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As the mobile gaming landscape continues to evolve, understanding the trends and shifts in monetization strategies is crucial for developers looking to maximize their app's potential. In this report, we'll dive into the key findings from our analysis of the global mobile games market in 2026.
Global Monetization Trends
The overall mobile games market saw moderate growth, increasing from $55.2 billion to $57.1 billion – a 3.4% year-over-year rise. Notably, App Store game revenue surged by 5.4%, while Google Play revenue dipped by 0.12%. Midcore titles experienced a 3% year-over-year growth, casual games grew by 2.3%, and hypercasual projects showed an impressive 88% increase.
Regional Insights
The top 10 countries by revenue barely changed, with the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and France maintaining their positions. However, market dynamics differ significantly across regions. The UK (+9.68%), France (+5.63%), Germany (+1.78%), and Canada (+1.06%) saw growth, while South Korea (-15.05%), Taiwan (-13.57%), and China (iOS only, -8.54%) experienced declines.
Emerging Markets on the Rise
Interestingly, markets with low starting bases or volatile currencies are driving growth. Argentina (+22% YoY), UAE (+16% YoY), and Russia (+15.5% YoY) are leading the charge.
Alternative Payments and D2C
By the beginning of Q4 2026, we observed a 12% increase in games with integrated payment SDKs compared to early 2024. YooKassa, Xsolla, and Card.io are among the fastest-growing payment SDKs. Meanwhile, Stripe, Paystack, and PayU saw their audience decline.
For the top 100 grossing games in the US (IAP), D2C revenue grew by a whopping 46% year-over-year. However, surprisingly, the share of top-grossing titles using D2C tools decreased from 72% in 2024 to 62% in the first half of 2026.
Strategy Genre
The strategy genre saw significant growth, with revenue increasing from $10.8 billion to $13.5 billion – a 25.6% year-over-year rise. Card battlers grew by an impressive 213%, while tactical projects and 4X strategies showed 26.77% and 26% increases respectively.
Payment Behavior in Strategy Games (US, Top 10 Grossing)
By day 90 of a player's lifecycle, paying users in strategy games spend twice as much as payers in casino games. The average number of purchases per paying user is declining on both platforms, with the drop most noticeable on the App Store.
RPG Genre
The RPG genre saw a steep revenue decline, dropping from $13.7 billion to $11.6 billion – a 15.4% year-over-year fall. Both Google Play and the App Store experienced similar declines. Despite this overall negative trend, some subgenres grew, including tactical RPGs (56%) and roguelike titles (26.2%).
Payment Behavior in RPG (US, Top 10 Grossing)
Given the genre's decline in Asia, US figures may not reflect global revenue trends for RPG. On Google Play, the average number of purchases per paying user declined by up to 29% at various stages of the lifecycle. ARPPU by day 90 for paying users on Google Play fell 42% year-over-year.
By contrast, the App Store saw a positive trend, with ARPPU up (by as much as 27%) and purchase frequency among payers increasing by up to 8%.
In conclusion, AI-powered mobile apps are poised to revolutionize the gaming landscape. By leveraging insights from our analysis, developers can optimize their monetization strategies and stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive market.