‘PUBG Mobile’s’ New Royale Pass Boosts Revenue by 365% in One Week

By Stefanie Fogel

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” is taking a page from competitor “Fortnite” and offering seasonal content to fans. The Royale Pass debuted last week and, according to mobile app market researcher Sensor Tower , it’s already boosted revenue for “PUBG Mobile” by 365%.

“ Mobile” reportedly earned $6.1 million gross worldwide on both iOS and Android during the Royale Pass’ first week. The game earned an average of $1.3 million in the three weeks before that.

“At present, we estimate that ‘PUBG Mobile’ is now earning more than $700,000 per day in player spending across both stores worldwide and has grossed more than $16 million to date,” said Sensor Tower head of mobile insights Randy Nelson.

There are currently two versions of the Royale Pass — a free version and an elite version that costs $9.99. People with either pass can complete certain missions each week and rank up to unlock rewards. Elite Pass holders have access to elite missions that give more points and additional rewards for each rank. The system is similar to “Fortnite’s” Battle Pass, which is currently in its fourth season.

The immediate success of the Royale Pass is also affecting “PUBG Mobile’s” revenue ranking. Before launch, Sensor Tower said it typically ranked between 100 and 150 on the U.S. App Store’s top grossing iPhone games chart. Now, it’s in the top 50.

“That’s still well below ‘Fortnite’s’ consistent top 10 ranking, but nevertheless a dramatic improvement,” said Nelson.

“PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” has over 400 million players worldwide across all platforms, with more than 227 million logging in every month, according to developer PUBG Corp. The PC and Xbox One versions drawn an estimated 87 million people each day, which means a large majority of players are using the mobile ports.