PUBG Mobile has surpassed 600 million downloads after more than 500 million people watched the finals of the game’s Fall global split earlier this month, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s Patrick Shanley.
The famous battle royale’s mobile version has grown explosively since its release on March 19 last year. Analytics firm Sensor Tower reports that the title has earned more than $1.5 billion since the beginning of 2019.
Its recent monetization in China has earned PUBG Mobile the most revenue of any game of its kind. More impressively, that’s without any information about downloads or spending on Android due to the Google Play app not being available in China.
PUBG Mobile’s success has reflected a surge in popularity for mobile gaming in general. Market research firm Newzoo has reported that mobile games are expected to earn an eye-watering $68.5 billion by the end of the year, representing almost half of the total games market.
The less-tuned controls of mobile shooters in general have been no barrier to their success. Consistent updates and popular esports like those in PUBG Mobile appear to be a solid model for drawing players away from consoles and PCs and toward their phones and tablets.
Mobile games in general have been the fastest-growing portion of the games industry for several years now. And the popularity of games like PUBG Mobile and Fortnite are likely to drive further investment as the industry expands.
