Market (Mobile)ยทUpdated Jun 25, 2026 by GameRefinery
Midcore games were the only mobile category to see market share growth between Q1 2021 and Q1 2022, capturing nearly 37% of US iOS mobile game revenue.
Successful midcore titles are increasingly adopting high-cadence content strategies, with 80% of top-performing games using special live event currencies to drive daily engagement.
Battle Passes are a primary monetization driver for top-tier midcore games, utilized by 75% of the top 20% grossing titles compared to only 25% of lower-ranking games.
Leading titles like Genshin Impact and Diablo Immortal are shifting away from mobile autoplay mechanics in favor of precision-based manual controls and immersive storytelling to mirror console experiences.
Gacha systems remain a dominant revenue source, with over 65% of top midcore games featuring more than five distinct gacha mechanics.
Publishers are increasingly establishing external web stores to bypass standard app store commission fees and maximize profit margins.
Nine midcore titles released between 2021 and 2022 remain in the US top-200 grossing charts, significantly outperforming the three casual titles released in the same period.
Midcore games were the only mobile category to see market share growth between Q1 2021 and Q1 2022, capturing nearly 37% of US iOS mobile game revenue.
Successful midcore titles are increasingly adopting high-cadence content strategies, with 80% of top-performing games using special live event currencies to drive daily engagement.
Battle Passes are a primary monetization driver for top-tier midcore games, utilized by 75% of the top 20% grossing titles compared to only 25% of lower-ranking games.
Leading titles like Genshin Impact and Diablo Immortal are shifting away from mobile autoplay mechanics in favor of precision-based manual controls and immersive storytelling to mirror console experiences.
Gacha systems remain a dominant revenue source, with over 65% of top midcore games featuring more than five distinct gacha mechanics.
Publishers are increasingly establishing external web stores to bypass standard app store commission fees and maximize profit margins.
Nine midcore titles released between 2021 and 2022 remain in the US top-200 grossing charts, significantly outperforming the three casual titles released in the same period.