Updated Mar 17, 2026 by GameRefinery
Midcore mobile games were the only category to achieve revenue growth in the US iOS market between Q1 2021 and Q1 2022, now capturing 36.73% of total mobile gaming revenue.
New midcore titles are outperforming casual games in long-term retention, with nine midcore releases from the past year remaining in the top 200 grossing chart compared to only three casual titles.
Top-performing midcore titles like Diablo Immortal, Genshin Impact, and Apex Legends Mobile prioritize console-like manual controls over autoplay mechanics to drive engagement.
Monetization in the sector is highly complex, with 75% of top-grossing midcore games utilizing Battle Pass systems and over 63% incorporating five or more distinct gacha mechanics.
Live operations are universal among top-tier midcore games, with 100% employing recurring live events and 80% using event-specific currencies to manage game economies.
Publishers are increasingly establishing external web stores to bypass standard app store commission fees as a strategy to improve revenue performance.
Midcore mobile games were the only category to achieve revenue growth in the US iOS market between Q1 2021 and Q1 2022, now capturing 36.73% of total mobile gaming revenue.
New midcore titles are outperforming casual games in long-term retention, with nine midcore releases from the past year remaining in the top 200 grossing chart compared to only three casual titles.
Top-performing midcore titles like Diablo Immortal, Genshin Impact, and Apex Legends Mobile prioritize console-like manual controls over autoplay mechanics to drive engagement.
Monetization in the sector is highly complex, with 75% of top-grossing midcore games utilizing Battle Pass systems and over 63% incorporating five or more distinct gacha mechanics.
Live operations are universal among top-tier midcore games, with 100% employing recurring live events and 80% using event-specific currencies to manage game economies.
Publishers are increasingly establishing external web stores to bypass standard app store commission fees as a strategy to improve revenue performance.