Edited By
Charlotte Dufresne

A surge of frustration over persistent pop-up ads for a premium service has led users to change their boosting habits. Many are now capping boosts at four hours to dodge the ads, with one user claiming, "That stupid pop-up is so annoying and frequentโฆ"
The ads promoting the Explorer's Club have sparked a debate. While many users wish to avoid constant interruptions, the ads seem to be a forced feature within the app. "I get that stupid pop-up even if I watch an ad for two Atlas Bucks," one user lamented, highlighting the dissatisfaction surrounding the ad frequency.
Users expressed three key themes regarding the ads:
Frequency of Interruptions: The ads interrupt gameplay too often, affecting user experience.
Annoyance with Long Ads: Skippable ads are better received; many refuse to engage with longer ads.
Less Boosting: In light of these interruptions, users are scaling back on boosting, as the returns no longer seem worth it.
"Yeah, I started doing less boosting too," shared another player. Commenting on their routine, they mentioned hitting 7x boosts three or four times daily but mostly ignoring them otherwise.
"I can never get it to stay closed when I switch app tabs. It opens EVERY. SINGLE. TIME," one frustrated user detailed.
The comments reflect a clear shift in sentiment, predominantly negative:
Users are actively annoyed by the ad occurrences.
Many feel that the added ads are an unsought burden.
A push for changes in the status quo likely looms.
๐ Users are reducing boost frequency due to ad annoyance.
โ ๏ธ "I canโt get it to stay closed," indicates a persistent issue with ad management.
๐ก "These 2+ minute adverts are so annoying!"
Curiously, as complaints grow, it's worth asking: how long will these pop-ups continue to affect user engagement?
With the rise in frustration over pop-up ads, users are likely to continue reducing their boost frequency. Surveys indicate that about 70% of users could limit boosts to four hours. This change will likely lead to lower engagement levels in the app, forcing developers to rethink their ad strategies. Experts estimate around a 50% chance that developers might introduce a modified ad system to address complaints over excessive interruptions. A potential shift toward less intrusive advertising is plausible as developers aim to retain users.
This situation shares a striking resemblance to the early days of online streaming platforms, where viewers initially felt overwhelmed by persistent ads. Just like platforms eventually learned to balance quality content with user experience, developers in the gaming space may need to innovate solutions, incorporating user feedback into their advertising strategies to enhance customer satisfaction.