The mobile games sector exploded in 2021 with 180 billion turnover

While 2020 has been a particularly profitable year for mobile game developers, 2021 has continued this trend by bringing mobile games to a new level.

According to Newzoo, a company that conducts analysis and research on the video game market, mobile game revenue exceeded home consoles and computers for the first time. 52% of the total video game market is therefore now occupied by mobile games.

In 2021, Newzoo estimates that the video game market generated more than $ 180 billion in revenue. An increase of 1.4% since last year. Analytics firm SensorTower estimates that mobile video games brought in $ 89.6 billion in revenue this year.

La domination des Free-To-Play

At the top of the table for those mobile games, eight have managed to surpass $ 1 billion in revenue this year. A progression compared to last year, when only five had managed to achieve the same result. The first title to stand out is PUBG Mobile, the adaptation of the famous Battle Royal PUBG. It generated over $ 2.8 billion in revenue in 2021. Honor of Kings, a MOBA very close to League of Legends, also generated 2.8 billion in revenue. Finally, on the third plate we find Genshin Impact, an open-world action video game in which players must collect fighters. It generated $ 1.8 billion in 2021.

The other five titles to have reached the billion are Roblox (1.3 billion), Coin Master (1.3 billion), Pokémon Go (1.2 billion), Candy Crush Saga (1.2 billion) and Garena Free Fire (1.1 billion).

All these games have the common feature of being “Free-To-Play”, that is to say that it is possible to download and play them for free. Income is generated from in-game content like cosmetics or bonuses. Newzoo reports that the Asian market benefits the most for mobile games.