Global Launch of RuPaul's Drag Race Match Queen Demonstrates Strong Early Retention and Organic Growth Through Full-Funnel Strategy

Cision Canada

21-07-2025

VANCOUVER, BC , July 21, 2025 /CNW/ - East Side Games Group (TSX: EAGR) (OTC: EAGRF) ("ESGG" or the "Company"), one of Canada's leading free-to-play mobile game publishers, is pleased to announce the successful global launch of RuPaul's Drag Race: Match Queen developed in collaboration with World of Wonder . Now live on iOS and Android here , the game is off to a strong start, showing early momentum across key metrics, including a standout 53% Day 1 retention on iOS in the U.S. over the July 4th weekend.
Early indicators suggest that ESGG's investment in RuPaul's Drag Race: Match Queen is yielding promising early results. The company is pursuing a full-funnel marketing approach at a time when the user acquisition landscape is especially challenging, demanding innovative strategies to reach and engage players in an increasingly saturated market.
"RuPaul's Drag Race Match Queen exemplifies our approach to building high-impact mobile games at the intersection of globally recognized IP, timely cultural integration, and data-driven design," said Jason Bailey , CEO of East Side Games Group. "The early performance signals across both retention and monetization validate our full-funnel strategy, and we're well-positioned to accelerate growth."
The launch strategically aligned with culturally significant media moments, notably integrations into RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 on Paramount+, a coordinated Pride campaign, and creator and influencer partnerships across the LGBTQ+, fashion, and gaming communities. This unified paid and organic approach enables Match Queen to maximize reach, amplify conversion intent, and improve overall marketing efficiency across the funnel.
"RuPaul's Drag Race: Match Queen brings fans even deeper into the Drag Race universe with a fierce new way to play, slay, and stay connected beyond their TVs," said World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato . "It's not just a game, but another extension in our storytelling, letting fans interact, engage, and live their best Drag Race fantasy."
Key Launch Highlights
Over the July 4th weekend, ESGG experienced a notable spike in organic growth: daily organic installs doubled, blended CPI dropped significantly, and ROAS improved meaningfully compared to the previous week. This uplift was largely driven by our in-show integration in RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10, which aired on Paramount+. Social and Creator Momentum: The latest piece of content featuring Trixie Mattel garnered 100K+ views and 4K+ engagements within the first six hours on Instagram alone. Ongoing influencer and creator strategy taps into trusted voices across LGBTQ+, fashion, and gaming communities - expanding reach, driving install intent, and reinforcing the game's cultural relevance.
High-Impact Media Placements: Game features integrated into RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 10 episodes on June 20th & July 4th . Gayming Awards trailer integration on June 25th . Pride-themed activations across WOW, ESG, and other major social channels.
These results exceed industry benchmarks and highlight ESGG's understanding of what this community values in a mobile gaming experience, as well as the effectiveness of ESGG's full-funnel marketing approach.
Strategic Focus Going Forward
With launch traction established, the team is focused on sustaining momentum through community engagement, IP-driven content drops, and performance optimizations. This unified approach of organic and paid marketing ensures a steady stream of culturally resonant content that not only drives engagement and discovery, but also fuels paid UA with high-performing creative assets and real-time audience insights to improve efficiency across the funnel.
Most recent initiatives include: Trixie Season II Content Launch (Week of June 30 ): Featuring a retro-style infomercial campaign starring Trixie Mattel
Featuring a retro-style infomercial campaign starring Jinkx Monsoon Season Debut ( July 7 ): Driving new waves of in-game content and fandom engagement
Driving new waves of in-game content and fandom engagement Gayming Awards ( July 8 ) integration showcasing the title in multiple high-visibility moments and supporting advocacy for the LGBTQ+ creative community in gaming media.
integration showcasing the title in multiple high-visibility moments and supporting advocacy for the LGBTQ+ creative community in gaming media. RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 Finale ( July 18 ) final in-show feature for this current season during the highly anticipated grand prize reveal that just occurred last Friday.
ABOUT EAST SIDE GAMES GROUP
ESGG is a leader in free-to-play mobile gaming, thrilling players with unforgettable experiences that spark lifelong fandom. Fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit, we are driven by creativity, flawless execution, and a laser-focused growth strategy. We develop and publish both original and licensed IP titles, license our cutting-edge GameKit(s) platforms, and strategically acquire studios or games to expand our family. Headquartered in Vancouver with around 120 talent-dense team members, we operate over a dozen titles under East Side Games ("ESG") and LDRLY (Technologies) Inc. ("LDRLY"). Together, we're crafting, launching, and publishing mobile games across our own studios and an extended Game Kit partner network—reaching players on iOS and Android worldwide.
We power our success through in-app purchases ("IAP")—offering exclusive, game-enhancing virtual items—and in-game advertising. To keep growing, we focus on captivating audiences, keeping them engaged, and unlocking exciting new ways to monetize. We'll drive this momentum by launching bold new titles, enriching our current lineup, innovating discovery, expanding into fresh markets and exploring new distribution platforms.
Additional information about the Company continues to be available under its legal name, East Side Games Group Inc., at www.sedar.com .
ABOUT WORLD OF WONDER
World of Wonder (WOW) has reshaped international pop culture, earning 33 Emmys, inspiring two Oscars, creating global network WOW Presents Plus across 190 territories, and bringing drag culture to the world stage via RuPaul's Drag Race and DragCon. SVOD WOW Presents Plus, the exclusive home to the global Drag Race franchise and hundreds of WOW Original series, saw 35M hours of content watched in 2023 with 77% subscriber growth in the same year. WOW's pioneering television portfolio includes other smash-hit franchises like Million Dollar Listing. Their film division WOW Docs produces groundbreaking documentaries including Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, Party Monster, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye . WOW also operates YouTube channel WOWPresents, music label World of Wonder Records, the WOW Podcast Network, and year-round international live events. Co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have been profiled in Variety's Reality TV Impact Report and Hollywood Reporter's Most Powerful Producers in Unscripted. Honors for their trailblazing work include the IDA Pioneer Award, Realscreen's Global 100 list, Banff's Impact Award, and the OUT 100. In 2022, World of Wonder was ranked #2 among film and TV powerhouses in Fast Company's World's 50 Most Innovative Companies.
Forward-looking Information
Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding the proposed transactions described herein. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including factors beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release.
SOURCE East Side Games Group Inc.
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