Strategy is now the third biggest genre in the US, according to the latest report by GameRefinery. This category accounts for 17% of the US iOS market’s revenues, with developers implementing more genre-blending mechanics.
Key takeaways
- 4X strategy games are the main driver of the genre’s success, with these mechanics being implemented in 20 out of the 25 top-grossing titles.
- The only company in the top 10 that doesn’t use 4X-style gameplay is Supercell, which operates hits like Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars, and Clash Royale. These three games reached a combined revenue of $54.33 million in the second quarter of 2021.
- It is still hard for MOBA games to gain a foothold in the US market. Although League of Legends: Wild Rift showed a strong performance at launch last year, it has since dropped out of the top 200 highest-grossing titles.
Top 10 highest-grossing strategy games on the US App Store
- Developers continue to blend mechanics from different genres, with Top War, for example, using merge elements. This game generated $10.99 million in player spending on the US App Store during the second quarter of 2021, which is up 604.4% year-over-year.
- Puzzles & Survival, which also uses match-3 elements, became the only new game in the top 10 highest-grossing strategy titles.
The full report can be found here.