2024’s top grossing mobile games (so far)

 

Now we’ve got six months of 2024 data, let’s have a little dig through Appmagic and see where we’re at.

First, the usual caveats: Appmagic’s revenue estimates are based on publisher payout, and do not include Apple or Google’s 30%. Of course, they do not include ad revenue or webshop revenue either, nor China’s fragmented Android ecosystem.

Still, these numbers are still indicative of the broad shape and size of things. So let’s start with the top earning games, which have been rounded up to the nearest million:

The top 10 grossing games are not as static as you might think. Half of this top ten – Monopoly Go, Royal Match, LastWar, Honkai: Star Rail and Whiteout Survival – only broke into the top tier in the last twelve months.

Of the usual suspects, Honor of Kings, Roblox and Candy Crush Saga remain pretty steady, while PUBG Mobile and Coin Master are tailing off a little if you zoom out and look at the revenue graph over several years.

So bravo Scopely, Dream, FirstFun, Mihoyo and Century Games for entering the elite. They each make very different games, but perhaps the most striking newbies are LastWar and Whiteout Survival – both 4X games that appear to have taken the crown once worn by the likes of Game of War.

The difference for 2024 is that they have accessible hooks for UA in order to nail down that initial install. And, of course: massive ad budgets.

Monopoly Go, Royal Match and Honkai: Star Rail are effectively new spins on other tried and tested games. But they each show that players still want new things, even if they aren’t completely new. Those long-time incumbents in the top grossing chart need to stay sharp and in tune with players to stay in that top ten.

2024’s top grossing games so far: 11-20

11. Genshin Impact (Mihoyo): $320m
12. Brawl Stars (Supercell): $319m
13. Gardenscapes (Playrix): $261m
14. Pokémon Go (Niantic): $260m
15. Dungeon & Fighter Mobile (Tencent): $257m
16. Legend of Mushroom (Joy Net Games): $249m
17. TFT: Golden Spatula (Tencent): $211m
18. Clash of Clans (Supercell): $202m
19. Township (Playrix): $198m
20. Monster Strike (Xflag): $187m

Chinese phenomenon Dungeon & Fighter Mobile seems destined to top the full-year charts, considering it was only released in May but has already made it into 15th place – an incredible start.

There are several established games in decline in this 11-20 bracket, including Genshin Impact, Gardenscapes and Pokémon Go.

Brawl Stars‘ well-documented comeback has pushed it into 12th spot, and fellow Supercell title Clash of Clans is still coming off a big spike in December 2023 that has kept it in the top 20.

Well done to Joy Net Games, which seems to have come from nowhere to register 2024’s 16th top grossing game so far with Legend of Mushroom. It’s also a game with a big ad revenue component, which means the total amount of cash rolling in for the fierm is much higher than the $249m shown here.

Playrix’s Township is gently rising, though its revenue graph is very spiky. And after so many years on the top grossing chart, it seems Monster Strike may finally be fading – after a big spike in January it’s down to its lowest ever monthly earnings in the last couple of months.

Having been released halfway through the year, it’ll be tough for Supercell’s Squad Busters and Mihoyo’s Zenless Zone Zero to break into the top ten, but we’ll see.