Apex Legends

Apex Legends Mobile Success: Genius Marketing or the Power of a Name?

The rapid market entry of Apex Legends Mobile serves as a case study in balancing established brand equity with aggressive, multi-channel user acquisition strategies.

• Apex Legends Mobile achieved over 5 million downloads within its first five days of release, split between 2.4 million on Google Play and 2.9 million on the App Store.
• The game secured the number one spot in 6 Google Play categories and 4 App Store categories within 48 hours of its May 17, 2022, global launch.
• Electronic Arts executed an aggressive two-month pre-launch marketing campaign that generated over 90,000 Twitter followers, averaging 1,500 new subscribers daily.

Apex Legends Reaches Over $2 Billion in Lifetime Revenue

Electronic Arts achieved significant financial growth for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, driven primarily by the robust performance of its live service offerings.

• Apex Legends surpassed $2 billion in lifetime net bookings, achieving a 40% year-over-year increase driven by the success of Season 12.
• Electronic Arts reported total net bookings of $7.5 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, a 21% increase over the previous year.
• Live services now account for 71% of Electronic Arts' total revenue, reflecting a 17% growth in that segment.

Electronic Arts Q4 FY 2022 Results

Electronic Arts reported record financial performance for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, characterized by significant growth in net bookings and an expanding player base.

• Electronic Arts achieved record financial performance in fiscal year 2022 with $7.515 billion in total net bookings, a 21% year-over-year increase.
• Live services are the primary revenue driver, accounting for 71% of total net bookings for the fiscal year.
• The company's player network grew by 16% to reach over 580 million unique active accounts, supported by strong performance from Apex Legends and the FIFA franchise.

Electronic Arts Q4 and FY22 Financial Results

Electronic Arts concluded its 2022 fiscal year with record financial performance, driven by robust engagement across its live services portfolio and a growing global player base.

Plus: Steam Debuts for April Falter So Far

This analysis examines the state of the global video game market during mid-April 2022, focusing on Steam performance trends and cross-platform sales data.

• The Steam market is increasingly bifurcated, with revenue dominated by evergreen live-service titles like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Lost Ark, and Apex Legends, while new mid-tier releases struggle to gain traction.
• The estimated 'new normal' for first-year gross revenue for many professional developers on Steam has shifted downward to the $100,000–$200,000 range.
• New indie titles are seeing underwhelming launches, with peak concurrent user counts often falling between 100 and 500 for games with development budgets ranging from $200,000 to $2 million.

TWIG #175 Bored Ape Yacht Club raises $450M for an MMO 🤯

The global gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant structural transition, marked by aggressive capital investment, technological shifts, and evolving operational models.

• Yuga Labs secured $450 million for a metaverse project, while FRVR raised $76 million for browser-based gaming, signaling continued investor appetite for large-scale digital ecosystems.
• The removal of IDFA and other tracking identifiers has rendered traditional mobile user acquisition methods ineffective, forcing developers to prioritize organic growth and broader market appeal to combat rising costs.
• Studios are facing significant operational challenges, with skepticism surrounding the ability of teams to manage complex MMO macroeconomics or successfully pivot to live-service models.

Apex Legends Mobile footage from mobilegamer.biz. Captured from the Australian soft launch build.

Apex Legends Mobile successfully translates the core mechanics and high-intensity gameplay of the original battle royale title to mobile platforms.

• Apex Legends Mobile successfully replicates the core battle royale mechanics of the original franchise, including squad-based dynamics, the tactical ping system, and high-intensity combat.
• The mobile build maintains consistency with console and PC versions by utilizing identical loot rarity systems, such as level four sniper magazines and level three body shields.
• Gameplay remains centered on familiar resource management loops, requiring players to navigate shrinking zones while utilizing shield batteries and armor upgrades.

Legionfarm: A Unique Application of NFTs in Esports

Legionfarm serves as a primary case study for the integration of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) within game-peripheral services rather than direct game development.

• Legionfarm launched 4,000 'Gaming Heroes' NFTs on January 26, 2022, providing holders with lifetime access to group play sessions and future DAO governance rights.
• The company operates a service-based model connecting high-income players with top-tier pros for coaching and gameplay, utilizing a $50/month subscription or an à la carte rate of approximately $12/hour.
• The 'Guild Masters' program allows investors to sponsor aspiring pro players, with sponsors receiving a share of the player's future earnings for five years if they successfully turn professional.

Newzoo’s Global Gamer Study 2022

Gaming has evolved into a multi-dimensional entertainment ecosystem that extends far beyond traditional play, encompassing viewing, socializing, and content creation.

• Gaming has become a primary entertainment ecosystem for 79% of the global online population, with Gen Alpha prioritizing gaming over social media and streaming.
• The gaming sector reached a projected consumer spend exceeding $200 billion in 2023, with approximately 50% of Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha actively spending money on games.
• Gaming is increasingly used as a social platform, as 75% of players engage in game worlds for social interaction rather than playing the primary game mechanics.

Store Intelligence Data Digest: Q2 2022

The global mobile application market experienced a pivotal transition in the second quarter of 2022, characterized by a 2.5% year-over-year decline in total downloads to 35 billion.

• In a historic shift for the U.S. App Store, consumer spending on non-gaming applications surpassed gaming revenue for the first time, driven by a 129% increase in non-game subscription revenue compared to 2019 levels.
• The global mobile market saw a 2.5% year-over-year decline in total downloads to 35 billion in Q2 2022, though Google Play retained the largest share with 27.2 billion installs.
• Meta solidified its market dominance by owning four of the top five most-installed apps globally, contributing to an 11% year-over-year increase in the company's total downloads.

Consumer Insights: Games & Esports 2022

Gaming has evolved into a multi-dimensional entertainment ecosystem where traditional play is no longer the sole driver of engagement.

• Gaming has become a primary entertainment ecosystem for 79% of the global online population, with Gen Alpha prioritizing gaming over social media and streaming video.
• Consumer spending in the gaming sector is projected to exceed $200 billion in 2023, driven by a payer base that includes approximately 50% of Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and Millennial gamers.
• Game worlds are increasingly used for social interaction rather than gameplay, with 75% of players and 44% of non-players utilizing these environments for non-gaming social engagement.

Shooter Genre Snapshot: September 2021

The mobile shooter genre in the United States iOS market currently occupies the sixth-largest position by revenue, accounting for approximately 6% of total market earnings.

• The shooter genre on US iOS is highly concentrated, with the 'Big Three'—Garena Free Fire, Call of Duty: Mobile, and PUBG Mobile—collectively generating over 84% of total genre revenue.
• Garena Free Fire experienced significant growth in 2021, doubling its iOS revenue and capturing approximately 30% of the market share to rival Call of Duty: Mobile for the top position as of Q2 2021.
• The shooter genre accounts for roughly 6% of total US iOS revenue, currently ranking as the platform's 6th largest mobile genre.