Gameloft for brands and GWI reveal why gaming earns Gen Z’s attention
New global research explores how attention, emotion and participation come together in Gen Z’s gaming experience — and what this means for advertisers.
Paris, France – September 16, 2026 — Gameloft for brands, a global leader in in-game advertising for brands, and GWI, a global leader in human insights, joined forces to conduct a first-party study on understanding gaming’s role in Gen Z’s media habits and the opportunities it creates for brands.
The research challenges the idea that Gen Z is difficult to engage. Gen Z spends an average of 9 hours and 11 minutes gaming each week — more than on social media, online video or streaming services — and 75% play games on mobile.
Among surveyed Gen Z COMBO! mobile gamers, 76% said they were fully or mostly focused during their most recent gaming session, while 50% felt relaxed or calm and 44% felt happy. The findings suggest gaming can give brands moments of focused attention and positive emotion, especially when advertising is relevant and naturally integrated.
“Gaming is already an important part of where Gen Z chooses to spend its attention. When brands respect the player experience and offer a clear value exchange, they can turn that attention into stronger marketing outcomes,” said Jean Baptiste Godinot, Executive Vice President, Gameloft for brands.
Combining GWI’s global consumer research with Gameloft for brands’ proprietary in-game survey, the report shows how brands can engage Gen Z through relevant, player-first gaming experiences.
“What makes these findings particularly valuable is that they are grounded in real behaviours, giving brands and agencies a clearer understanding not only of where Gen Z spends its time, but also of the quality of attention and emotional engagement available within gaming,” said Jason Mander, Chief Insight Officer at GWI.
The findings build on Gameloft for brands’ Attention & Emotion in Play white paper, which explores how gaming’s unique combination of attention and emotion can contribute to advertising effectiveness.
Download the full report, Gen Z & Gaming: Understanding Gen Z’s Attention, Emotions and Gaming Behaviours, here.
About the research
The report combines data from GWI Core and GWI Gaming with a proprietary Gameloft for brands in-game survey conducted in Q2 2026 among 152 Gen Z mobile gamers across 14 markets. The datasets provide complementary perspectives on Gen Z’s broader media and gaming behaviors and players’ experiences within mobile gaming.
About Gameloft for brands
Gameloft for brands offers leading advertising and gamification solutions to help brands better connect with their audiences. Through interactive content and immersive experiences supported by its extensive in-game media network, Gameloft for brands leverages its longstanding gaming expertise to engage people in meaningful ways, with an unparalleled level of transparency and safety. Gameloft for brands has received the TAG Certification Against Fraud Seal and adheres to MOAT’s standards. To date, Gameloft for brands has delivered more than 10,000 campaigns for prestigious brands such as Air France, Coca-Cola®, Ferrero, Ford, FOX™, Automobili Lamborghini, ING, Netflix, Procter & Gamble, Samsung and LEGO, in countries around the world (North America, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, etc.). We ‘ve received over 50 awards from marketing organizations.
About GWI
GWI is the human insights company powering faster, smarter strategic decisions in a rapidly evolving world. We provide instant, reliable access to the world's most globally representative proprietary dataset on how people think, feel, and behave - supported by AI that helps surface and explain human insight in seconds. Our technology makes it possible to explore, interpret, and converse with insights drawn from more than 40 billion data points collected every year, giving organizations a single, truly global source of understanding to drive smarter decisions. For more, visit www.gwi.com.
