A high CPI during soft launch is one of the most common problems indie mobile studios face. But high CPI has three very different causes — and fixing the wrong one wastes weeks of iteration time.
This guide walks through how to diagnose which problem you actually have before deciding what to fix.
First — Is Your CPI Actually Too High?
CPI viability depends entirely on your genre. A $2.50 CPI is fine for Idle/Tycoon and too high for Hyper-Casual. Before assuming your CPI is a problem, compare it against the ceiling for your specific genre.
| Genre | CPI Ceiling | $2.50 CPI means... |
|---|---|---|
| Hyper-Casual | $0.60 | 4x over ceiling — significant problem |
| Casual | $1.80 | 39% over ceiling — needs work |
| Puzzle | $2.00 | 25% over ceiling — concerning |
| Idle/Tycoon | $2.50 | At ceiling — acceptable |
| Strategy | $4.50 | Well below ceiling — not a problem |
| RPG | $5.00 | Well below ceiling — strong |
If your CPI is above your genre ceiling, you have a real problem. The next step is diagnosing which of the three causes is driving it.
The Three Causes of High CPI
Cause 1 Creative problem — your ad is not stopping the scroll
If your Hook CTR is below your genre benchmark (typically below 7 to 8% for casual, 9% for hyper-casual), the problem is in your ad creative. People are seeing your ad but not clicking it. This means the ad is not communicating the game's appeal effectively. The CPI is high because you are paying for impressions that do not convert to clicks. Fix: test new ad creatives, different hooks, different first 3 seconds of video.
Cause 2 Targeting problem — you are reaching the wrong audience
Your Hook CTR might be fine but your install rate is low. This means people are clicking the ad but not installing. The creative is compelling but the audience is not right for your game. Fix: refine your targeting parameters, test different audience segments, look at which networks and placements are driving lower CPI.
Cause 3 Retention problem — the algorithm knows players churn
If D1 retention is significantly below benchmark, ad networks start raising your CPI automatically. Their algorithms learn that players from your game churn quickly — meaning they are low-value installs — and charge you more. A game with 25% D1 retention will have a structurally higher CPI than the same game with 42% D1, even with identical creatives. Fix: improve D1 retention first. CPI often drops naturally when retention improves.
How to Diagnose Which Cause You Have
The Most Common Mistake
Studios with high CPI almost always test new creatives first — regardless of whether the creative is the problem. If your Hook CTR is already above benchmark, testing new creatives will not fix your CPI. The cause is something else.
Always diagnose before iterating. The wrong fix costs weeks.
What CPI Tells You About Scaling Readiness
CPI is one of three metrics needed for a soft launch scale decision. Even if CPI drops below your genre ceiling, you still need D1 retention and Hook CTR to clear threshold at the same time before scaling UA spend.
CPI below ceiling with poor D1 retention means the game is not worth the cost of acquiring users — they churn before generating value. All three metrics need to clear threshold together.
Check if your CPI clears your genre benchmark
PixyLiv compares your CPI against your specific genre ceiling as part of a full go/iterate/kill verdict. Enter your D1, CPI, and Hook CTR and get your result in 3 minutes. Free. No subscription.
Try PixyLiv free →