success depends on being simple, fun, and easy to pick up quickly, aiming for mass appeal.

The lines between hybridcasual and hypercasual aren’t fixed; they’re shaped by data. Metrics like session length, revenue per user, retention, and virality tell us where the boundary lies. It’s a flexible spectrum, not a clear cut. Who makes these decisions? The product and growth teams, who look at the data and run experiments to find the right balance.

For us, it’s about finding the right mix based on what players want and how the market reacts.

Why Hybrid now? You’ve already been a leader in hypercasual.

Supersonic’s leadership in hypercasual was built on the core principles of rapid, scalable growth through simple, highly engaging games. But the scene is evolving. The market has become saturated, and user acquisition costs are rising. 

Hybrid games, on the other hand, heavily leverage live ops, ongoing updates, events, and content that keep current users engaged and spending. This approach enables developers to squeeze more revenue from existing players, not just depend on new user acquisition. It shifts the focus from a one-time growth spike to a steadier, predictable revenue stream.

The scene is moving toward a model where maximizing lifetime value (LTV) is key. Live ops act as a catalyst for this, they transform a hypercasual, one-and-done experience into a sustainable ecosystem where players are continually retained, re-engaged, and monetized over time. This makes the business more resilient, less exposed to the volatility and rising costs of constantly acquiring new users.

In short, transitioning into hybrid models and integrating live ops allows us to balance growth with revenue stability, building long-term value from the players they already have, while still leveraging the broad appeal and marketability that hypercasual once thrived on.

How is your User Acquisition & Monetization strategy shifting for Hybridcasual?

With the move to hybrid, our approach to UA and monetization shifts from volume-driven acquisition to a more nuanced, value-centric strategy. We focus on attracting the right players, those more likely to engage deeply and generate higher lifetime value.

On the monetization side, we adopt a mixed approach that combines ads and IAPs. This allows us to diversify revenue streams and maximize monetization opportunities for different player segments. Live ops and ongoing engagement are fundamental; through fresh content, events, and personalized offers, we extend player retention and increase both ad revenue and IAP spend.

Using data, we identify high-potential segments and tailor our campaigns to attract players who are more likely to engage deeply. We nurture these players with continuous updates and personalised experiences, which encourages longer retention, more spending, and greater loyalty. The strategy becomes a cycle: acquire smarter, engage continuously, monetize effectively through a balanced mix of ads and IAPs, and sustain growth overall, creating a stable, long-term business model focused on maximizing player lifetime value.

What’s new in your UA playbook for hybrid titles?

For UA, we’re always exploring new channels and constantly updating our playbook. Growth in the hybrid space requires a flexible, adaptive approach, so we’re never static. We continuously test and add new channels, whether it’s innovative ad networks or other partnerships, to find those that deliver our desired quality of users. Our goal is to diversify acquisition sources, optimize return on ad spend, and unlock new growth opportunities, especially as the landscape evolves rapidly. It’s a core part of our strategy to stay ahead and maximize the long-term potential of our hybrid titles.

Creative-wise, we’re leaning into progression hooks, meta systems, and real in-game value, stuff that reflects the depth of the gameplay. The classic hyper-casual ‘fail moment’ creatives don’t cut it here. We are leveraging AI tools that are out there today for creating videos, playables, and (UGS) to drive more effective and engaging campaigns. AI tools enable us to dynamically optimize our creatives, running real-time A/B tests, predicting what resonates best with different audience segments, and scaling high-performing combinations quickly. This ensures that we’re not just testing creatives at a manual pace, but continuously evolving in response to player behavior.

How do you balance LTV vs. CPI in hybrid titles?

Balancing short-term performance metrics like CPI with longer-term retention and monetization goals in hybrid titles requires a strategic, player-centric approach. In the early stages, it’s crucial to focus on acquiring the right players, those who show potential for high LTV, while controlling CPI to ensure efficient spend. However, we don’t want to optimize solely for initial installs; that can lead to high churn and low lifetime value.

To do this, we use data to identify high-quality audiences and tweak our UA campaigns accordingly. Once players are in, our focus shifts to retention through continuous live ops, fresh content, and personalized experiences that keep players engaged long-term. A balanced approach means optimizing the onboarding experience, sequencing content, and offering monetization opportunities that suit different player segments.

We closely monitor metrics like retention rate, in-game spending, and ROAS alongside CPI. The goal is to grow sustainably, making sure our initial acquisition is aligned with long-term profitability. We’re always iterating: if a campaign drives many installs but poor retention, we adjust. If retention improves but CPI skyrockets, re-evaluate to ensure ROAS is healthy. The key is balancing short-term acquisition efficiency with the longer-term revenue and lifetime value of the players.

Ultimately, in hybrid titles, success hinges on integrating performance and engagement metrics across the player journey, using short-term gains to build towards durable, profitable long-term relationships.

Any recent Supersonic title that embodies this hybrid mindset?

One recent title that exemplifies our hybrid mindset is Screw Master 3D. It combines hypercasual, easy-to-learn mechanics with deeper engagement and monetization elements, making it a great example of balancing broad appeal with sustainable growth.

What made Screw Master 3D work so well was our approach of integrating quick, addictive gameplay that attracts a wide audience, while continuously adding live ops, new puzzles, and personalization to keep players engaged over the long term. We focused on optimizing both ad and IAP monetization, ensuring different player segments could contribute to revenue, whether they preferred watching ads or making in-app purchases.

What surprised us along the way was how quickly Screw Master 3D scaled and how sticky the gameplay became. The game’s simple mechanics and engaging puzzles led to rapid user growth and high retention, creating a loyal player base. This demonstrated that, with the right balance of engaging content and live ops, even hybridcasual titles can achieve impressive scale and sustained engagement. It reinforced the importance of continuously optimizing the experience and leveraging data to maintain that momentum and maximize revenue over time.

How do you decide which studios or ideas are hybrid-ready?

When evaluating which studios or ideas are hybrid-ready, we look for a few key signals early on. First, I prioritize studios that demonstrate high speed and high quality of production, as being able to iterate quickly while maintaining strong standards is essential for adapting to the dynamic demands of hybrid titles. Speed allows for rapid testing and optimization, which is critical in this evolving landscape

We’ve built a clear framework for spotting hybrid potential early. It starts with the core loop, is there depth? Is there progression or a system that can support longer-term engagement? If the core feels expandable, that’s a strong signal.

Mechanics matter too. We’re looking for gameplay that supports repeat sessions, not just one-and-done experiences. Idle, Puzzle, and builder mechanics tend to lend themselves well to hybridization.

Art style is another early filter, we look for styles that can evolve and support content updates. If the game looks too one-dimensional visually, it’s a tougher bet.

And of course, early metrics, day 1 and day 7 retention are still critical, but we’re putting more weight on session length, session count, and monetization indicators even in soft launch.

We’re not just asking, ‘Is this a fun game?’, we’re asking, ‘Can this scale, retain, and monetize over time?’ If the answer is yes, we double down.

How are you adapting the structure to support hybrid games post-launch?

At Supersonic, we recognize that with hybrid models, game design and LiveOps are fundamentally intertwined, success depends on continuously engaging and retaining players long after launch. To support this shift, we’re evolving internally by fostering closer collaboration across our teams and integrating live operations into every stage of the development process.

From the start, our publishing and product teams work hand-in-hand with design and live ops to build flexibility into the game. We emphasize data-driven decision making, enabling us to quickly adapt game mechanics, content updates, and monetization strategies based on real-time insights. This means planning for continual content releases, events, and updates that respond to player feedback and behavior.

We’re also investing in tools to streamline workflows, ensuring that post-launch updates are rapid and impactful. Our goal is to create a true live service mentality, where live ops are no longer an afterthought but a core part of all phases, from initial concept to ongoing development.

In essence, Supersonic is embedding agility and flexibility into our culture. We’re moving from a traditional publishing mindset to a more integrated approach where game design, live ops, and player engagement evolve together, fostering sustainable growth and long-term success in the hybrid era.

What new data points are key in this NEXT phase?

At Supersonic, we’ve always prioritized being data-driven, and in this next phase, we’re leveraging advanced AI-powered analytics to dig even deeper. Some of the new data points we’re obsessing over include player engagement signals driven by machine learning models, things like micro-retention metrics, in-game behavior patterns, and content interaction trends. These insights help us understand not just if players stay, but why they stay or leave.
Bottom line: we’re not only interested in what gets users in the door, but also focused on who stays, and why.”

We’re also focusing heavily on predictive analytics to identify high-value players early, enabling us to personalize live ops and monetization strategies at scale. Additionally, AI tools allow us to analyze external factors, like market trends and creative performance, to rapidly optimize our UA campaigns and in-game experiences.

Today, what makes Supersonic the go-to publisher?

What sets Supersonic apart and makes us a truly valuable partner is our ability to consistently deliver strong performance metrics across a diverse portfolio of titles, driven by a data-first approach and a relentless focus on player-centric live ops. We excel at quickly adapting to market trends and player behaviors, using advanced AI and analytics to optimize retention, engagement, and monetization.

Our success also comes from our transparency and genuine collaborative approach. We work closely with our developers as true partners, sharing insights openly, aligning on goals, and being adaptable to their needs. This transparency builds trust, allowing us to co-create titles with high growth potential and long-term sustainability.
Being part of Unity gives us a huge edge, from access to advanced UA and monetization tools to insights from the broader Unity Gaming ecosystem. We’re uniquely positioned to help developers not just launch games, but turn them into long-term, scalable businesses.

That’s why developers see us as a trusted, valuable partner.

What verticals or sub-genres is Supersonic exploring next?

At Supersonic, we’re actively expanding across multiple verticals to capitalize on market trends and player preferences. While puzzles remain a core focus, given their proven appeal and broad reach, we’re also exploring sub-genres like simulation and idle genres, which continue to show strong growth and monetization potential. Our aim is to identify and develop titles that blend engaging mechanics with sustainable live ops models, enabling long-term player retention and revenue.

Last but not least, let’s talk about SuperPitch! 🕺🏻

SuperPitch?

Check this out! 👉🏻 Supersonic’s SuperPitch: Studio Speed-Date

For deeper insights and actionable ways to improve your game, in a private live session with the Supersonic experts at SuperPitch.

🗓 On June 16, 8 studios will be chosen to pitch their game and get real-time feedback from the Supersonic team on how to take it to the next level.

📬 Submissions close June 9.

Here’s your chance to be selected for SuperPitch 🕺🏻