DeNA’s games business profits up 8,126.8% after Pokémon TCG Pocket’s success

Japanese mobile developer DeNA recorded a 60% year-over-year revenue surge in Q3 2024, driven by the success of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.

Having generated ¥46.5 billion ($301.2 million), Q3 marked the fourth consecutive quarter of growth and was a 28% increase over Q2’s ¥36.3bn ($235.1m).

Three quarters through

During the nine months ended December 31st, 2024, DeNA recorded total revenue of ¥116.7bn ($755.8m), up from ¥104.1bn ($674.2m) from the same period in 2023.

In the current fiscal year, ¥50.6bn ($327.7m) of revenue was generated from DeNA's games business with "strong performance" from Pokémon TCG Pocket.

The title has found major success since its launch on October 30th, 2024, having already surpassed $500m in gross player spending, based on AppMagic data.

Sales from TCG Pocket are split between The Pokémon Company, DeNA and Creatures Inc., meaning not all of that revenue has gone directly to DeNA. Despite this, the publisher reported that games segment sales increased by 29% Y/Y, while the division's profits surged by 8,126.8% to ¥21bn ($136.2m)

The company’s live streaming business was its second most lucrative division, meanwhile, generating ¥30.9bn ($200.1m) during the nine months ending December 31st, 2024.

DeNA’s sports segment generated ¥26.5bn ($171.6m), up 11% Y/Y.

In terms of operating profit, DeNA made almost ¥21bn ($136m) over the first three quarters of this fiscal year, versus an operating loss of ¥27.6bn ($178.8m) in the first nine months of 2023.

Ultimately, profit for 2024's nine-month period was ¥14.9bn ($96.5m), a stark improvement on the loss of ¥32.2bn ($208.6m) in the same time last year.