Whale in Games: How to Acquire and Retain High-Value Players
What Is a Whale in Mobile Games?
In the gaming industry, a whale refers to a player who spends significantly more than the average user. These individuals are not merely payers—they are the economic core of many mobile titles, often contributing between 50% to 70% of total revenue.
Key Characteristics:
Spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars per title
Consistently rank high in competitive PvP and leaderboard systems
Actively invest in building exclusive character or item collections
Whales are especially common in games that feature gacha systems, strategy simulations, and MMORPGs, where in-game progression is often closely tied to monetary investment.
Types of Whale Players
Segmenting whales based on behavioral traits enables more precise engagement strategies:
Type | Description |
Power Whale | Invest heavily to dominate rankings and PvP content |
Collection Whale | Motivated by collecting all in-game assets and cosmetics |
Status Whale | Seek recognition through guild leadership or community visibility |
Narrative Whale | Driven by emotional attachment to characters and storytelling, prevalent in IP-based games |
Tailored messaging and UX design by user type can significantly boost conversion and retention.
Why Whale Users Matter
Though only 2 to 5% of users make purchases, whales contribute disproportionately to revenue.
User Type | % of Total Users | % of Total Revenue |
Non-Paying Users | ~95% | 0% |
Light Spenders | ~3–4% | 20~30% |
Whale Users | <1% | 50%+ |
Given this outsized impact, publishers often deploy dedicated acquisition funnels and personalized retention frameworks tailored specifically for whales.
Behavioral Insights Behind Whale Spending
Whale spending behavior is motivated by clear psychological drivers and rewards. These underlying needs help transform them into long-term loyal users.
Motivational Factor | Description |
Competitiveness | Desire to dominate leaderboards or win in PvP environments |
Collection Completion | Drive to own every character, item, or upgrade |
Prestige Motivation | Spending to showcase status and superiority |
Emotional Investment | Desire to feel validated for the time and money invested |
Strategies to Attract Whale Users
Whales don't simply spend money—they unlock their wallets when they feel deeply invested in a game’s value. Strategic engagement is essential.
Offer Exclusive Content and Scarcity
Whale players seek distinctive experiences.
Publishers can offer:
Limited-Edition Items: Available only during specific events/seasons
VIP-Only Content: Premium stages or zones restricted to VIPs
Customization Options: Premium features for visual uniqueness
Build Emotional Connection and Narrative Immersion
Whales derive significant value from emotional investment in characters and storylines. Strong storytelling naturally cultivates loyalty.
Character-driven plotlines
Relationship mechanics that evolve with user choices
Events that elicit emotional decision-making
Appeal to Competitive and Dominance Instincts
Pay-to-win mechanics, when executed with care, can be compelling for whales. Balancing is key to ensure fairness for regular users.
Strategies to Retain Whale Users
Retaining a whale user can be as valuable as acquiring a new one. Effective retention strategies include:
Premium Customer Support
Whales should feel prioritized. Offering dedicated support agents, fast issue resolution, and priority bug handling enhances user satisfaction.
Community-Centric Retention Programs
Whales often engage deeply with guilds and community features. Building culture around these users increases their emotional attachment to the game.
Leaderboard-driven competitiveness
Guild-based cooperative missions
Enhanced player interaction features
Operate a VIP Loyalty Program
A tiered VIP system with escalating benefits incentivizes sustained engagement.
Tier-based rewards
Exclusive offline event invitations
Special titles and cosmetic upgrades
Optimal Media Channels for Whale Acquisition
To effectively target and retain whales, global publishers must go beyond standard CPI campaigns. Playio, a leading Korean reward-based ad platform, delivers this capability.
Precision Targeting Using Behavioral Data
Playio leverages data from in-game behavior—playtime, event participation, in-app actions—to identify segments most likely to include whale prospects. This behavior-driven approach enables high-accuracy targeting for users with true game immersion.
Quest-Based Immersion Mechanics
Playio’s Time Quests and Hidden Quests reward users for prolonged play or achieving specific milestones.
Strategic Benefits Include:
Retention Maximization: Encourages longer play sessions
Event Conversion Boost: Higher whale participation in major events
Incremental Monetization: Quest rewards organically lead to spending
Full Lifecycle Management: From Pre-Launch to Live Ops
Playio supports B2B partners with full-funnel marketing solutions, spanning pre-launch phases to ongoing retention.
CBT/FGT Management: Early whale feedback and testing
Pre-Registration Acquisition: Captures high-value users in advance
Post-Launch Featuring: Prioritized exposure on high-conversion placements
Personalized Communication for VIP Users
Playio enables 1:1 communication with whales via push notifications, in-app messages, and event invitations—fueled by behavioral data.
This enables publishers to treat whales as VIP-tier users and drive continuous engagement.
By going beyond traditional ad models, Playio serves as a strategic bridge between publishers and high-value cohorts between publishers and their high-value users, establishing itself as a go-to channel for whale-centric growth strategies.
