Q2 2026: Playtika retains guidance but points to lower-end finish

Playtika says it’s still on track for its 2026 targets, but now expects to land closer to the low end of its own ranges even after a stronger second quarter. For players, the key theme is a familiar one in social and sweepstakes-style game ecosystems: the company is making more money from fewer people, while pulling back on marketing that typically brings in new players.

In Q2 (reported 6 August), Playtika posted revenue of $731.1m, up 5% year on year but down 1.8% versus Q1. Net income increased to $48m from $33.2m, while adjusted EBITDA jumped 23.4% to $206.1m, a 28.2% margin.

A big driver of the margin recovery was a planned reduction in marketing spend. Sales and marketing costs fell to $252.6m from $360.6m in Q1. CEO Robert Antokol said the focus is on building games that keep players engaged “for years, not quarters.”

The quarter also highlighted shrinking audiences. Average daily paying users slipped 2.9% to 367,000, average daily active users fell 9.1% to 8 million, and monthly active users dropped 17.3% to 24.8 million. Even so, payer conversion improved to 4.6% from 4.3%, and average revenue per daily active user rose to $1.01 from $0.87.

By title, Disney Solitaire was the standout: revenue surged 288.6% year on year to $142.4m and rose 15.5% from Q1. Bingo Blitz declined 9.5% to $145.1m, while June’s Journey grew 8.1% to $74.7m.

Looking ahead, Playtika pointed to a more cautious consumer-spending outlook and further planned reductions in second-half marketing. First-half revenue was $1.48bn; to hit the bottom of its guidance range it needs about $1.27bn in the final six months, or roughly $637m per quarter. Management flagged a push-pull between lower marketing costs and fewer active users, which reduces the pool of players who can convert to spenders.