Playtika’s Berlin-based subsidiary Wooga has reached a landmark moment with its flagship game June’s Journey, officially achieving the ever-impressive $1 billion revenue milestone.

June’s Journey marks the first German mobile game to reach such revenues in just over six years, having first launched in October 2017. It’s also the highest-grossing hidden object game on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

The journey to success

Wooga has attributed June’s Journey’s success to strategic engagement tactics that target the oft-overlooked mature female audience, who make up a large portion of the game’s playerbase. In fact, 90% of June’s Journey’s dedicated players are women.

"Wooga’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Six years ago, we strategically prioritised the development of story-driven casual games, setting a precedent in the gaming industry. We are now a key player in this category, in large part due to the worldwide popularity of June’s Journey that we are celebrating today," said Wooga managing director Nai Chang.

"It’s not just about the genre; our exceptional diverse workforce also plays a crucial role. We believe innovation thrives when diverse perspectives join to create compelling gaming experiences for a range of players."

Playtika chief revenue officer Ofer Kinberg added: "This achievement is a testament to Wooga and June’s Journey as they continue to lead the way in narrative-driven casual gaming. This achievement is a testament to Wooga’s dedication and passion, which align perfectly with Playtika’s vision of creating exceptional gaming experiences that captivate players worldwide."

Wooga was founded in 2009 and acquired by Playtika in 2018. June’s Journey’s popularity has surged since, reaching the $500 million milestone only one year ago and doubling this in the time since. The $1 billion in revenue has now been reached through accumulating in-app purchases and ad revenues.

When we interviewed Chang about June’s Journey’s success, he shared that an integral part of player engagement is "getting attached to characters".