Insights · Guide
Game trailer types explained: which one does your game need?
A game is usually marketed with several trailers, each built for a different moment of the campaign. Here is what each type is for, when it comes out, how long it runs and what it is made from, with examples from 20 years of Cherry on Top productions.
At a glance
| Trailer type | When | Typical length | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Announcement & reveal trailer | Announcement, often at a showcase | 1 to 2 min | Hot Wheels Infinite Rush |
| Gameplay trailer | Through the campaign, once the build is solid | 1.5 to 3 min | Just Dance 2025 |
| Story trailer | Mid-campaign, for narrative games | 1.5 to 2.5 min | Twin Mirror |
| Pre-order & edition trailer | When pre-orders open | 45 s to 1.5 min | Elden Ring |
| Launch trailer | Release week | 1 to 2 min | Jusant |
| Post-launch & season trailer | Each season, pass or update | 1 to 2 min | The Crew Motorfest |
| Platform & port trailer | New platform or re-release | 1 to 2 min | Beyond: Two Souls |
| TV spot & live action | Launch window, paid media | 15 to 30 s | Hogwarts Legacy |
Lengths are typical ranges for lead versions, not rules: the right length is the shortest one that does the job.
01
Announcement & reveal trailer
- When
- Announcement, often at a showcase
- Typical length
- 1 to 2 min
- Built from
- CG cinematic, in-engine scenes or early gameplay
The reveal trailer tells the world the game exists. Its only job is to make players remember the name, the world and the mood, and to send them to a wishlist page. It rarely explains mechanics: it sets a tone, often premiering at a showcase where it sits between dozens of other trailers and has a few seconds to stand out.
Because the build is often far from final, many reveals are cinematic. Hot Wheels Infinite Rush was built 100% in-house in Unreal Engine 5 for Summer Game Fest 2026; Aphelion was fully crafted in Unreal Engine 5 to introduce Dontnod's new universe at the Xbox Showcase; Endurance Motorsport Series was built from scratch using only the in-game car models. Smaller teams can reveal with style rather than budget: Foretales mixed hand-drawn cut-out animation with gameplay.
02
Gameplay trailer
- When
- Through the campaign, once the build is solid
- Typical length
- 1.5 to 3 min
- Built from
- Captured gameplay, titlecards, GFX
The gameplay trailer shows what players actually do. It answers the questions the reveal raised: what the game looks like in motion, how it plays and why it is different. Rhythm matters more than length: footage, titlecards and music have to land on the beat so the trailer reads even with the sound off.
For Just Dance 2025, Cherry on Top edited Ubisoft's gameplay and music with motion GFX, transitions, titlecards and an end card, and delivered 9:16 and 1:1 social adaptations in 15 and 6 second versions alongside the lead trailer. Mojo Party took the opposite route: motion design leads, gameplay anchors the energy in something real.
03
Story trailer
- When
- Mid-campaign, for narrative games
- Typical length
- 1.5 to 2.5 min
- Built from
- Cutscenes, in-build capture, voice-over
The story trailer sells characters and stakes. It is the right tool for narrative games, where the reason to buy is what happens rather than how it plays. It leans on cutscenes, voice-over and music, and needs a script that teases without spoiling.
For Twin Mirror, Cherry on Top developed the concept and scenario, captured the game in-build and handled editing, motion design, audio mix, localization and versioning. For Linkito, the team designed an original 3D scene in Cinema4D to tell the game's story at its announcement.
04
Pre-order & edition trailer
- When
- When pre-orders open
- Typical length
- 45 s to 1.5 min
- Built from
- Gameplay plus edition content, 3D product shots
Pre-order and edition trailers convert interest into sales. They show what each edition contains (bonus content, season pass, early access, physical collector's items) and when to buy. They are often produced from the publisher's existing gameplay footage, so the craft is in the edit, the motion design and the versioning.
Cherry on Top handled localization, versioning and final delivery of the Elden Ring pre-order trailer for Bandai Namco, and the deluxe edition trailers for Assassin's Creed Shadows, Assassin's Creed Mirage and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Collector's editions get their own product film: the Dead by Daylight 10th Anniversary collector's edition reveal is a 60-second 3D cinematic that showcases physical items with the intensity of the game.
05
Launch trailer
- When
- Release week
- Typical length
- 1 to 2 min
- Built from
- Best of the campaign, review quotes, platforms
The launch trailer says "it's out, play it now". It gathers the strongest moments of the campaign, adds platforms, release date and often review quotes, and is pushed everywhere during release week. It is also the trailer most likely to be localized into every market language.
For Don't Nod's Jusant, Cherry on Top managed localization, versioning and multi-format delivery so the launch trailer worked across languages and platforms on day one. A launch trailer does not have to be in-game only: the Ubisoft Connect launch trailer combined live action with compositing and motion design.
06
Post-launch & season trailer
- When
- Each season, pass or update
- Typical length
- 1 to 2 min
- Built from
- New content capture, motion design
For live-service and long-tail games, the launch is the start. Season, pass, DLC and event trailers bring lapsed players back and keep the community talking. They are shorter to produce but come back on a fixed schedule, so a repeatable format and fast turnaround matter.
Cherry on Top produced the The Crew Motorfest Year 1 Pass trailer with social cutdowns for several platforms, and the official trailer for Subway Surfers World Tour Transylvania for SYBO.
07
Platform & port trailer
- When
- New platform or re-release
- Typical length
- 1 to 2 min
- Built from
- Captures on the new platform
A platform or port trailer announces the game on new hardware: a PC version, a console port, a remaster. It has to show the game running on the new platform, so it is built from fresh captures and follows that platform's presentation rules.
For Quantic Dream's Beyond: Two Souls PC trailer, Cherry on Top captured the gameplay directly in-build, then handled editing, compositing, motion design, localization and versioning.
08
TV spot & live action
- When
- Launch window, paid media
- Typical length
- 15 to 30 s
- Built from
- Live shoot or cut-down, broadcast compliance
TV spots and live-action films reach people who do not watch game trailers. They are short, built for broadcast and often feature people rather than only game footage. Broadcast adds its own constraints: delivery specs per channel and, in France, ARPP approval before airing.
The Hogwarts Legacy TV spot for Warner Bros. launched the game on Nintendo Switch in France with Adeline Chetail, the French voice of one of the main characters; Cherry on Top ran pre-production, the live shoot, post-production, broadcast files and ARPP submission. For the Xbox Series S TV spot, the team localized Microsoft's files and delivered them to French broadcast standards.
The formats around the trailer
A trailer is rarely delivered alone. The same campaign usually needs a family of shorter assets that reuse its footage and its look:
- Social cutdowns and giveaway videos in 16:9, 1:1 and 9:16, like the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Diablo IV giveaway videos for Xbox.
- Logo animations that open every trailer, like Mindseye and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
- Collector's edition reveals, like Assassin's Creed Shadows built in Unreal Engine 5 or Elden Ring in Cinema4D.
- DOOH and out-of-home adaptations, like the Star Wars Outlaws campaign for malls, metro networks and train stations.
- Behind-the-scenes films that extend a campaign, like the Six Invitational 2025 trophy story.
How to choose the right trailer
Start from the moment, not the format. Ask what the player should do right after watching: remember the name, add it to a wishlist, pre-order, buy now or come back. That answer picks the trailer type. Then look at what exists. No playable build yet points to a cinematic or motion design reveal; a solid build points to gameplay; a strong narrative points to a story trailer.
Finally, plan the whole sequence early. A campaign that knows it will need a reveal, a gameplay trailer and a launch trailer can share music, graphics and captures between them, and plan every localized version from the first brief instead of the last week.
What to prepare before the brief
- The momentRelease date, showcase slot or campaign beat the trailer is for, and where it premieres.
- What existsBuild status, captures, cutscenes, 3D models, key art, logo and audio you can share.
- The messageThe one thing players must remember after watching, and the call to action (wishlist, pre-order, play now).
- VersionsLanguages, durations (lead, 30, 15, 6 s) and formats (16:9, 9:16, 1:1) for every market and platform.
- RulesRating information, platform presentation guidelines, music rights and broadcast standards.
Keep reading
- Game trailers and cinematics by Cherry on TopProjects
- How a game trailer is produced, step by stepTAKEOFF Group
- Gaming influencer kits that performTAKEOFF Group