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Record-Breaking Eight Mobile Games Surpass $1 Billion in Global Player Spending During 2021

By Craig Chapple·Dec 26, 2021·2 min read

Summary

A record-breaking eight mobile games have generated over $1 billion each from the App Store and Google Play in 2021, up from five in 2020 and three in both 2019 and 2018. PUBG Mobile and Honor of Kings lead with $2.8 billion each, followed by Genshin Impact at $1.8 billion. Roblox, Coin Master, Pokémon GO, Candy Crush Saga, and Garena Free Fire also hit the mark.

Sensor Tower forecasts $89.6 billion in total mobile game spending for 2021, driven by diverse titles and strong live operations.

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