Sophie Blake
Global mobile game monetization is undergoing a significant reshaping, according to new data from AppMagic’s Monetization Report 2025 and market analysis covering October 2024–September 2025. Genres on Google Play have seen steep declines in purchasing activity, while alternative payment systems and strategy titles are emerging as key areas of growth.
Google Play Hit Hard by Purchase Declines
The report shows a sharp contraction in the volume of in-app purchases on Google Play, most notably:
- RPGs: down 29%
- Casino games: down 50%
Despite these drops, Google Play’s total gaming revenue declined by less than 1%, signaling that many titles are compensating with a smaller but more valuable payer base. On the App Store, overall revenue grew 5% during the same period.
AppMagic attributes the decrease in purchase volume to rising game prices and a tighter focus on high-value users. ARPPU on the App Store rose 40–50% across most genres, while Google Play’s RPG segment saw a 42% decline in D90 ARPPU, pointing to increased pressure on mid-tier spenders.
Direct-to-Consumer Payments Surge — but Fewer Top Games Use Them
Revenue coming from direct-to-consumer and alternative payment systems climbed 46% year-over-year.
However, adoption among top earners fell:
- 62 of the top 100 games used D2C in 2025
- Down from 72 games in 2024
AppMagic characterizes D2C as a “stable tool” for aging titles but notes that newer releases remain slow to integrate these methods, despite regulatory momentum favoring alternative payments.
Strategy Games See Strong Growth; RPGs and Casino Decline
One of the clearest market shifts is the surge in the strategy category.
Between October 2024 and September 2025:
- Strategy revenue rose 21% on Google Play
- Up 28% on the App Store
- Card-based strategy titles surged 213%, driven heavily by the success of new releases such as Pokémon TCG Pocket, which surpassed the $1 billion mark faster than Pokémon Go.
Within strategy, MOBAs were the only subcategory to show a consistent negative trend, while turn-based, card battlers, and 4X strategy games all expanded.
The RPG genre moved in the opposite direction, falling 15–30% across regions. Only tactical RPGs and roguelikes posted growth, buoyed by releases like Mech Assemble: Zombie Swarm, Archero 2, and SD Gundam G Generation Eternal.
In casino gaming, higher ARPPU from standout titles wasn’t enough to offset shrinking player bases. Total revenue in the genre dropped nearly 8% on both Google Play and the App Store.
Hypercasual Emerges as a Bright Spot
Hypercasual titles defied the slowdown entirely, posting 88% revenue growth year-over-year.
By contrast:
- Midcore and casual titles grew no more than 3%, signaling a widening gap in genre performance.
Broader Market Shifts: Fewer Payers, Bigger Checks
The report highlights several structural trends shaping mobile monetization:
- Industry growth is increasingly concentrated in emerging markets such as Latin America, MENA, and Eastern Europe.
- Games are becoming more expensive to operate, pushing developers toward fewer—but higher-spending—payers.
- Mass-market conversion metrics continue to decline, especially on Android.
AppMagic’s findings indicate a market stabilizing around a high-value segment of spenders while leaning more heavily on direct payments and rising ARPPU as traditional in-app purchase volume drops.
Comments
Loading…