Pokémon Masters EX has established itself as the second-highest grossing mobile game from The Pokémon Company, trailing only behind the massive success of Pokémon Go, with an impressive lifetime revenue exceeding $300 million.
In comparison to other games from The Pokémon Company, such as Café Remix, Pokémon Quest, and even Tencent’s Pokémon Unite, Pokémon Masters has proven to be a notable standout, generating more consumer spending than these titles combined.
According to data from AppMagic, Pokémon Masters reached the $300 million revenue milestone in just over four years. The free-to-play gacha game, developed in partnership with The Pokémon Company and DeNA, garnered $75 million in its first year, a substantial success, although not quite reaching the pinnacle of Pokémon Go’s success.
Key Revenue Contributors
The United States accounts for the largest portion of Pokémon Masters’ 50 million downloads, representing 20% of the total installations, nearly double the number in the second-largest region, Japan, at 12%. India follows closely with 11% of the installs, while Brazil and South Korea round out the top five at 5% and 4%, respectively.
In terms of revenue, Japan makes the most significant contribution, unsurprisingly due to the market’s spending habits on mobile games and its strong affinity for RPGs. Despite making up only 12% of the total audience, the Japanese playerbase is responsible for a substantial 51% of Pokémon Master’s revenue, spending over $150 million in-game alone.
The United States comes in second, contributing 25% of the game’s earnings, aligning closely with its share of the install base. The remaining 24% of revenues are spread across the rest of the world, with other lucrative markets contributing a much smaller share of the total $300 million. Even Taiwan, the third-largest spender, has only contributed $12 million to the game, or 4% of total earnings, indicating a significant drop-off while Japanese and US audiences continue to drive the game’s success.
Masters’ primary appeal lies in its characters, largely drawn from the main series of console games and introduced via gacha mechanics. These characters, each featuring their own Pokémon, appeal to both new and long-time fans, including characters such as Game Boy protagonist Red, as well as newly introduced characters like Scarlett and Violet’s Nemona. The game has also seen the introduction of iconic characters from the anime, such as Ash and Pikachu, as well as characters from titles like Legends: Arceus and commemorations for anniversaries.
