Release stages of the new game: from test to marketing

A successful release is not one "big day," but a series of prepared steps: from a stable build and an honest economy to a clear media plan and a livops calendar. Below is a phased plan with roles, key decisions and control metrics.

1) Pre-Release: Product Availability (T-8...T-4 weeks)

1. 1 QA and technical readiness

Functional and regression testing (critical bugs ≤ Sev-1: 0; Sev-2: ≤ 3, with fixes in the sprint).

Cross-devices/cross-browsers/platforms; FPS/stability; cold start and loading time.

Load tests: peak CCU, network degradation (3G/high RTT), graceful-reconnect.

Security: client integrity, anti-tamper/anti-cheat, payment protection, logging with hashes.

1. 2 Economic balance and design

Finalization of RTP/rewards/progression (for slots - the distribution of RTP by "pools," for F2P - the balance of currencies and progress curves).

Entry threshold and first 30 minutes: tutorial, "aha-moment," opening speed of the main features.

Fair-play and RG (responsible game): limits, "reality checks," lack of "dark patterns."

1. 3 Localization and compliance

Texts, currencies, age ratings, disclaimers, local legal requirements.

Certification/audits (where required): math/RNG, reports and logs, privacy policy.

Exit: release candidate RC-1, closed Known Issues, readiness for soft lunch.

2) Soft launch: hypothesis test on limited traffic (T-4...T-2)

2. 1 Soft launcher goals

Check retention (D1/D3/D7), payment funnel (FTD/ARPDAU), stability (crash rate), training (tutorial, FTUE).

Identify unit economy: pLTV vs CPI, payback of advertising networks/creatives.

2. 2 Geo and traffic

1-3 test regions with a close payment/device model to target markets.

Small daily budgets distributed across channels (ASA/Google/App Campaigns/Programmatic/Partners).

2. 3 Telemetry and Analytics

Required events: installations, completion of the tutorial, conversions for key features, payments, crushes, lags, session time.

Dashboards: Retention, ARPDAU/ARPPU, CRASH/ANR, Funnel FTUE, LTV cohorts, payment methods.

2. 4 A/B and fast iterations

Characteristics of the build: speed of progress, price of features, frequency of awards, complexity.

Creatives and store assets: icon, screenshots, videos, texts; split tests.

Output: RC-2 with fixation of improvements; Target KPIs are achieved or there is a fine-tuning plan.

3) Go/No-Go and release readiness (T-2...T-1)

3. 1 Go/No-Go Committee

Bug status, performance, retention, payment metrics, compliance, readiness marketing and support.

Backup plan: pullback/hot fixes, infrastructure growth, extended logs.

3. 2 Stores and product pages

Meta-data: localized titles, subheadings, keywords.

Visuals: icon, 6-8 screenshots per language, short and long trailer, promo banners.

Preliminary Feedback/Ranking: Closed Test/Beta for Seed Scores (where available).

3. 3 Operational procedures

Incident playbooks: the growth of API retraces, massive timeouts, payment failures, provider drops.

Duty: on-call engineer, analyst, marketing, community/support.

4) Start (T-0): "Day X"

4. 1 Release checklist for 24 hours

Analytics tags included, crash reporters active, alerts in Slack/mail.

CDN/caches are warmed up, auto-rules scaling is configured.

Builds in beds are approved, phicheflags in the starting configuration.

4. 2 Pulse metrics of the day

Settings, conversion to FTUE, D0 retention (sessions> 1), CRASH/ANR, latency of key APIs, support tickets.

Marketing: CPI/CTR/IR by channel, early pLTV signals (proxy metrics).

4. 3 Communications

Announcements in social networks/community, starting promos (without aggressive bonuses), support answers by scripts.

5) Marketing and distribution: 360 ° approach

5. 1 Performance marketing

ASA/Google/App Campaigns/Meta/TikTok/Programmatic; frequency caps, anti-fraud by attribution.

Creative packs: at least 5-7 video options + static, fast rotation according to the results.

5. 2 ASO and store optimization

Keys by local, A/B previews, seasonal screenshots, responses to reviews (SLA <24 h).

5. 3 PR and influencers

Press kit: logos, art, facts, producer quotes.

Streamer kits: demo accounts/scripts, transparent terms of cooperation.

Local media/niche communities: reviews, interviews, podcasts.

5. 4 Partners and B2B

Aggregators/platforms, joint tournaments and events, cross-promo in ecosystems.

5. 5 CRM and retention

Onboarding series (e-mail/push/messengers), "reactivations" for sleepers, personal offers from guardrails.

Event calendar: seasons, challenges, thematic promotions without a "turnover race."

6) Post-release stabilization (T + 1... T + 4 weeks)

6. 1 Technical health

Target: CRASH <0. 3%, p95 latency in the green zone,> 99. 9% uptime.

Hot fixes by priority; "quiet" asset updates without a new build (where possible).

6. 2 Product adjustments

FTUE improvements, reward/difficulty balance, speed of progress.

"Quality of life": hints, readability, UX settings.

6. 3 Monetization and Honesty

Fine tuning of prices/packages (if applicable), no pressure.

Test effect on ARPDAU/LTV/Retention and complaints/assessments.

7) Livops: Long Tail (T + 1 month and beyond)

7. 1 Calendar

Seasonal themes/skins, regular events, tournament nets, thematic collections of content.

Content plan for 3-6 months ahead with a buffer for unexpected news feeds.

7. 2 Experiments and analytics

Permanent A/B: new features, quests, economic parameters (with caution).

Objectives: cohort retention, ARPU growth at stable NPS/scores.

7. 3 Community and support

AMA/updates, feedback collection, public what-next roadmaps.

Handling negative scenarios: clear compensation, transparent explanations.

8) Key KPIs and Targets

Quality: Crash/ANR, FPS, latency, uptime.

Onboarding: Tutorial completion rate, D1/D3/D7 retention.

Monetization: ARPDAU, ARPPU, conversion to payment, pLTV through channels.

Marketing: CPI, ROAS D7/D30, organic share, rating and reviews.

Support: average response time, CSAT/NPS, share of solved tickets.

RG/Ethics: Proportion of players with limits, timeliness of response, complaints about misleading mechanics.

9) Risks and mitigation plans

Retention drawdown: improving FTUE/rhythm of rewards, content events, teaching features.

Overheating of infrastructure: auto-scaling, limit on the connection of providers, phicheflags.

Negative reviews: a quick cycle of fixes, personal answers, compensation.

ROAS failure: change of creatives, reassembly of target, redistribution of budgets, ASO sprint.

Compliance/Regulatory: Audit, Text Edits/Iconography, Inclusion of RG Mechanic.

10) Release time line (reference)

T-8...T-6 weeks: Content finalization, intensive QA, localization, store assets v1.

T-6...T-4: Soft-launch (geo 1-3), analytics, A/B, fix packages.

T-3...T-2: RC-2, store assets v2, media plan finalized, PR pitches.

T-2...T-1: Go/No-Go, CDN warm-up, incident playbooks, on duty.

T-0: Public launch, pulse metrics, daily stand-ups of the release team.

T + 1... T + 4 weeks: stabilization, FTUE/balance-fix, first events, ROAS/LTV report.

T + 1... T + 3 months: Livops calendar, seasonal releases, UA scaling.

11) Large release checklist

Technically

Zero critical bugs; crash
Alerts and monitoring; scaling plan
Logs and analytics are complete; payment/data protection

Content/UX

Understandable tutorial and early "wow"
Readable screens, † for mobile
Availability settings; localization

Compliance/RG

Privacy Policy/ToS/Disclaimers
Limits and "reality checks," fair stock terms
Age/Regional Requirements

Stour and PR

Icon/screenshots/video on all locales
Press kit and influencer kit
Feedback Response Plan (SLA)

Marketing/CRM

Creative packs and media plan
Onboarding, segmentation, reactivation
A/B plan and guardrails (NPS/RG/complaints)

Operations

Incident and on-call playbooks
Rollback/Hot Fix Plan
Post-release reports and retro

A release is a managed operation with many dependencies. A team wins if:

1. product is stable and understandable, 2. the economy is honest and predictable, 3. analytics and livops included from day one, 4. marketing is a series of tests, not a "volley" ahead of the planet, 5. RG and compliance are built into the design.

By following this route, you reduce risks, accelerate the achievement of target KPIs and create the foundation for a long life of the game.