Cover image via @PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile became the first mobile battle royale title to hit the $1 Billion revenue mark, according to data released by Sensor Tower. The title has seen massive surges in popularity and playtime which have all resulted in monthly revenue for its creators. While the game itself is free, its microtransaction model along with battle passes and other in-game monetization channels have ensured that engaged gamers are not shy to put in the money when it counts.
PUBG Mobile is closely followed by NetEase’s Knives Out which has made over $800 Million, Fortnite, which has made over 750 Million and other titles such as Garena Free Fire and Rules of Survival.
What’s even more interesting, however, is the rate at which PUBG Mobile has grown. In August of 2018, the game made around $25 Million for its developers. A year later the number sits at $160 Million. This effectively means a 540% year-on-year growth in terms of revenue for the title. To add to this, the game has also been adding new players to its player base every month, with 45 million new players joining the ecosystem in August of 2019.
All of this bodes well for the current player base as it means that the developers are incentivized to innovate and improve the QoL constantly. It’s also great for the PUBG Mobile esports scene as it is likely that both Tencent and third party TOs are likely to invest more money into the scene in an effort to capture the growing audience.
Edit: The title was updated to not include the term 'net' revenue. We apologize for the error
