two & a half gamers

🤖 Ignore AI Ads now, regret it in 2026: AI creative trends


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We go two and a half steps ahead into the new era of AI-generated creatives - dissecting what’s trending, which studios are using them, and what it means for the future of game marketing.


Key insights:


Adoption is rising


In 2024 only a handful of studios used AI for hooks.


By late 2025, top performers such as Lands of Jail, King Shot, and Rise of Castles will be fully embracing AI-assisted pipelines.


Jakub predicts 50% of all mobile ads will be AI-driven by end of 2026.


AI Creative Formats Taking Over


Hooks: 60–70% of AI output focuses on hyper-realistic or surreal opening shots.


Full Creatives: Only ~30–40%, limited by coherence and model smoothness.


Transitions are now indistinguishable from live action - especially in POV-style TikTok ads.


Contrast Art Styles: Realistic → cartoon → pixel mashups catch the eye.


POV Narratives: First-person sequences with “AI girlfriend” narration dominate TikTok.


Localization via AI: Same creative, instantly re-rendered for JP, KR, EN markets.


Freeze/Prison Metas: Prison Life-style “frozen prisoner” AI scenes trending hard.


“No Ads” UGC Spoofs: King Shot’s “no ads” meme now a running trend.


Brain Rot & Chaos: nonsensical motion = attention-grabbing hook.


AI Interviews: VEO3 and Kling 2.5 are redefining talking-head realism.


Kling 2.5 = new industry benchmark (4x cheaper, faster scene rendering).


2025: AI is mainly used for hooks.


2026: Half of all creatives will be AI-produced end-to-end.


Takeaway: AI creatives are here, fast, and chaotic. The best teams use them not to replace creativity, but to scale it.


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This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠


Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg


Chapters


00:00 Introduction to AI Creatives

03:52 Current Trends in AI Creatives

06:24 The Evolution of Art Styles in AI

12:01 AI Creatives and Marketing Strategies

14:46 Localization and Cultural Adaptation in AI

22:52 The Rise of AI in Creative Content

28:01 The Evolution of Game Graphics and AI

31:21 The Future of AI in Advertising

37:38 Predictions for AI in the Creative Industry

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Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

Jakub Remiar

Game design consultant

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar


Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!

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