Metal Storm: Turning Competitive Gameplay into Sustainable UA Performance
Metal Storm is a high-intensity multiplayer aerial combat game designed for players who value speed, competition, and skill-based gameplay. Following a global launch, the priority was clear: restore momentum after an account takeover and drive efficient, performance-led growth, while preparing the foundation for budget expansion.
The Challenge
Post-takeover, Metal Storm faced a critical inflection point:
- UA performance needed to be rebuilt quickly to regain confidence in growth potential
- Limited historical learnings made optimization and forecasting more complex
- Heavy reliance on a small set of geos and platforms increased risk
- The goal was ambitious: achieve a +15% net D7 improvement while enabling budget growth
The challenge wasn’t just improving numbers, it was proving the account could perform reliably across platforms, bidding models, and geographies.
The Approach
yellowHEAD focused on rebuilding performance systematically, balancing speed with control.
1. Re-establishing a Strong UA Foundation
- Audited and restructured campaigns following the account takeover
- Introduced a blended bidding strategy (tCPA + tROAS) to balance volume and efficiency
- Shifted optimization focus toward sustainable performance rather than short-term spikes
2. Strategic Channel Expansion
- Launched Google, Tiktok and Snapchat as a new acquisition channel, quickly validating strong initial performance
- Scaled high-performing platforms selectively, based on ROI signals
- Reduced dependency on the US market through controlled geo expansion
3. Creative Evolution to Maintain Performance
- Maintained engagement momentum by testing fresh creative angles continuously
- Introduced AI-enhanced UGC, combining authentic player-style content with scalable production
- Focused on creatives that reinforced intensity, competition, and fast-paced action aligned with core player motivation
The Results
The rebuilt strategy delivered clear, measurable impact:
- Net D7 performance improved, supporting the 15% efficiency goal
- Strong initial performance across Google, TikTok, and Snapchat, unlocking additional growth levers
- Blended bidding (tCPA + tROAS) drove higher overall ROAS while maintaining volume
- Geo expansion sustained ROI, reducing reliance on US markets
- UA performance stabilized while budgets increased with confidence
Together, these initiatives created a more resilient acquisition engine, capable of supporting growth without sacrificing efficiency.
Key Takeaways
- A structured rebuild enables faster recovery: Clear foundations are critical after an account takeover
- Blended bidding drives balance: Combining tCPA and tROAS aligned scale with profitability
- New channels unlock momentum: Early Google, Tiktok and Snapchat success diversified growth sources
- Creative freshness sustains performance: AI-powered UGC kept content authentic, relevant, and engaging
Award-Winning Agency
