Supercell, developers of the popular free-to-play game Clash of Clans, has had a splendid 2015. It brought in $2.3 billion in revenue last year — a 35 percent increase year-over-year, and the game’s success isn’t showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon, especially with last month’s release of Clash Royale.
Newzoo recently published a report detailing Clash Royale‘s tremendous success, and even named it as the top-grossing mobile game in the world for March. The game amassed $80 million in revenue across both iOS and Android platforms last month, with a total revenue of $110 million worldwide before both Apple and Google took their respective 30-percent cuts.
iOS appears to be the most popular platform for the game, and the numbers are expected to rise even further when Clash Royale releases for Android in China sometime in the near future. What’s surprising is how much business has kept up for Clash of Clans, even with Royale‘s release. The game only saw a single-digit decline for the month of March.
The reason for Clash Royale‘s success is easy to spot, as the game includes both multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) titles and card collecting (à la Hearthstone) elements to create a unique gameplay experience that’s easy for everyone to pick up. It’s also a free-to-play title, meaning players don’t need to make an investment to be involved. However, gold and chests are available for purchase for those that want to maximize their performance and gain certain advantages. Purchasing gold enables players to unlock new cards, as well as upgrade current ones already in their hand.
Royale‘s biggest fans come from North America, where 33 percent of the game’s overall revenue comes from. Close behind is Asia Pacific with 31 percent and Europe with 23 percent.
Keep in mind that this is all before the Android version hits China, where it’s likely to gain even more revenues. Newzoo should have a follow-up on its debut and sales in the weeks ahead.
The release of Royale continues to show Supercell’s strength in the mobile market, indicating that it can adapt to popular trends quickly and deliver gaming experiences that will keep players coming back.
