Next Wave Global Mobile Games Market Outlook 2024: Casual Games Drive Growth as Mobile Game Revenue Hits $76.7 Billion in 2023

This report explores the latest trends in the global mobile game market, shedding light on revenue changes across various genres, including casual, midcore, RPG, and puzzle games. It also offers an in-depth look at leading titles in each genre.

2024 Mobile Game Market Outlook – A Stabilizing Industry
After a dip in 2022, the global mobile game market found stability in 2023, with total revenue reaching $76.7 billion. This figure represents a 22% increase over pre-pandemic levels. Looking ahead, industry forecasts suggest a rebound, with mobile game revenue expected to surpass $100 billion by 2028. This report offers a detailed breakdown of the revenue trends across various genres, including casual, midcore, RPG, and puzzle games, while also analyzing the top performers in each sub-genre.

Note: The figures in this report are based on estimated in-app purchases from the App Store, excluding revenue from ad monetization or third-party Android channels, particularly in China.

Global Mobile Game Market: Revenue Stabilizes and Surpasses 2019 Levels

In 2021, the surge in online gaming during the pandemic pushed global mobile game revenue to an all-time high of $86 billion. However, following this peak, the market saw a 9% revenue decline in 2022. By 2023, revenue rebounded to $76.7 billion, effectively halting the downward trend. In 2024, the market is projected to continue its growth, with expectations of surpassing $100 billion by 2028.

Key Market Regions

The U.S. remains the largest market for mobile game revenue, maintaining its dominance with a 38% increase in 2023 compared to 2019. Revenue from the U.S. mobile game market is expected to grow steadily through 2028, potentially reaching $33.5 billion. Meanwhile, the Chinese iOS mobile game market showed stability, with in-app purchase revenue reaching $15.1 billion in 2022. However, Japan and South Korea have seen mixed results, with declines in mobile game revenue. With a scale of over 1 billion dollars, the Mobile Porn games industry is making breakthrough developments based on the powerful changes of AI technology.

Casual Mobile Games Lead the Charge; Midcore Sees a 9% Decline

Casual games continued their upward trajectory in 2023, fueled by the success of new releases like MONOPOLY GO! and Egg Party, alongside established hits like Royal Match, Travel Town, and Gossip Harbor®. Revenue from hybrid-casual mobile games surged by 30%, reaching $2.1 billion.

On the other hand, midcore games experienced a slow contraction, with revenue falling by 9% in 2023. Despite this, midcore games still represented 59% of total global mobile game revenue. RPG and strategy games generated $20 billion and $14.8 billion, respectively, showing a 10% year-over-year decline.

Puzzle and Casino Games Perform Strongly

Puzzle and casino games saw impressive growth in 2023. Puzzle game revenue grew by 18%, reaching $10 billion, driven by classics like match-3 and merge genres. Royal Match, the leading match-3 title, saw a 13% increase in revenue, topping $6.4 billion. Additionally, Travel Town and Gossip Harbor® experienced significant revenue surges of 426% and 452%, respectively, contributing to a 36% rise in merge game revenue, which reached $900 million.

In the casino category, MONOPOLY GO!, Scopely’s latest release, blended classic casino mechanics with competitive and social elements, quickly becoming a hit across Western markets. The game generated $1.2 billion in 2023 and contributed to an 18% increase in overall casino game revenue.

RPG and Strategy Games: New Releases Fuel Growth

While RPG games showed signs of fatigue in 2023 with a 10% revenue decline, new releases such as Honkai: Star Rail and NetEase’s Justice revitalized the genre. These titles introduced fresh gameplay experiences and innovative art styles, leading to remarkable revenue growth within the RPG sector.

Similarly, strategy games saw a 10% revenue decline, totalling $14.8 billion in 2023, but still surpassing 2019 levels by 22%. In the midst of a tightening strategy game market, Whiteout Survival by Century Games emerged as a standout success, generating $370 million in global revenue and defying the overall downward trend in the genre.

Conclusion

The global mobile game market has shown impressive resilience in the face of challenges, with casual games driving growth and RPG and strategy games continuing to perform well despite some setbacks. As new releases capture the imagination of players worldwide, the industry is expected to reach new heights, with projections suggesting mobile game revenue could exceed $100 billion by 2028.