Garena Free Fire Overtakes PUBG Mobile as the Top Grossing Mobile Battle Royale Game: U.S.

Garena Free Fire emerged as the top-grossing mobile battle royale game in the United States during the first quarter of 2021, signaling a significant shift in the competitive landscape of the mobile shooter genre. By generating approximately $100 million in U.S. player spending, the title experienced a nearly 4.5-fold increase compared to the same period in the previous year. This performance allowed it to surpass PUBG Mobile, which recorded $68 million in U.S. revenue, marking only the second time Garena Free Fire has claimed the top spot in a single quarter.

The broader U.S. battle royale market, which includes Call of Duty: Mobile, grew by 42 percent year-over-year to reach $239 million in revenue for the quarter. This growth occurred despite the removal of Fortnite from major app stores in August 2020, suggesting that other leading titles have successfully captured the market share left behind by Epic Games’ title. Collectively, battle royale games accounted for approximately 81 percent of all shooter genre spending in the U.S. during this period.

On a global scale, the battle royale segment remains a dominant force, accumulating $1.3 billion in revenue during the first quarter of 2021, a 16.6 percent increase year-over-year. While PUBG Mobile and its localized version, Game for Peace, maintain their position as the global revenue leaders with $744.4 million, Garena Free Fire and Call of Duty: Mobile continue to show strong growth trajectories. These findings, derived from Store Intelligence and Game Intelligence data, underscore the increasing profitability and market penetration of the battle royale sub-genre within the global mobile shooter category.