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Who took part—and what the study can tell us
ZBD announced the study on May 15, 2024, describing more than 2,000 U.S. Gen Z gamers. GamesBeat’s summary specifies that respondents were ages 18–25 and played video games for at least one hour per day. The findings therefore describe this surveyed group, not all Gen Z, all U.S. gamers, or young people generally. (GamesBeat; ZBD via PR Newswire)
The accessible summaries do not provide the questionnaire, recruitment and sampling procedures, field dates, weighting, response rates, or complete subgroup tables. The statistics below are reported survey results; they are not independently validated estimates of the wider population.
ZBD sponsored the survey and sells a Bitcoin rewards platform, a relevant commercial interest when considering its findings about rewarded ads and Bitcoin. The company’s Chief Strategy Officer, Ben Cousens, framed the study as important for companies seeking to engage a generation that “demands authenticity and fairness above all.” That is the company’s perspective, not a survey result. (ZBD via PR Newswire)
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Gaming time and spending: high engagement, modest reported budgets
GamesBeat’s account of the ZBD survey says 65% of respondents played more than three hours daily. On spending, 53% said they spent at least $20 per month on games, while more than 85% reported spending less than $60 per month. These are separate thresholds, so the figures do not provide a complete spending distribution. The summary does not break spending down sufficiently by platform, income, or genre to support a universal pricing conclusion. (GamesBeat)
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Subscriptions were also common: 54% of respondents said they had a gaming subscription, according to GamesBeat’s summary. The available reporting does not specify which services respondents counted or how subscription spending relates to their monthly game spending. (GamesBeat)
Creators, platforms, and brand trust
About 70% of respondents said they felt connected to creators. Roughly two-thirds said that a brand’s engagement with a creator they knew would make them trust the brand more; ZBD’s announcement reported the latter figure as 67%. These are self-reported attitudes, not measurements of subsequent trust or purchases. (GamesBeat; ZBD via PR Newswire)
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In GamesBeat’s summary, about three in four respondents used YouTube to engage with creators, around 60% used TikTok and Instagram, and one in four used Twitch. These platform-use figures indicate where respondents said they engaged; they do not establish that a particular platform produces stronger brand outcomes. ZBD’s announcement also describes differences in creator-platform preferences by gender, but the accessible summary does not provide the full subgroup results needed to quantify those differences. (GamesBeat; ZBD via PR Newswire)
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Bitcoin rewards and in-game ads: stated interest, not proven impact
GamesBeat reported that 51% of respondents said they would be interested if their favorite games offered Bitcoin rewards, while 22% said they had no interest. Separately, 74% said they would be more receptive to in-game ads if they received Bitcoin for their time. These are hypothetical responses: the summary does not show that respondents received rewards or that rewards changed their behavior. (GamesBeat; ZBD via PR Newswire)
Other responses suggest that ad tolerance depends on context. GamesBeat says 43% felt ads in games ruined the experience, while 50% said they did not mind ads in free games. The survey summary does not establish how those answers overlap with the respondents who said rewards might make them more receptive to ads. (GamesBeat)
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About one-third of respondents said they owned cryptocurrency. Of those crypto owners, 70% held Bitcoin—equivalent to 23% of the whole respondent sample, according to GamesBeat. Ownership is distinct from interest in a hypothetical game reward and does not indicate how respondents would use one. (GamesBeat)
GamesBeat also attributes to the study a claim that sharing 10%–25% of ad revenue with players can boost engagement, retention, and monetization. Its accessible account does not give enough underlying results or methods to assess that quantitative causal claim independently, so it should be treated as ZBD’s claim rather than established evidence that a revenue share will produce those outcomes. (GamesBeat)
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Side hustles: a reported backdrop, not a gaming-rewards outcome
About 70% of respondents said they had some form of side hustle, according to GamesBeat and ZBD’s announcement. The summaries do not define what counted as a side hustle or show whether those respondents were more likely to want Bitcoin rewards. The figure is context about the sample, not evidence that players are seeking game-based income. (GamesBeat; ZBD via PR Newswire)
What publishers and brands can—and cannot—infer
For game publishers, advertisers, and brands, the survey points to a useful distinction: heavy play does not automatically mean high monthly game spending, and stated openness to creators or rewards is not the same as a measured commercial outcome. The results may help frame questions about creator partnerships or opt-in rewarded advertising, but they do not establish that either approach will increase retention, spending, trust, or ad performance.
GamesBeat published its account on May 15, 2024, and updated the page on June 18, 2025. ZBD’s announcement was also dated May 15, 2024. ZBD’s reports hub provides current catalog context, but the accessible materials cited here do not resolve the study’s methodological gaps. (GamesBeat; ZBD via PR Newswire; ZBD reports)
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