Candy Crush has finally relinquished its position as the highest-grossing game after reigning for over 10 years. The title has been taken over by a puzzle game developed by a small Turkish studio. Dream Games, based in Istanbul, released their first game, Royal Match, this year and it quickly soared to the top of the revenue charts, becoming the world’s most profitable mobile game.
Candy Crush, launched by King, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, has been their cash cow for years. In September of this year, it announced accumulated revenues of $20 billion and over 5 billion downloads. Microsoft even claimed that the game was one of the main reasons for their acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Since its launch in 2012, Candy Crush has consistently topped the revenue charts on the App Store, holding the number one spot for an impressive 127 consecutive months.
However, Candy Crush’s invincible myth seems to have encountered a challenger this summer. According to data from app research company Sensor Tower, Royal Match surpassed Candy Crush in terms of downloads and revenue in July. Royal Match recorded 14.6 million downloads and $112 million in revenue, surpassing Candy Crush’s 14.4 million downloads and $104 million in revenue.
Royal Match is a match-three puzzle game that was launched in 2021. Since its debut in July, it has maintained its position at the top of the revenue charts. According to the Financial Times, the game’s revenue has doubled in the past year, reaching a staggering $2 billion before deducting app store fees. This achievement is particularly notable considering the challenging market environment for games. App research company Data.ai predicts a 3% decline in the global mobile gaming market by 2023.
The success of Royal Match can be attributed to several factors. Soner Aydemir, the CEO of Dream Games, pointed out that the game has a highly loyal player base who are willing to spend money within the game. He claims that over 90% of players in the first year remain active in the second year. Royal Match has also invested heavily in advertising, with over 61.5% of downloads coming from paid channels, compared to only 15-25% for Candy Crush. The game has also generated twice the advertising volume on various platforms compared to Candy Crush.
Additionally, the game’s features and quality have contributed to its success. Lexi Sydow, Director of Insights at Data.ai, noted that Royal Match stands out from the fantasy battle and gambling games that have dominated the revenue charts in the past. Its easy-to-learn gameplay and bright, lively atmosphere have attracted a wide audience.
The game’s impressive graphics and attention to detail have also received praise. Rob Moffat, a partner at venture capital firm Balderton Capital, commended the game’s clean and clear art style. Dream Games even enlisted the help of Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar, as a strategic advisor. According to Aydemir, Catmull has played over 5,000 levels in the game and was amazed by the exceptional visual effects.
However, in the mobile gaming industry, games that rise to fame overnight can just as quickly fade away. To avoid being a one-hit wonder, Aydemir stated that their focus is different from their competitors. They aim to build a vast intellectual property with a variety of characters and a complete universe. By delivering meticulously crafted high-quality games, they hope to sustain long-term attention from the public.
Dream Games has no intention of wasting the attention and funding they have received. They plan to release a series of games called Royal Kingdom next year, continuing the story of Royal Match and expanding the entire universe. The game is currently undergoing testing in markets such as the UK.
Source:
Financial Times, Sensor Tower