PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact & Honor of Kings emerge as three highest earning mobile games in one year

On 28 September, Genshin Impact completed its first anniversary. The RPG game was published and developed by the Chinese video game studio miHoYo.

As soon as the game was released it was an instant hit. In the first week, the game reached 23 million downloads and had generated $60 million. In just two weeks, its revenue exceeded $100 million, while the first month brought in $245 million.

The game was also reviewed positively by critics and was named the "TapTap 2020 Game of the Year".

---

Genshin Impact crosses $2 billion in its first year

The one thing that makes a game successful is its longevity and consistency. Initially, many games receive a positive response, but as time progresses, their popularity decreases. In contrast, Genshin Impact remained popular and reached $1 billion in revenue in less than six months.

According to the latest report from data analyst site Sensor Tower, Genshin Impact surpassed $2 billion in revenue in its first year, from 28 September 2020 to 27 September 2021.

---

Genshin Impact in comparison with other mobile titles

The game was ranked third during this period, only behind MOBA title Honor of Legends and battle royale title PUBG Mobile.

It ranked higher than games like Pokemon GO, Free Fire, and Roblox.

Genshin Impact is also the third game to reach 2 billion downloads. Revenue for Honor of Kings totaled $2.9 billion in the same period, while that of PUBG Mobile was around $2.8 billion. In 2020, PUBG Mobile generated more than $2.6 billion. PUBG Mobile has already crossed $5 billion in revenue since its inception.

---

Revenue breakdown

More than a quarter of revenue is generated in China (28.1 percent), which equates to about $577 million on iOS devices alone. In second place is Japan with 23.7 percent of revenue, followed by the United States with 21 percent.

With China as its biggest market, the App Store is the leading source of global revenue, earning 61.8 percent of player spending. Google Play, on the other hand, accounts for 38.2 percent. However, Google Play dominates outside of China, accounting for 53.6 percent of player spending, while the App Store is responsible for 46.4 percent.

---

What the future holds for Genshin Impact

An important factor for the game's success has been its cross-platform functionality. The PS5 version was released in April, and the game will be released on Nintendo Switch shortly.

Genshin Impact has definitely changed the landscape of mobile gaming. Despite already being one of the highest-grossing mobile games in its first year, it appears to have a bright future ahead.