Report

RPG Genre Snapshot

1 June 202119 pages2,023 words

Summary

Role-playing games represent a significant pillar of the mobile gaming market, currently holding a 14% revenue share on the US iOS platform. While established titles like Raid: Shadow Legends and Marvel Strike Force maintain their positions at the top of the charts, the genre is undergoing a fundamental shift in subgenre dominance. Historically led by turn-based titles, the market is increasingly defined by high-production action RPGs. This transition is primarily driven by the massive success of Genshin Impact, which alone accounts for 10% of the total RPG market share, and the more recent launch of My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero. Analysis of these market leaders reveals a trend toward open-world experiences, narrative depth, and console-quality production values. While both leading titles utilize action-based combat and anime art styles, they cater to different player motivations. Genshin Impact focuses on single-player exploration and skill-based mechanics, whereas My Hero Academia emphasizes social and competitive elements through synchronous and asynchronous PvP. Despite these innovations in gameplay, the genre remains anchored by character collection and gacha-based monetization. Revenue performance in the sector is heavily dictated by live operations and content updates. Data indicates that the most significant revenue spikes occur during limited-time events, particularly those introducing new characters via "banner gachas" or step-up mechanics. Furthermore, collaboration events with external intellectual properties, such as the crossover between The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross and Stranger Things, have proven highly effective at engaging audiences. These findings, derived from GameRefinery’s proprietary SaaS dashboard and genre taxonomy, cover the US iOS market over a twelve-month period ending in mid-2021.

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Role-playing games (RPGs) represent a cornerstone of the mobile gaming market, accounting for approximately 14% of total revenue on the US iOS platform as of mid-2021. While the genre has long been dominated by established turn-based titles like Raid: Shadow Legends and Marvel Strike Force, recent market data indicates a significant shift toward Action RPGs. This transition is driven primarily by high-production, open-world titles that bridge the gap between mobile and console-quality experiences. The primary catalyst for this shift is Genshin Impact, which alone commands over 10% of the RPG market share. Alongside the more recent launch of My Hero Academia (MHA): The Strongest Hero, these titles emphasize narrative depth, exploration, and high-fidelity graphics. While both utilize an anime art style, they cater to different player motivations: Genshin Impact focuses on single-player exploration and skill-based combat, whereas MHA integrates more competitive social elements, including synchronous and asynchronous PvP. Monetization within the genre remains heavily reliant on character collection mechanics and sophisticated gacha systems. Analysis of top-performing updates shows that revenue spikes are most frequently tied to limited-time "banner" gachas and IP collaboration events, such as the crossover between The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross and Stranger Things. These events often introduce bespoke gameplay modes, such as tower defense or unique PvE challenges, to maintain engagement. The findings are based on GameRefinery’s proprietary three-layered taxonomy and a motivation framework derived from a survey of over 7000 mobile gamers across English-speaking Western markets. The data specifically covers the US iOS market for the 12-month period leading up to June 2021, highlighting a clear evolution from traditional turn-based mechanics toward immersive, open-world action experiences.

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RPG Genre Snapshot

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