King’s hit mobile series Candy Crush helped propel the publisher to a record quarter with revenues up 13 per cent year-on-year to $534 million.

King’s Q1 FY18 profits meanwhile increased 15 per cent year-on-year to $191 million.

The positive quarter comes as the publisher brought in a flurry of new players across its portfolio of titles, generating a monthly active userbase of 285 million.

An ongoing focus on live events and live operations has been credited with the increase and has also led to the highest revenue gain from virtual goods since Q4 2013.

King is also said to have made headway in advertising with increased completion and ad-recall rates which has attracted new advertisers along with repeat business with current partners.

Candy crushing it

Overall revenue for parent company Activision Blizzard increased 14 per cent year-on-year to $2 billion, with profits coming in at $595 million.

“Activision Blizzard had another strong quarter, growing year-over-year, setting top and bottom line records, and over-performing guidance,” said Activision Blizzard chief executive officer Bobby Kotick.

“Our continued ability to set new records speaks to the quality of our teams and the breadth and enduring nature of our portfolio of franchises against the backdrop of a large and growing interactive market. As we look ahead, our innovative core gaming pipeline, as well as initiatives like mobile, esports and advertising, will continue to drive growth for our business.”

According to App Annie, Candy Crush Saga and Candy Crush Soda Saga held both the number one and two grossing titles in the US for the second quarter in a row.

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