- Gakuen Idolmaster exceeded 1.5 million local downloads during its launch month, outperforming Squad Busters’ one million downloads in the same time frame.
- The game dominated the Play Store revenue rankings in Japan from May 20th to May 28th.
Japanese simulation game Gakuen Idolmaster achieved over 1.5 million domestic downloads in its debut month, surpassing even Supercell’s Squad Busters in Japan from May 16th to June 15th, 2024.
According to Sensor Tower, Gakuen Idolmaster contributed 40% of Bandai Namco Entertainment’s domestic mobile revenue during its first month and held the top position in Google Play’s revenue chart in Japan for nine consecutive days.
Although the game ruled the revenue charts on Android from May 20th to May 28th, its performance on iOS was more modest, maintaining a top three ranking for eight days in the May-June period.
The Rise of Gakuen Idolmaster
Gakuen Idolmaster is the latest installment in The Idolmaster franchise, with a nearly two-decade history spanning various media forms. Developed by QualiArts, a departure from Bandai Namco’s usual approach, the game was well received by fans garnering primarily five-star ratings across app stores.
The title’s success surpassed its predecessor, The Idolmaster Shiny Colors: Song for Prism, released in November 2023. Gakuen Idolmaster’s stellar performance resulted in 1.5 million downloads across major app stores, securing its position as the most downloaded game in Japan during the period, outshining Squad Busters.
Following Gakuen Idolmaster and Squad Busters, Isekai: Slow Life ranked as the third most-downloaded game during this period, with Wuthering Waves and Last War: Survival Game following suit. Sensor Tower attributed Gakuen Idolmaster’s early success to its effective advertising, the popularity of its source IP, and its excellence as a mobile game.
The simulation title also made it to the list of Japan’s top 10 highest-grossing mobile games for May, an impressive feat considering its mid-month release.
