Mobile Gaming 2021 The State of - An Analysis of Mobile Gaming Market Trends and Top Titles in the U.S., Europe, and Asia - Sensor Tower
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The State of Mobile Gaming 2021 — An Analysis of Mobile Gaming Market Trends and Top Titles in the U.S., Europe, and Asia
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved Table of Contents 03 - Market Overview: Worldwide 15 - Market Overview: United States 21 - Market Overview: Europe 32 - Market Overview: Asia 43 - Market Forecast 49 - Game Genre Trends 57 - Monetization Trends 64 - Advertising Trends 73 - Conclusion
Market Overview: Worldwide — An Overview of Mobile Gaming Worldwide
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Global Game Revenue Surged During the Pandemic
Worldwide quarterly consumer spending in mobile games on the App Store and Google Play
App Store Google Play
$25B Mobile game revenue spiked during the start of
the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing its largest year-
+25%
over-year growth in Q2 2020 at 33 percent.
Games earned more than $20 billion globally for
$20B
the first time that quarter.
+18%
$9.2B
$8.1B
$8.4B $8.6B Strong revenue growth continued in the
+16%
$15B following quarters. The 25 percent Y/Y growth in
$7.0B
Q1 2021 easily outpaced the growth during the
$6.5B $6.5B
$6.0B $6.1B prior two years.
$5.7B
$5.4B
$5.2B $5.3B
$10B
$12.4B $12.4B $13.0B
$12.1B
$10.8B
$5B $10.0B $9.9B
$9.0B $9.1B
$7.9B $7.8B $8.2B $8.4B
Note:
$0
Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
Apple or Google).
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Market Overview: Worldwide 4
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Genshin Impact Shakes Up the Global Revenue Ranking and Eyes Tencent’s Top Titles
Top mobile games by worldwide revenue on the App Store and Google Play
2018 2019 2020 1Q21
1 Honor of Kings 1 Honor of Kings - 1 PUBG Mobile +1 1 PUBG Mobile -
Tencent Tencent Tencent Tencent
2 Monster Strike 2 PUBG Mobile NEW 2 Honor of Kings -1 2 Honor of Kings -
Mixi Tencent Tencent Tencent
3 Fate/Grand Order 3 Fate/Grand Order - 3 Pokémon GO +3 3 Genshin Impact NEW
Sony Sony Niantic miHoYo
4 Candy Crush Saga 4 Candy Crush Saga - 4 Coin Master NEW 4 Pokémon GO -1
King King Moon Active Niantic
5 LineageM 5 Monster Strike -3 5 Roblox NEW 5 Roblox -
NCSOFT Mixi Roblox Roblox
6 Pokémon GO 6 Pokémon GO - 6 Candy Crush Saga -2 6 Coin Master -2
Niantic Niantic King Moon Active
7 Fantasy WW Journey 7 Fantasy WW Journey - 7 Monster Strike -2 7 Candy Crush Saga -1
NetEase NetEase Mixi King
8 DBZ Dokkan Battle 8 LineageM -3 8 Rise of Kingdoms NEW 8 Garena Free Fire NEW
BANDAI NAMCO NCSOFT Lilith Games Garena
9 Clash of Clans 9 Clash of Clans - 9 Gardenscapes NEW 9 Fate/Grand Order +1
Supercell Supercell Playrix Sony
10 Clash Royale 10 Homescapes NEW 10 Fate/Grand Order -7 10 Rise of Kingdoms -2
Supercell Playrix Sony Lilith Games
Market Overview: Worldwide 5
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
The U.S. Remains the Top Market for Mobile Game Spending
Top countries by mobile game spending, App Store and Google Play
The U.S. remains the top market for mobile
U.S. Japan China South Korea Taiwan
games having outpaced Japan in Q2 2019, and
$7B
surpassed $6 billion in revenue during Q1 2021.
U.S.
COVID-19 boosted player spending 35 percent Q/Q
$6B +34% Y/Y in Q2 2020. Although revenue fell slightly over the
next two quarters, growth picked back up again in
Japan
$5B +35% Y/Y Q1 2021.
Japan and China were the next largest markets,
$4B China
+6% Y/Y
well ahead of any other countries. Japan’s
revenue climbed 35 percent Y/Y in Q1 2021, while
$3B China’s total in particularly impressive considering
Google Play is not available in the country.
$2B
South Korea
+16% Y/Y
$1B
Taiwan
+23% Y/Y Note:
Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
$0
Apple or Google). China numbers only include the App Store as
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Google Play is not available there.
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Market Overview: Worldwide 6
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
The U.S. is Also Gaining Market Share for Revenue
Market share for top countries by mobile game spending, App Store and Google Play
U.S. Japan China South Korea Taiwan Other
The U.S. passed Japan to become the largest
mobile games market in 2019. Its market share
has continued to grow since, reaching 28 percent
23% 26% 21% 7% 2% 21%
in 2020.
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Countries outside of the top five have also slowly
gained market share, suggesting that mobile
24% 26% 19% 6% 3% 22%
game publishers have turned to less-tapped
markets with higher growth potential.
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26% 23% 20% 6% 3% 22%
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28% 22% 18% 7% 3% 23% Note:
20
Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
20
Apple or Google). China numbers only include the App Store as
Google Play is not available there.
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Market Overview: Worldwide 7
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Spending Grew by More than $1 Billion in the U.S. and Japan
Top countries by Y/Y mobile game spending growth in Q1 2021, App Store and Google Play
Q1 2020 Q1 2021
$7B
Consumer spending in mobile games in the U.S.
Note: grew by more than $1.5 billion Y/Y in Q1 2021.
+34% Top growing countries are determined
$6B and sorted by the difference in gross This growth was more than all but Japan and
revenue in Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020, not China earned in total during the quarter.
+35% percentage growth.
$5B The top countries by growth included four of the
top five countries by overall revenue. The one
exception was Germany, the top country in
$4B +6%
Europe, with 33 percent Y/Y growth to nearly
$600 million.
$3B $6.1B
$5.2B
$4.6B
$2B $3.8B $3.9B
$3.6B
+16%
$1B
$1.5B +33%
$1.3B
$593M Note:
$445M
$0
Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
Apple or Google). China numbers only include the App Store as
Google Play is not available there.
U.S. Japan China South Korea Germany
Market Overview: Worldwide 8
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Mobile Game Adoption Soared 39% Amid the Pandemic
Worldwide quarterly downloads of mobile games on the App Store and Google Play
App Store Google Play
16B The surge in mobile game downloads preceded
+5%
that for revenue, with big gains starting in Q1
14B 2020 right at the beginning of the pandemic.
Consumers turned to mobile games for
+39%
12B
entertainment during office and school closures.
+1% Although mobile game adoption has slowed
10B
since the peak in Q2 2020, it remained well
12.4B above pre-pandemic levels. This suggests that
11.8B
8B 10.4B
11.5B
11.8B
some of the gains may persist even as countries
8.7B
begin to re-open in 2021.
8.8B
8.2B
6B 7.1B 7.8B 7.2B 7.5B
7.2B
4B
2B
3.0B 2.7B
2.4B 2.1B 2.3B 2.1B 2.2B 2.2B 2.4B 2.3B 2.3B 2.1B 2.3B
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Market Overview: Worldwide 9
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Hypercasual and Shooter Titles Frequent the Top 10 for Downloads
Top mobile games by worldwide downloads on the App Store and Google Play Hypercasual Shooter
2018 2019 2020 1Q21
1 Helix Jump 1 PUBG Mobile +1 1 Among Us NEW 1 Join Clash 3D NEW
Voodoo Tencent InnerSloth Supersonic Studios
2 PUBG Mobile 2 Garena Free Fire NEW 2 Garena Free Fire - 2 Among Us -1
Tencent Garena Garena InnerSloth
3 Subway Surfers 3 Subway Surfers - 3 Subway Surfers - 3 DOP 2 NEW
Sybo Games Sybo Games Sybo Games SayGames
4 Garena Free Fire 4 Fun Race 3D NEW 4 PUBG Mobile -3 4 Phone Case DIY NEW
Garena Good Job Games Tencent Crazy Labs
5 Rise Up 5 Color Bump 3D NEW 5 Hunter Assassin NEW 5 Garena Free Fire -3
Serkan Ozyilmaz Good Job Games Ruby Game Studio Garena
6 Love Balls 6 Call of Duty: Mobile NEW 6 Gardenscapes NEW 6 High Heels NEW
Lion Studios Activision Blizzard Playrix Zynga
7 Candy Crush Saga 7 My Talking Tom 2 NEW 7 Brain Out NEW 7 Subway Surfers -4
King Outfit7 Focus Apps Sybo Games
8 Sniper 3D 8 Run Race 3D NEW 8 Ludo King NEW 8 Water Sort Puzzle NEW
Wildlife Studios Good Job Games Gametion Ice Global
9 Kick the Buddy 9 Sand Balls NEW 9 Tiles Hop NEW 9 Project Makeover NEW
Playgendary SayGames Amanotes Magic Tavern
10 My Talking Tom 10 Homescapes NEW 10 Homescapes - 10 Giant Rush NEW
Outfit7 Playrix Playrix Tapnation
Market Overview: Worldwide 10© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
India’s Mobile Games Market Pulled Away from the Pack
Top countries by mobile game downloads, App Store and Google Play
As smartphone penetration in India increased in
India U.S. Brazil Indonesia Russia
recent years, it has become the largest market
3B
for mobile game downloads. COVID-19 boosted
game adoption in the market by 64 percent from
1.7 billion in Q1 2020 to 2.9 billion in Q3 2020.
India
+28% Y/Y Emerging markets such as India, Brazil, and
2B Russia achieved double-digit year-over-year
download growth in Q1 2021. Meanwhile,
relatively mature mobile markets like the U.S. had
U.S.
lower growth.
-7% Y/Y
Brazil
+10% Y/Y
1B
Indonesia
+6% Y/Y
Russia
+16% Y/Y
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Market Overview: Worldwide 11© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
India Accounted for 12 Percent of Game Downloads in 2020
Market share for top countries by mobile game downloads, App Store and Google Play
India U.S. Brazil Indonesia Russia Other
India became the only country to gain more than
10 percent of the global game install market
since 2017 in 2020, reaching 12 percent of
8% 9% 6% 3% 4% 70%
downloads. The U.S. was next with 7 percent,
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followed by Brazil at 6 percent.
While 77 percent of mobile game revenue in 2020
9% 8% 5% 3% 4% 70%
was concentrated among the five largest
markets, the top five countries by downloads
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combined for only 32 percent of the installs. This
demonstrates how getting users to spend in
mobile games remains more challenging than
9% 8% 5% 3% 4% 71% new user adoption in most markets.
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12% 7% 6% 4% 4% 68%
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0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Market Overview: Worldwide 12© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Google Play Drove Download Growth in Top Markets
Top countries by Y/Y mobile game download growth in Q1 2021, App Store and Google Play
Q1 2020 Q1 2021
2.5B
Game downloads in India climbed by nearly half
+28% Note: a billion year-over-year in Q1 2021. Indonesia,
Top growing countries are determined
and sorted by the difference in Mexico, and Brazil also saw downloads grow by
downloads in Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020, not more than 100 million.
2.0B
percentage growth.
Each of the top five countries by download
growth had at least 90 percent of their installs
1.5B from Google Play, with less than 10 percent from
the App Store. This reflected the trends on each
+10% platform, as Google Play installs climbed 66
2.2B percent between Q1 2018 and Q1 2021, while App
1.0B Store download growth was flat over this period.
1.7B +26%
+23%
1.2B
500M 1.1B
+31%
790M
628M 604M
493M
351M
269M
0
India Indonesia Mexico Brazil Philippines
Market Overview: Worldwide 13© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Key Takeaways:
Worldwide
1. The mobile games market is booming, as game revenue growth accelerated
during the pandemic. Consumer spending surpassed $22 billion in Q1 2021,
representing an all-time high and 25 percent year-over-year growth.
2. Mobile game downloads also surged during the pandemic. This was primarily
led by developing markets like India and Brazil.
3. While more than two-thirds of mobile game revenue comes from just three
countries (the U.S., Japan, and China), growth in some smaller markets in
Europe and Southeast Asia have exceeded that in these largest markets. It is
unlikely that any other country will compete with the top three anytime soon.
However, these fast-growing alternatives will provide opportunities for game
developers looking to expand to new regions.
14Market Overview: United States — An Overview of Mobile Gaming in the U.S.
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
U.S. Game Revenue Growth Outpaced the Global Rate
U.S. quarterly gross revenue from mobile games on the App Store and Google Play
App Store Google Play
$7B U.S. mobile game consumer spending
surpassed $6 billion for only the second time in
+34%
$6B
Q1 2021, just below the $6.1 billion spent in Q2
2020. There was a notable increase at the start
of the pandemic that persisted into 2021.
$5B
$2.6B
+22% $2.8B
The U.S. is still the top market for mobile
$2.6B $2.6B
gaming. Its revenue has more than doubled
$4B +28%
since the start of 2018, higher growth than the
$1.9B
$1.9B
worldwide rate.
$1.8B
$3B $1.8B
$1.7B
$1.6B
$1.4B
$1.3B
$1.2B
$2B
$3.5B $3.3B
$3.3B $3.2B
$2.6B
$2.3B $2.4B
$2.1B $2.2B
$1B $1.8B $1.9B $2.0B
$1.7B
Note:
$0
Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
Apple or Google).
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Market Overview: U.S. 16© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Roblox Became the Top Grossing Mobile Game in the U.S. in 2020
Top mobile games by U.S. revenue on the App Store and Google Play
2018 2019 2020 1Q21
1 Candy Crush Saga 1 Candy Crush Saga - 1 Roblox +1 1 Roblox -
King King Roblox Roblox
2 Fortnite 2 Roblox +5 2 Candy Crush Saga -1 2 Candy Crush Saga -
Epic Games Roblox King King
3 Pokémon GO 3 Clash of Clans +1 3 Coin Master +2 3 Coin Master -
Niantic Supercell Moon Active Moon Active
4 Clash of Clans 4 Pokémon GO -1 4 Pokémon GO - 4 Lords Mobile NEW
Supercell Niantic Niantic IGG
5 Slotomania 5 Coin Master NEW 5 Gardenscapes NEW 5 Pokémon GO -1
Playtika Moon Active Playrix Niantic
6 Candy Crush Soda Saga 6 Homescapes +4 6 Homescapes - 6 Homescapes -
King Playrix Playrix Playrix
7 Roblox 7 Slotomania -2 7 Clash of Clans -4 7 Garena Free Fire NEW
Roblox Playtika Supercell Garena
8 Toon Blast 8 PUBG Mobile NEW 8 Slotomania -1 8 Genshin Impact NEW
Peak Games Tencent Playtika miHoYo
9 Final Fantasy XV 9 Fortnite -7 9 PUBG Mobile -1 9 Gardenscapes -4
Epic Action Epic Games Tencent Playrix
10 Homescapes 10 Toon Blast -2 10 Call of Duty: Mobile NEW 10 State of Survival NEW
Playrix Peak Games Activision Blizzard FunPlus
Market Overview: U.S. 17© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
U.S. Game Installs Fell Slightly From a Mid-Pandemic Peak
U.S. quarterly downloads from mobile games on the App Store and Google Play
App Store Google Play
1.5B While U.S. mobile game revenue remained high
-7%
+25%
each quarter during the pandemic, downloads
fell off from their peak in the first few quarters
-2%
of the pandemic. Q1 2021 downloads were still
slightly higher than the pre-pandemic quarters.
682M
645M
1.0B
596M
628M
623M
640M Download growth had started to pick up in
601M
560M 2019 even before the spread of COVID-19.
606M
588M
560M
544M
Quarter-over-quarter growth in Q1 2021 also
546M
shows promise for the upcoming quarters.
500M
756M 761M
674M 698M 665M
629M 650M 647M
548M 576M
535M 510M 522M
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Market Overview: U.S. 18© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Top Apps by U.S. Downloads Included Many New Launches
Top mobile games by U.S. downloads on the App Store and Google Play
2018 2019 2020 1Q21
1 Helix Jump 1 Call of Duty: Mobile NEW 1 Among Us NEW 1 Project Makeover NEW
Voodoo Activision Blizzard InnerSloth Magic Tavern
2 Fortnite 2 Color Bump 3D NEW 2 Roblox +3 2 High Heels NEW
Epic Games Good Job Games Roblox Zynga
3 PUBG Mobile 3 Aquapark.io NEW 3 Call of Duty: Mobile -2 3 Among Us -2
Tencent Voodoo Activision Blizzard InnerSloth
4 Rise Up 4 Mario Kart Tour NEW 4 Subway Surfers NEW 4 Roblox -2
Serkan Ozyilmaz Nintendo Sybo Games Roblox
5 Hole.io 5 Roblox +1 5 Brain Test NEW 5 Crash Bandicoot: OTR NEW
Voodoo Roblox Unico Studios King
6 Roblox 6 Wordscapes NEW 6 Coin Master NEW 6 Blob Runner 3D NEW
Roblox PeopleFun Moon Active Zynga
7 Love Balls 7 Fun Race 3D NEW 7 Magic Tiles 3 NEW 7 Giant Rush NEW
Lion Studios Good Job Games Amanotes Tapnation
8 Happy Glass 8 Run Race 3D NEW 8 Fishdom NEW 8 Sushi Roll 3D NEW
Lion Studios Good Job Games Playrix SayGames
9 Granny 9 Mr Bullet NEW 9 Woodturning NEW 9 Oh God NEW
DVloper Lion Studios Voodoo Alictus
10 Hello Stars 10 Polysphere NEW 10 Tangle Master 3D NEW 10 Call of Duty: Mobile -7
Fastone Games Playgendary Zynga Activision Blizzard
Market Overview: U.S. 19© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Key Takeaways:
U.S.
1. The U.S. was already the largest market for mobile games revenue and looks to
likely hold this position for the foreseeable future. U.S. game revenue growth
has exceeded the worldwide rate for each of the past three years, reaching 34
percent Y/Y growth in Q1 2021.
2. While game revenue continues to climb, expect more modest growth for U.S.
mobile game adoption. U.S. game installs have mostly fallen off from the spike
seen early in the pandemic. However, steady growth in 2019 plus a strong Q1
2021 suggests that the market may still see steady growth in the coming quarters.
3. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed how games can benefit from having a strong
social component. Many multiplayer games like Roblox and Among Us had a
breakthrough year in 2020.
20Market Overview: Europe — An Overview of Mobile Gaming in Europe
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
The Pandemic Accelerated Europe’s Game Revenue Growth
Europe quarterly gross revenue from mobile games on the App Store and Google Play
App Store Google Play
$3B Mobile game consumer spending in Europe
reached $2.7 billion in Q1 2021, an all-time
+27%
high and up 27 percent year-over-year.
Revenue was boosted during the pandemic,
though to a lesser extent than in the U.S.
+21%
$2B
$1.5B
Growth was similar on both platforms, with
+11% $1.5B
$1.4B App Store revenue up 28 percent Y/Y in Q1 2021
$1.4B
compared to 27 percent Y/Y growth on Google
$1.1B
$1.2B Play. Google Play still took the majority of
$1.1B
$1.0B
spending between the two platforms.
$961M $991M
$931M
$875M $869M
$1B
$1.1B $1.1B $1.2B
$1.0B
$845M $891M $905M
$732M $757M $754M $785M
$696M $704M
Note:
$0
Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
Apple or Google).
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Market Overview: Europe 22© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Coin Master Led All Mobile Games In Europe
Top mobile games by Europe revenue on the App Store and Google Play
2018 2019 2020 1Q21
1 Candy Crush Saga 1 Coin Master NEW 1 Coin Master - 1 Coin Master -
King Moon Active Moon Active Moon Active
2 Clash Royale 2 Candy Crush Saga -1 2 Brawl Stars +2 2 PUBG Mobile +1
Supercell King Supercell Tencent
3 Gardenscapes 3 Clash of Clans +2 3 PUBG Mobile NEW 3 Roblox +3
Playrix Supercell Tencent Roblox
4 Pokémon GO 4 Brawl Stars NEW 4 Gardenscapes +1 4 State of Survival +6
Niantic Supercell Playrix FunPlus
5 Clash of Clans 5 Gardenscapes -2 5 Pokémon GO +2 5 Brawl Stars -3
Supercell Playrix Niantic Supercell
6 Lords Mobile 6 Homescapes +1 6 Roblox NEW 6 Gardenscapes -2
IGG Playrix Roblox Playrix
7 Homescapes 7 Pokémon GO -3 7 Candy Crush Saga -5 7 Homescapes +1
Playrix Niantic King Playrix
8 Empires & Puzzles 8 Empires & Puzzles - 8 Homescapes -2 8 Pokémon GO -3
Small Giant Games Small Giant Games Playrix Niantic
9 Candy Crush Soda Saga 9 Guns of Glory +1 9 Clash of Clans -6 9 Candy Crush Saga -2
King FunPlus Supercell King
10 Guns of Glory 10 Clash Royale -8 10 State of Survival NEW 10 Lords Mobile NEW
FunPlus Supercell FunPlus IGG
Market Overview: Europe 23© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Germany Led Strong Revenue Growth in Europe
Top European countries by mobile game revenue, App Store and Google Play
The mobile games market in Germany is
Germany U.K. France Russia Italy
Germany
booming, with user spending climbing from less
$600M
+33% Y/Y than $250 million in Q1 2017 to nearly $600
million in Q1 2021. It had a compound annual
$500M
growth rate (CAGR) of 25 percent over that period,
U.K.
+32% Y/Y higher growth than any of the other top countries
in Europe.
$400M
The spikes in revenue during early lockdowns in
response to COVID-19 were particularly evident
France
$300M
+21% Y/Y
in the U.K., France, and Italy. All three of these
markets saw revenue dip after a strong Q2 2020
before climbing again in Q3.
$200M Russia
+13% Y/Y
Italy
+24% Y/Y
$100M
Note:
Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
$0
Apple or Google).
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Market Overview: Europe 24© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Germany and the U.K. Saw Substantial Y/Y Revenue Growth
Top European countries by Y/Y game revenue growth in Q1 2021, App Store and Google Play
+33% Q1 2020 Q1 2021
$600M
Germany’s mobile game revenue grew by nearly
Note: $150 million Y/Y in Q1 2021, followed by the U.K.
Top growing countries are determined
and sorted by the difference in gross at $118 million and France at $51 million. No
$500M +32% revenue in Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020, not other country in Europe had Y/Y/ growth of more
percentage growth. than $40 million.
$400M Switzerland, a smaller market in Europe, was
among the top five by revenue growth with 38
percent Y/Y growth. Netherlands just missed the
+21%
$300M $593M top five with revenue climbing by $26 million Y/Y,
or 39 percent.
$482M
$445M
$200M
$364M
+24%
$297M +38%
$246M
$100M
$133M $147M
$118M
$96M
Note:
$0
Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
« Apple or Google).
Germany United Kingdom France Switzerland Italy
Market Overview: Europe 25© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Top Publishers by European Revenue are Based in the Region
Top games publishers by European revenue in 2020 on the App Store and Google Play
2019 2020
$700M
Two Europe-based publishers had the most
revenue in Europe in 2020, with the popular
+39%
$600M
puzzle and decorate developer Playrix and
+8%
strategy game publisher Supercell leading the
way. There were also two Israel-based publishers
$500M among the top 10.
+7%
+8%
+86% Outside of Europe, publishers from the U.S. and
$400M +68%
China found the most success. Tencent and
Roblox revenue in the region each grew by more
$300M $605M than 100 percent.
$571M +118%
$530M
$463M $447M +21% +31% +128%
$435M $432M
$200M $413M $398M $387M
$264M
$231M
$100M $214M $209M $209M $204M
$174M $159M
$121M
$89M Note:
$0
Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
Apple or Google).
Playrix Supercell Activision Zynga Moon Active FunPlus Tencent Playtika Niantic Roblox
Blizzard
Market Overview: Europe 26© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
European Game Installs Approached the Early Pandemic Peak
European quarterly downloads from mobile games on the App Store and Google Play
App Store Google Play
4B Q1 2021 mobile game installs in Europe were
down just one percent from their peak in Q1
-1% 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Downloads were above the pre-pandemic high
+28%
3B
for the past five quarters, suggesting that a
portion of the pandemic boost will likely persist.
+3%
The majority of game installs in Europe were
from Google Play. Mobile game adoption on
2B 2.6B
2.6B 2.7B
Google Play reached a new high in Q1 2021,
2.2B 2.3B
2.5B while App Store downloads fell 17 percent Y/Y.
2.1B
1.9B 2.0B
1.9B 1.9B
1.8B 1.8B
1B
575M 603M 673M 616M
547M 492M 520M 531M 539M 531M 536M 545M 556M
0
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Market Overview: Europe 27© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Many Hypercasual and Puzzle Titles Were Among the Top Games in Europe
Top mobile games by Europe downloads on the App Store and Google Play
2018 2019 2020 1Q21
1 Helix Jump 1 Brawl Stars NEW 1 Among Us NEW 1 DOP 2 NEW
Voodoo Supercell InnerSloth SayGames
2 Subway Surfers 2 Color Bump 3D NEW 2 Brawl Stars -1 2 Among Us -1
Sybo Games Good Job Games Supercell InnerSloth
3 Love Balls 3 Fun Race 3D NEW 3 Gardenscapes NEW 3 Phone Case DIY NEW
Lion Studios Good Job Games Playrix Crazy Labs
4 Rise Up 4 Call of Duty: Mobile NEW 4 Brain Test NEW 4 Join Clash 3D NEW
Serkan Ozyilmaz Activision Blizzard Unico Studios Supersonic Studios
5 PUBG Mobile 5 Homescapes NEW 5 Subway Surfers +5 5 Project Makeover NEW
Tencent Playrix Sybo Games Magic Tavern
6 Paper.io 2 6 Run Race 3D NEW 6 Roblox NEW 6 Water Sort Puzzle NEW
Voodoo Good Job Games Roblox Ice Global
7 Knife Hit 7 Sand Balls NEW 7 PUBG Mobile +2 7 Giant Rush NEW
Ubisoft SayGames Tencent Tapnation
8 Kick the Buddy 8 Aquapark.io NEW 8 Brain Out NEW 8 Homescapes +5
Playgendary Voodoo Focus Apps Playrix
9 Happy Glass 9 PUBG Mobile -4 9 Woodturning NEW 9 Brawl Stars -7
Lion Studios Tencent Voodoo Supercell
10 Granny 10 Subway Surfers -8 10 Tiles Hop NEW 10 Stacky Dash NEW
DVloper Sybo Games Amanotes Supersonic Studios
Market Overview: Europe 28© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Russia and Turkey Drove European Game Downloads
Top European countries by mobile game downloads, App Store and Google Play
Russia was the top European market in Q1 2021
Russia Turkey U.K. Germany France
with 758 million downloads, followed by Turkey
800M
Russia at 537 million installs. This was more than double
-1% Y/Y
the No. 3 market, the U.K., which had 248 million
700M
downloads in the quarter.
600M
Many of the top countries in Europe saw
Turkey
+17% Y/Y
downloads decline year-over-year from the early
500M pandemic highs in Q1 2020. Turkey was a notable
exception with 17 percent Y/Y growth, and
400M Germany also managed to experience slightly
positive growth.
United Kingdom
300M -7% Y/Y
Germany
+0.1% Y/Y
200M France
-11% Y/Y
100M
0
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Market Overview: Europe 29© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Turkey Led Download Growth in Europe
Top European countries by Y/Y game download growth in 1Q21, App Store and Google Play
Q1 2020 Q1 2021
600M
As overall downloads in Europe decreased one
Note: percent year-over-year in Q1 2021, most countries
+17%
Top growing countries are determined
and sorted by the difference in saw little to no growth. Turkey was the exception,
500M downloads in Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020, not with downloads up by nearly 80 million.
percentage growth.
The rest of the top countries by growth were
400M smaller markets such as Ukraine, Portugal, and
Ireland. Only eight countries in Europe had
positive Y/Y growth in Q1 2021.
300M
537M
458M
+1%
200M
100M 196M 198M
+5% +7% +1%
15M 16M
41M 43M 15M 16M 32M 33M
0
Turkey Ukraine Portugal Ireland Greece
Market Overview: Europe 30© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Key Takeaways:
Europe
1. Mobile game revenue also accelerated in Europe in 2020, reaching a record $2.7
billion in Q1 2021 with 27 percent year-over-year growth. While this Y/Y growth
was lower than in the U.S. (which saw a particularly pronounced boost from
COVID-19), it was still slightly higher than the global growth rate.
2. Germany, the top European country by mobile game revenue, reached nearly
$600 million in consumer spending in Q1 2021. Revenue growth was strong
across top European markets, with the U.K., France, and Italy joining Germany
with more than 20 percent Y/Y revenue growth in Q1 2021.
3. Mobile game installs in Q1 2021 were just 1 percent lower than their peak from
Q1 2020. However, most countries have seen installs decline from this pandemic-
fueled peak, with Turkey as a notable exception.
31Market Overview: Asia — An Overview of Mobile Gaming in Asia
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Asia’s Game Revenue Growth is Picking Up
Asia’s quarterly gross revenue from mobile games on the App Store and Google Play
App Store Google Play
$15B Asia’s mobile game revenue surpassed $12
billion for the first time in Q1 2021, up 21
percent year-over-year Growth has only
+21% accelerated in recent years.
+15%
Mobile game revenue growth in Asia lagged
$10B $4.3B behind that seen in the U.S. and Europe. Still, it
+11% $3.9B $4.0B
remains by far the largest region for mobile
$3.3B $3.5B
game revenue, led by China and Japan.
$3.1B
$3.1B
$2.9B $2.8B
$2.7B $2.6B $2.7B
$2.7B
$5B
$7.8B
$7.4B $7.3B
$6.7B $6.7B
$6.2B $6.0B
$5.7B $5.6B
$5.1B $4.8B $5.1B $5.2B
Note:
$0
Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
Apple or Google).
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Market Overview: Asia 33© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Genshin Impact Emerged as a Top Game in Asia with a Strong Q1 2021
Top mobile games by Asia revenue on the App Store and Google Play
2018 2019 2020 1Q21
1 Honor of Kings 1 Honor of Kings - 1 Honor of Kings - 1 Honor of Kings -
Tencent Tencent Tencent Tencent
2 Monster Strike 2 Fate/Grand Order +1 2 PUBG Mobile +1 2 PUBG Mobile -
Mixi Sony Tencent Tencent
3 Fate/Grand Order 3 PUBG Mobile NEW 3 Monster Strike +1 3 Genshin Impact NEW
Sony Tencent Mixi miHoYo
4 LineageM 4 Monster Strike -2 4 Fate/Grand Order -2 4 LineageM +2
NCSOFT Mixi Sony NCSOFT
5 Fantasy WW Journey 5 Fantasy WW Journey - 5 3 Kingdoms Tactics NEW 5 Fate/Grand Order -1
NetEase NetEase Alibaba Sony
6 Puzzle & Dragons 6 LineageM -2 6 LineageM - 6 Monster Strike -3
GungHo NCSOFT NCSOFT Mixi
7 Knives Out 7 Puzzle & Dragons -1 7 Lineage2M NEW 7 3 Kingdoms Tactics -2
NetEase GungHo NCSOFT Alibaba
8 QQ Speed 8 Perfect World NEW 8 Fantasy WW Journey -3 8 Pro Baseball Spirts A NEW
Tencent Tencent NetEase Konami
9 Lineage2 Revolution 9 Knives Out -2 9 Knives Out - 9 Puzzle & Dragons +4
Netmarble NetEase NetEase GungHo
10 DBZ Dokkan Battle 10 DBZ Dokkan Battle - 10 AFK Arena NEW 10 Fantasy WW Journey -2
Bandai Namco Bandai Namco Lilith Games NetEase
Market Overview: Asia 34© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Japan’s Game Revenue Surpassed $5 Billion in Q1 2021
Top Asian countries by mobile game revenue, App Store and Google Play
Four of the top five countries globally by mobile
Japan China South Korea Taiwan Hong Kong
game revenue are in Asia, with the U.S. as the only
$6B
exception. Japan surpassed $5 billion in Q1 2021,
followed by China at $3.9 billion and South
Japan
$5B +35% Y/Y Korea at $1.5 billion.
While China’s mobile game adoption has
$4B China decreased in recent years, revenue has
+6% Y/Y
continued to grow. Note that China’s revenue also
only includes the App Store, as Google Play is not
$3B available in the country.
$2B
South Korea
+16% Y/Y
$1B
Taiwan
+23% Y/Y
Hong Kong Note:
+23% Y/Y Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
$0
Apple or Google). China numbers only include the App Store as
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Market Overview: Asia 35© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Japan Saw 35 Percent Y/Y Revenue Growth in Q1 2021
Top Asian countries by Y/Y game revenue growth in Q1 2021, App Store and Google Play
Q1 2020 Q1 2021
$6B
Japan’s game revenue increased by more than
Note: $1.3 billion in Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020, an increase of
+35% Top growing countries are determined
and sorted by the difference in gross 35 percent. China, the No. 2 country by growth,
$5B revenue in Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020, not was well behind with year-over-year growth of
percentage growth. $236 million.
+6%
$4B Thailand was the No. 5 country in Asia by
growth, with user spending up nearly 50 percent
Y/Y. Spending surpassed $200 million in the
$3B country for the first time, more than double the
$5.2B total from just two years prior in Q1 2019.
$2B $3.8B $3.9B
$3.6B
+16%
$1B
+23%
$1.5B
$1.3B
+49%
$511M $630M $137M
$137M $204M
$0
Japan China South Korea Taiwan Thailand
Market Overview: Asia 36© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Half of the Top SEA Publishers are Based in China
Top games publishers by SEA revenue in 2020 on the App Store and Google Play
2019 2020
$350M
Singapore-based Garena remained the dominant
+37% publisher in Southeast Asia (SEA) with more than
$300M
double the revenue of the next closest publisher
(Moonton). It had strong revenue growth at 37
percent year-over-year.
$250M
China represented half of the top 10 publishers
by revenue in SEA in 2020. Interestingly, half of
$200M
the top 10 publishers in SEA were also among the
top 10 in Europe: Tencent, Moon Active, FunPlus,
$150M
$314M
+40% Playrix, and Supercell.
$229M
+99%
$100M +36%
$143M +103% +765% +155%
+48% +440%
$50M $102M $97M $89M
+1%
$66M $59M
$49M $56M $54M $48M $47M
$29M $6M $33M $9M $40M $41M Note:
$21M
$0
$6M $9M Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
Apple or Google).
Garena Moonton Lilith Games Tencent Netmarble Moon Active FunPlus Playrix miHoYo Supercell
Market Overview: Asia 37© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Asia’s Mobile Game Adoption Surged in 2020
Asia’s quarterly downloads from mobile games on the App Store and Google Play
App Store Google Play
7B Quarterly mobile game downloads in Asia
+7% surpassed 5 billion for the first time in Q1 2020,
6B
and then climbed to 6.3 billion in Q2 2020.
Although installs dropped off a bit from this
peak, they still surpassed 5.5 billion for each of
5B +46% the next three quarters.
-4% The vast majority of game installs in Asia came
4B
from Google Play, driven largely by countries
5.4B
5.3B like India and Indonesia where Android phones
3B
4.1B
4.9B
4.9B are much more popular than iPhones. About 86
3.4B
percent of the downloads in Q1 2021 were from
3.3B 3.4B 3.5B
2.6B 2.8B
2.8B
Google Play, up from 71 percent in Q1 2018.
2.7B
2B
1B
1.1B 1.2B
866M 954M 822M 790M 893M 904M
755M 746M 745M 613M 762M
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Market Overview: Asia 38© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Top Battle Royale Games Were Popular in Asia
Top mobile games by Asia downloads on the App Store and Google Play
2018 2019 2020 1Q21
1 PUBG Mobile 1 PUBG Mobile - 1 Ludo King +2 1 Join Clash 3D NEW
Tencent Tencent Gametion Supersonic Studios
2 Ludo King 2 Garena Free Fire +3 2 Garena Free Fire - 2 Ludo King -1
Gametion Garena Garena Gametion
3 Subway Surfers 3 Ludo King -1 3 PUBG Mobile -2 3 Garena Free Fire -1
Sybo Games Gametion Tencent Garena
4 Helix Jump 4 Subway Surfers -1 4 Hunter Assassin NEW 4 Bubble Shooter NEW
Voodoo Sybo Games Ruby Games Miniclip
5 Garena Free Fire 5 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang +1
5 Subway Surfers -1 5 Subway Princess Runner NEW
Garena Moonton Sybo Games Ivy
6 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang 6 Fun Race 3D NEW 6 Brain Out NEW 6 Subway Surfers -1
Moonton Good Job Games Focus Apps Sybo Games
7 Temple Run 2 7 My Talking Tom 2 NEW 7 Worms Zone.io NEW 7 Worms Zone.io -
Imangi Studios Outfit7 Azur Interactive Azur Interactive
8 Candy Crush Saga 8 Temple Run 2 -1 8 Carrom Pool +1 8 Candy Crush Saga +4
King Imangi Studios Miniclip King
9 Honor of Kings 9 Carrom Pool NEW 9 Gardenscapes NEW 9 Phone Case DIY NEW
Tencent Miniclip Playrix Crazy Labs
10 My Talking Tom 10 Candy Crush Saga -2 10 Among Us NEW 10 PUBG Mobile -7
Outfit7 King InnerSloth Tencent
Market Overview: Asia 39© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
India’s Game Installs Dwarfed All Other Markets
Top Asian countries by mobile game downloads, App Store and Google Play
India is the largest mobile games market by
India Indonesia China Vietnam Philippines
downloads in the world. It has seen rapid growth
3B
since the start of 2019, climbing from 1.2 billion in
Q1 2019 to nearly 2.9 billion in Q3 2020.
India
Indonesia has also experienced strong growth of
+28% Y/Y 26 percent year-over-year in Q1 2021. China’s
2B installs have declined since 2017, with a surge at
the start of COVID-19 in Q1 2020 as an exception.
However, China’s mobile game user spending has
continued to climb despite its decline in adoption.
1B
Indonesia
+26% Y/Y
China
-44% Y/Y
Vietnam
-21% Y/Y
Philippines Note:
+31% Y/Y China numbers only include the App Store as Google Play is not
0
available there.
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Market Overview: Asia 40© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
India and Indonesia Top Install Growth in Asia
Top Asian countries by Y/Y game download growth in Q1 2021, App Store and Google Play
Q1 2020 Q1 2021
2.5B
Mobile game installs in India have grown by
+28% Note: roughly half a billion year-over-year in Q1 2021.
Top growing countries are determined
and sorted by the difference in Indonesia was the only other country with growth
downloads in Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020, not of more than 100 million downloads.
2.0B
percentage growth.
Pakistan, the No. 7 country in Asia by downloads
in Q1 2021, was No. 4 by Y/Y growth that quarter.
1.5B Kazakhstan, the 10th largest market in Asia by
downloads, was another notable country with
strong Y/Y growth.
2.2B
1.0B
1.7B +26%
500M
+31%
790M
628M +41%
+26%
351M
269M 232M
164M 114M 144M
0
India Indonesia Philippines Pakistan Kazakhstan
Market Overview: Asia 41© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Key Takeaways:
Asia
1. Asia is the top region for mobile games. Mobile game consumer spending
surpassed $12 billion there for the first time in Q1 2021, an increase of 21 percent
year-over-year. Asia’s mobile game revenue growth accelerated during COVID-19,
similar to the pattern seen in other regions.
2. Four of the top five countries by mobile game revenue are in Asia, including
Japan, China, and South Korea. Japan has seen particularly strong growth in
recent quarters, as its revenue has climbed 35 percent Y/Y in Q1 2021.
3. India is the primary driver of mobile game download trends in Asia, reaching
nearly 3 billion installs in Q3 2020. Some other countries including Indonesia,
Philippines, and Pakistan have also seen really strong download growth.
42Market Forecast: — 3-Year Revenue and Download Forecast
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Consumer Spending in Mobile Games Will Reach $117 Billion by 2023
Three-year consumer spending forecast for the Games category on the App Store and Google Play
Worldwide App Store and Worldwide App Store Worldwide Google Play
Google Play Spending Spending Spending
$125B +13.5% CAGR $125B $125B
$100B $100B $100B
$75B $75B +12.3% CAGR $75B
$117B
$106B +15.9% CAGR
$50B $95B $50B $50B
$80B
$63B $62B $67B
$25B $25B $55B $25B $50B
$48B $44B
$38B $40B
$32B
$25B
$0 $0 $0
2019 2020 2021F 2022F 2023F 2019 2020 2021F 2022F 2023F 2019 2020 2021F 2022F 2023F
$117 Billion $67 Billion $50 Billion
App Store + Google Play Revenue App Store Revenue Google Play Revenue
By 2023 By 2023 By 2023
Note: Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by Apple or Google).
Market Forecast 44© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Mobile Game Installs are Projected to Rise Steadily to 67.2 Billion by 2023
Three-year download forecast for the Games category on the App Store and Google Play
Worldwide App Store and Worldwide App Store Worldwide Google Play
Google Play Downloads Downloads Downloads
80B 80B 80B
70B +6.1% CAGR 70B 70B
60B 60B 60B +6.2% CAGR
50B 50B 50B
40B 40B 40B
67.2B
30B 61.8B
56.3B 57.5B 30B 30B 55.3B
47.0B 50.4B
20B 42.7B 46.2B
20B +5.7% CAGR 20B
33.5B
10B 10B 10B
9.2B 10.1B 10.5B 11.4B 11.9B
0 0 0
2019 2020 2021F 2022F 2023F 2019 2020 2021F 2022F 2023F 2019 2020 2021F 2022F 2023F
67.2 Billion 11.9 Billion 55.3 Billion
App Store + Google Play Downloads App Store Downloads Google Play Downloads
By 2023 By 2023 By 2023
Market Forecast 45© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
European and Asian Markets Projected for Strong Growth
Top 10 countries by projected market share growth between 2020 - 2023
2020 2023F
Germany is projected to gain the most market
Germany . share for mobile game revenue by 2023 with
+18.0% CAGR
annual growth of 18 percent. Four other
Canada .
+19.4% CAGR European countries will join Germany among the
top 10, including the U.K., France, Netherlands,
United Kingdom .
+18.5% CAGR and Italy.
Malaysia . +30.7% CAGR
Southeast Asia has three countries among the
Thailand . top 10 by market share growth. Malaysia and
+23.9% CAGR
Philippines are projected for a compound annual
Philippines .
+30.0% CAGR
growth rate (CAGR) of 30 percent or higher, while
Thailand is projected for a CAGR of 24 percent.
France .
+18.3% CAGR
Netherlands . +27.3% CAGR
Italy . +21.6% CAGR
Australia . Note:
+17.3% CAGR
Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
Apple or Google).
$0 $500M $1.0B $1.5B $2.0B $2.5B $3.0B $3.5B
Market Forecast 46© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Southeast Asia Game Revenue to Rise 90% by 2023
Revenue growth by region, App Store and Google Play
Worldwide Southeast Asia Europe North America Rest of Asia
90%
Southeast Asia When looking at projected mobile game revenue
growth by region, Southeast Asia and Europe are
80% expected to far exceed the worldwide rate.
Europe
Southeast Asia revenue will grow by 88 percent
70% between 2020 and 2023, while Europe is projected
for 76 percent growth over the same period.
60%
North America revenue growth will be similar to
50% Worldwide the worldwide rate. Meanwhile, slower growth in
North America mature gaming markets like China and Japan will
40% result in a slightly lower growth rate in the rest of
Rest of Asia Asia (excluding Southeast Asia).
30%
20%
10%
0%
2020 2021F 2022F 2023F
Market Forecast 47© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Key Takeaways:
Market Forecast
1. Mobile game revenue will reach $117 billion by 2023, a CAGR of 13.5 percent.
The App Store will contribute $67 billion with a 12.3 percent CAGR, while Google
Play will reach $50 billion with a 15.9 percent CAGR.
2. Mobile game downloads will surpass 67 billion by 2023, or an annual growth
rate of 6.1 percent. More than 55 billion of these installs will be from Google Play,
with the App Store contributing around 12 billion.
3. Europe and Southeast Asia are key markets for mobile game developers, as
revenue growth in these regions are expected to easily outpace the worldwide
rate over the next three years. Currently, Europe-based publishers have found
the most success in Europe, while some top China-based publishers have
emerged as key players in Southeast Asia.
48Game Genre Trends — Worldwide Trends by Mobile Game Genre
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
RPG Was the Top Game Genre by Revenue in 2020
Top 10 game genres by worldwide gross revenue, App Store and Google Play
2019 2020 Top Sub-Genre: Top Country: Top Game:
RPG led all genres by mobile game revenue in
$18.3B
RPG
$21.9B +19%
MMORPG 34% Monster Strike 2020, followed by Strategy and Puzzle. RPG
revenue grew by $3.6B year-over-year, while
$11.7B
Strategy
$15.1B +30%
4X Strategy 30% Honor of Kings Strategy was close behind with growth of $3.4B.
$7.0B
Puzzle Puzzle & Decorate 52% Candy Crush Saga Among top genres, Simulation led the way by Y/Y
$8.5B +23%
$4.9B
growth at 53 percent, followed by Shooter with
Casino Slots 64% Coin Master
$7.2B +46% 50 percent and Casino at 46 percent. Each of
$3.8B these genres had one of the top five games by
Shooter Battle Royale 32% PUBG Mobile
$5.7B +50% revenue in 2020, with PUBG Mobile (Shooter),
$2.7B$2.7B Coin Master (Casino), and Roblox (Simulation).
Simulation Sandbox 50% Roblox
$4.1B +53%
$2.2B
$2.2B Disney:
Lifestyle Music / Band 48%
$3.0B$3.0B +33% Twisted-Wonderland
$2.1B
$2.1B
Sports Realistic Sports 47% Pro Baseball Spirits A
$2.9B$2.9B +36%
$1.7B
$1.7B Fighting
Action 39% Genshin Impact
$2.2B +39%
$2.2B Note:
$1.3B
$1.3B Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
Geolocation AR Geolocation AR 52% Pokémon GO
$1.9B +44%
$1.9B Apple or Google).
$0 $5B $10B $15B $20B $25B
Game Genre Trends 50© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Strategy’s Growth Has Kept Pace with RPG Since 2018
Worldwide revenue by game genre, App Store and Google Play
RPG Strategy Puzzle Casino Shooter Simulation
$7B
Strategy has been able to stay within $1.4 billion
of RPG gross revenue each quarter since 2018.
$6B
RPG Strategy has a CAGR of 25 percent since Q1 2018
+17% Y/Y
vs. RPG’s CAGR of 15 percent.
$5B Casino and Simulation benefited from a few hit
titles gaining traction during the pandemic. Coin
Strategy
+27% Y/Y
Master contributed to much of Casino’s revenue
$4B
gains in 2020, while Roblox was responsible for a
large portion of Simulation’s growth.
$3B
Puzzle
+24% Y/Y
Casino
$2B +32% Y/Y
Shooter
+14% Y/Y
Simulation
$1B +38% Y/Y
Note:
$0
Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
Apple or Google).
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Game Genre Trends 51© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
4X Strategy is the Fastest Growing Sub-Genre
Top 10 game sub-genres by year-over-year revenue growth in Q1 2021
Strategy Action RPG Puzzle Casino Simulation Geolocation AR Lifestyle
4X Strategy
4X Strategy is the fastest growing sub-genre by
4X(Strategy)
Strategy revenue, followed by Open World Adventure. Six
Open World Adventure different 4X Strategy games earned at least $100
Open World Adventure
(Action) million in Q1 2021, while Open World Adventure
Squad RPG was boosted by the hugely successful launch of
Squad(RPG)
RPG
Genshin Impact.
MMORPG
MMORPG
(RPG)
Top growing sub-genres were spread across
Puzzle & Decorate many different genres. Sub-genres from eight
Puzzle & Decorate
(Puzzle)
different genres were among the top 10 by
MOBA
MOBA
(Strategy) growth, with Strategy and RPG as the only two
genres with multiple sub-genres.
Slots
Slots
(Casino)
Sandbox
Sandbox
(Simulation)
Geolocation AR
GeolocationAR)
(Geolocation AR
Music / Band Note:
Music / Band
(Lifestyle) Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
Apple or Google).
$0 $100M $200M $300M $400M $500M $600M $700M
Game Genre Trends 52© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
The Assent of Hypercasual Continued in 2020
Top 10 game genres by worldwide downloads, App Store and Google Play
2019 2020 Top Sub-Genre: Top Country: Top Game:
Hypercasual install growth continued in 2020,
7.5B
Hypercasual
12.0B +60%
Puzzle 14% Tiles Hop 3D rising 60 percent year-over-year. Most of the
growth occurred early in 2020 as downloads rose
4.2B
Puzzle
5.5B +31%
Other Puzzle 16% Gardenscapes 35 percent between Q4 2019 and Q1 2020.
4.4B
Arcade Platformer / Runner 20% Among Us Other top growing genres included Simulation
5.2B +20%
3.0B Driving /
and Lifestyle with 57 percent and 52 percent Y/Y
Simulation 18% Roblox
4.7B +57% Flight Simulator growth, respectively. India was the top country
2.6B by downloads for both of these genres, followed
Lifestyle Lifestyle Simulator 15% My Talking Tom 2
3.9B +52% by Brazil and the U.S.
2.2B
Shooter FPS / 3PS 26% Garena Free Fire
2.8B +24%
1.6B 1.6B
Tabletop Board 31% Ludo King
2.1B +32%
1.6B 1.6B
Racing Realistic Racing 28% Hill Climb Racing
1.9B +23%
1.5B 1.5B Realistic Sports 18% 8 Ball Pool
Sports
1.6B 1.6B +7%
1.4B 1.4B 4X Strategy Brawl Stars
Strategy 9%
1.6B 1.6B +12%
0 2B 4B 6B 8B 10B 12B 14B
Game Genre Trends 53© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Hypercasual Has Seen Staggering Growth Since 2018
Worldwide download growth by game genre, App Store and Google Play
Hypercasual Puzzle Arcade Simulation Lifestyle Shooter
4B
Hypercasual installs have skyrocketed, climbing
from 757 million in Q1 2018 to more than 3.4
Hypercasual billion in Q1 2021. The genre was responsible for
+17% Y/Y
31 percent of downloads in Q1 2021; no other
3B
genre had more than 12 percent.
Other genres like Puzzle, Arcade, and Shooter
saw downloads dip compared to the highs seen
during the start of the pandemic. Most genres
2B still saw solid growth compared to 2019 totals.
Puzzle
-7% Y/Y
Arcade
-2% Y/Y
Simulation
1B
+9% Y/Y
Lifestyle
+19% Y/Y
Shooter
-17% Y/Y
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Game Genre Trends 54© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Hypercasual Sub-Genres Drove Adoption Growth
Top 10 game sub-genres by year-over-year download growth in Q1 2021
Hypercasual Lifestyle Simulation Arcade
Traversal
Five of the top 10 fastest growing sub-genres by
Traversal
(Hypercasual) Y/Y growth in Q1 2021 were in the Hypercasual
Action genre, including the top two. Simulation and
Action
(Hypercasual) Arcade each had two sub-genres represented.
Lifestyle Simulator
Lifestyle Simulator
(Lifestyle) The top game in Q1 2021 was Join Clash 3D from
Simulation
Simulation
Supersonic Studios with more than 81 million
(Hypercasual)
downloads, representing the Hypercasual -
Simulator Traversal sub-genre. Among Us drove nearly all of
Simulator
(Simulation)
the growth for the Arcade - Social Party sub-genre.
Social Party
Social Party
(Arcade)
Puzzle
Puzzle
(Hypercasual)
Driving / Flight Simulator
Driving / Flight Simulator
(Simulation)
Arcade Driving
Arcade(Arcade)
Driving
Arcade
Arcade
(Hypercasual)
0 50M 100M 150M 200M 250M 300M
Game Genre Trends 55© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Key Takeaways:
Game Genre Trends
1. RPG and Strategy were the top two genres by revenue in 2020 at $21.9 billion
and $15.1 billion, respectively. No other genre had more than $10 billion in
revenue that year.
2. Revenue growth was strong across top genres in 2020, with Simulation (53
percent year-over-year growth), Shooter (50 percent), and Casino (46 percent)
leading the way. Eight different genres had one of the top 10 sub-genres by
revenue growth in Q1 2021.
3. When it comes to mobile games installs, hypercasual has seen staggering
growth in recent years. While hypercasual game download growth slowed after a
large spike in Q1 2020, downloads still reached a record high 3.4 billion in Q1
2021, up 17 percent from a year prior. More than 30 percent of game installs in Q1
2021 were from hypercasual games.
56Monetization Trends — Trends in Mobile Game Monetization Strategies
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Monetization Trends:
Mobile Monetization Strategies
Early on, mobile games primarily monetized by offering a fixed price for full access. Monetization strategies have evolved since, with many top mobile
games utilizing different in-app purchase (IAP) and advertising strategies to boost revenue far beyond the levels reached by premium (paid) games at
the launch of the app stores. This section explores current strategies used by the leaders in mobile gaming.
1 Free Games 2 Free Games 3 Paid Games
With IAPs With Ads
PUBG Mobile Roblox Tie Dye Tiles Hop Minecraft Heads Up!
Pokémon GO Join Clash 3D Bloons TD 6
Monetization Trends© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Freemium Has Edged Out Premium in Mobile Gaming
Paid game shares relative to free games on the App Store
% of Available Games % of Newly Released Games % of App Store Revenue
Since the start of 2014, paid (or premium) games
Paid Free Paid Free Paid Free
100% 100% 100%
have continued to lose market share to free
games. By Q4 2020, only five percent of newly
90% 90% 90% released games were paid games, and the share of
paid games on the App Store had fallen to 12
80% 80% 80%
percent (down from 43 percent in Q1 2014).
70% 70% 70%
Freemium games have held an edge in
60% 60% 60% monetizing since 2014, explaining the transition
away from the premium model. Paid games only
50% 50% 50% accounted for eight percent of mobile game
revenue on the App Store at the start of 2014. By
40% 40% 40%
Q4 2020 this share had fallen to one percent.
30% 30% 30%
20% 20% 20%
10% 10% 10%
0% 0% 0%
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Monetization Trends 59© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Subscription Model is On the Rise
Share of the top 100 games by U.S. App Store revenue in 2020 that have a subscription
Subscription No Subscription
100% By 2020, 29 percent of the top games by U.S.
revenue on the App Store had a subscription.
This number has climbed steadily, up from just 9
percent in 2017.
80%
More games have begun to adopt the
71%
subscription model, including some top titles
73%
60% 83%
like Roblox, Clash of Clans, and PUBG Mobile.
91% While the subscription is no the top in-app
purchase for most of these games, it does
provide a boost to the freemium model when
40% implemented correctly.
20%
27% 29%
17%
9%
0%
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Monetization Trends 60© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Most Mobile Games Don’t Rely on Subscriptions
Top in-app purchases (IAPs) for games with subscriptions
Roblox Clash of Clans
Roblox Supercell Even games that have successfully
implemented the subscription model tend to
get the bulk of their revenue from one-time
purchases. Roblox is an exception, with monthly
recurring subscription as its top three IAPs.
Roblox also give subscribers a discount on
additional Robux, the in game currency, as an
extra incentive to subscribe.
Other top games like Clash of Clans, PUBG
Mobile, and Rise of Kingdoms have their
PUBG Mobile Rise of Kingdoms subscription among the top 10 IAPs but outside
Tencent Lilith Games the top three spots. The subscriptions
contribute to these games’ success but are not
the only monetization strategy they use.
Note:
In-app purchase rankings are as of the end of Q1 2021
Monetization Trends 61You can also read
