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PUBG Mobile shoots through $5 billion in lifetime revenue

Three years after it was released

PUBG Mobile shoots through $5 billion in lifetime revenue

Tencent's PUBG Mobile has shot through $5 billion in lifetime revenue, according to Sensor Tower.

The battle royale has hit $5.1 billion in player spending three years after it was released in February 2018.

More than half of that figure, $2.7 billion, was generated in 2020 alone as PUBG Mobile saw roughly $7.4 million in player spending each day.

Between January 1st 2020, and September 30th 2020, PUBG Mobile – and China's localised version Game For Peace – grossed around $704 million per quarter.

Come Q4, between October 1st and December 31st, the money earned through player spending dropped, though it still sat at an impressive $555 million.

Game on

It would appear as though the mobile battle royale can expect to see further success. So far, in Q1 2021, the game has grossed $709 million. Making it PUBG Mobile's most lucrative quarter to date.

Of course, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has been a driving force for the impressive revenue.

Last year, many people worldwide were forced into mandatory lockdowns, with games proving to be a much-needed escape. Given the easy access to mobile, it is no surprise that titles on the platform boomed.

By September 2020, PUBG Mobile had exceeded $3.5 billion in lifetime revenue. It was also one of just five games to break the $1 billion mark last year.

PUBG Mobile isn't just successful via revenue. The game boasts a staggering amount of users, having crossed one billion downloads.

Global domination

China has proven to be the most lucrative market for PUBG Mobile via its localised version, Game For Peace, which has accumulated $2.8 billion. Or rather, 55.4 per cent of total revenue.

Meanwhile, of the $2.3 billion generated internationally, the US accounts for 12.7 per cent of earnings, while Japan holds a market share of 4.8 per cent.

Unsurprisingly, the majority of revenue was generated via the App Store, given that Android is not as popular in China. As such, iOS made up 81.6 per cent of total earnings, while Google Play makes up 18.4 per cent.

However, when disregarding China, the market share is closer as the App Store holds 58.6 per cent, while Android has 41.4 per cent.


Staff Writer

Kayleigh is the Staff Writer for PocketGamer.biz. Besides PGbiz and PCGI she has written as a list writer for Game Rant, rambling about any and all things games related. You can also find her on Twitter talking utter nonsense.