"Hyper-Casual Dies, 60% of eCPM Goes to Therapy"

The browser game market is shifting from Hyper-Casual to Mid-Core games, with average session length increasing from 5 minutes in 2023 to 25 minutes in 2026. By 2025, the Hyper-Casual model collapsed due to oversupply, low ad revenue, and player maturity. Mid-Core games, such as PokeRogue, offer depth, strategic complexity, and flexibility, with players willing to support them through rewarded ads, microtransactions, and donations, marking a significant opportunity for indie developers, with the Mid-Core era expected to dominate the market in 2026 and beyond.