Sensor Tower’s monthly gaming pulse rounds up analysis on the latest releases and highlights the breakout hits of tomorrow. And in advance of the official release PocketGamer.biz have got an early look at all the latest facts, figures and finds.
The data covers trends and movement in the top charts across the leading gaming markets and compares how each game (and their publishers) are faring and makes predictions for the months ahead.
This month’s star performer…
The long-anticipated MOBA game from Supercell, Squad Busters, launched globally on May 29th and, as expected, got off to a strong start. It reached #2 top games by global downloads for the entire month of May, despite being available for only the last few days of the month.
Supercell used acquisition strategies such as linking pre-registration numbers with day-one reward and investing in paid advertising to increase awareness and downloads. According to Sensor Tower’s Pathmatics Ad Intelligence, Supercell was the top brand in terms of total digital ad spend in the United States on both Desktop and Mobile platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube, from May 29th to 31st. Consequently, the game outperformed all other non-gaming apps in downloads on iOS and Google Play during this three-day period.
May 2024 breakout games by download
While Squad Busters led globally as the top breakout title, the May 2024 breakout rankings also underscored the power of anime IP in style for mobile game adaptations. Three of the top ten breakout downloads and eight of the top ten breakout revenue earners featured anime-inspired themes, highlighting their strong appeal in the mobile gaming market. Let’s dive deeper into these trends.
Solo Leveling: Arise, a Hack and Slash Action game by Netmarble Games, has taken the #2 spot for worldwide downloads growth and ranked #11 by absolute downloads. Soft-launched in March 2024 and globally rolled out on May 8th the game has amassed approximately 13.3 million downloads to date. Monetisation has been strong, with over $67.2 million in lifetime consumer spending.
Another breakout title, Wuthering Waves, an open-world RPG by Kuro, secured the #3 spot for worldwide downloads growth and is currently ranked #29 by absolute downloads. Since its global release in May 2024, the game has reached around 8.1 million downloads. Monetisation has been strong, surpassing $31.2 million in consumer spending.
May 2024 top games by downloads
While the rising stars offer the best view into high-growth sectors, top charts showcase current consumer demand.
In May, Free Fire, maintained its number one position for top games by worldwide downloads, a status it held from the previous period. Published by Garena Games, the game has amassed approximately 1.63 billion downloads globally since its September 2017 launch.
Relax Mini Games, a collection of hypercasual games, climbed to the number 10 spot for worldwide downloads, up 53 positions from the previous period. The app’s strategy of weekly mini-game updates keeps players engaged with fresh content, appealing to casual gamers seeking stress-free, quick thrills. With around 20 million downloads to date.
May 2024 top breakout games by consumer spend
Let’s take a look at which games saw the greatest growth in May 2024. How did successful launches, monetisation mechanics, and timely re-engagement campaigns shape our breakout games by consumer spend charts?
Beat ’em up game Dungeon & Fighter Mobile, claimed the #1 spot for worldwide revenue growth and is currently ranked #8 by absolute revenue. Originally published by Nexon in 2022, the game was launched in China by Tencent in May 2024, adding 4.2 million downloads to its total, bringing it to 6.7 million downloads to date. The launch in China was a commercial success, generating over $100 million in consumer spending on the iOS App Store alone.
Arknights, another anime-themed tower defense game, took the #4 spot for top Games by worldwide revenue growth, currently #ranked 31 by absolute revenue, up 69 positions from prior period.The game’s revenue surge aligns with the Festival event held in early May in Shanghai and its fifth anniversary celebrations, which included limited-time item sales and special offers.
May 2024 top games by consumer spend
Consumer spending top charts are more stable than breakout charts, with player loyalty being crucial for the longevity of leading games. In May, Coin Master broadened its global reach cracked the top 10, underscoring the value of targeting markets beyond one’s own.
Monopoly GO! maintained its #1 rank in consumer spend, attributed to its classic board gameplay, engaging 3D cartoon art style, and top-down camera perspective within a tabletop-themed setting. Various in-game events during the month of May such as Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day themed events helped the game reach the pivotal milestone of $2.6 billion in lifetime consumer spend.
Coin Master took the #10 spot for top Games by worldwide revenue, up one position from the previous period. Recent celebrity-driven advertisements, featuring football superstar David Beckham, are among the publisher’s strategies to attract new users and maintain high engagement levels.
