2024 Japan Mobile Gaming Market Insights

In the first half of 2024, Japan’s mobile game market saw a 2.5% year-on-year increase in download volume, reaching 320 million downloads. However, total market revenue declined by 17% year-on-year to USD $5.3 billion, largely due to pressures from the weakening yen. This report will explore the trends in mobile game revenue and downloads in Japan throughout 2024, highlighting the exceptional performance of leading games and publishers. Additionally, it includes a case study on the successful launch and growth of the popular new game Zenless Zone Zero. For more insights, please click the button below to view the full report for free.

Note: The revenue data compiled by Sensor Tower represents estimated in-app purchase (IAP) estimates from the App Store and Google Play. It does not include ad revenue or earnings from third-party Android marketplaces in mainland China.

In the first half of 2024, mobile game downloads in Japan grew by 2.5% 

In the first half of 2024, mobile game downloads in the Japanese market increased by 2.5% year-on-year, reaching 320 million downloads. The App Store accounted for 55% of the total downloads.

In the second quarter of 2024, the Japanese yen's average exchange rate against the US dollar dropped by 18% compared to the first quarter of 2023. As a result, despite a recovery in mobile game downloads, in-app purchase revenue fell by 17% year-on-year in the first half of 2024, down to USD $5.3 billion.

Legend of Mushroom ranked 6th on the revenue chart, while Bandai Namco Entertainment rose to the top of the publisher chart

From January to July 2024, the top four mobile games by revenue in the Japanese market were all domestic titles. mixi's Monster Strike led the way, generating over $290 million in in-app purchase revenue during this period, maintaining its position at the top of the revenue chart. Since its launch nearly 11 years ago, Monster Strike has surpassed 50 million users in the Japanese market and has accumulated over $11 billion in global revenue, making it the highest-grossing Japanese mobile game worldwide.

Joy Net Games' Legend of Mushroom has reached impressive revenue milestones since its debut in Japan in February 2024, surpassing $100 million in IAP revenue within just four months. This achievement places it second only to Honkai: Star Rail and makes it the only new title in the top 10 revenue rankings as of the end of July 2024.

In February 2024, the launch of the 'DOKKAN Fest × Legendary Summon Festival' collaboration drove Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle to achieve a more than 200% month-on-month revenue increase in the Japanese market. From January to July 2024, the game's revenue in Japan increased by 28% compared to the previous period.

In May, Bandai Namco Entertainment's new IP-based anime game Gakuen Idolmaster was officially released and topped the revenue growth chart for Japanese mobile games for the month, while also securing the top spot for IP-based mobile game revenue in June and July. The outstanding performance of these two games contributed to a 3.5% quarter-on-quarter revenue increase for Bandai Namco Entertainment in the Japanese market, reaching $390 million and earning the publisher the top spot on the Japanese mobile game publisher revenue chart for this period.

At the same time, Bandai Namco Entertainment was also one of the most successful Japanese mobile game publishers in overseas markets. From January to July 2024, Bandai Namco generated $270 million from overseas markets, accounting for 40% of its total global revenue during this period.

Dragon Quest was the highest-grossing IP in Japan with its associated mobile games generating $170 million in revenue

In the Japanese mobile game market, Dragon Quest was the highest-grossing IP. From January to July 2024, mobile games based on the Dragon Quest IP generated a total revenue of $170 million, with notable titles including SQUARE ENIX's AR mobile game Dragon Quest Walk and the RPG mobile game DRAGON QUEST TACT.

In terms of individual games, Uma Musume Pretty Derby remains the highest-grossing IP mobile game in the Japanese market, with revenue exceeding $160 million from January to July 2024. In late February 2024, the game celebrated its third anniversary with the introduction of special events that significantly boosted its daily revenue, leading to a 64% month-on-month increase for March. By the end of July, the game’s global cumulative revenue was approaching $2.5 billion, with 94% of this total coming from the Japanese market.

Japan is the largest market for anime mobile games, accounting for about 50% of the global share

Japan has deep cultural ties to anime and is also the world's top-grossing market for anime-style mobile games. From January to July 2024, 49% of the total revenue from the top 50 highest-grossing anime-style mobile games worldwide was generated in Japan. 

Established domestic titles such as Monster Strike, Uma Musume Pretty Derby and Puzzle & Dragons continue to dominate the top three revenue spots in this category, reflecting the loyalty of Japanese users to classic anime-style mobile games. miHoYo's Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact ranked 5th and 6th, respectively, making them the only two overseas titles in the Top 8.

At the same time, Japan's anime-style mobile game market remains highly dynamic, with new titles achieving impressive results. From January to July 2024, six new anime-style games, including Gakuen Idolmaster, Saint Seiya: Legend of Justice, Love and Deepspace, Zenless Zone Zero, Wuthering Waves, and Solo Leveling: Arise, made it into the top 8 on the growth chart. Five of these games are from overseas publishers, highlighting Japanese players' strong acceptance and enthusiasm for new anime-style games.

Love and Deepspace has become the fastest-growing otome game by revenue in Japan

Japan remained the top market for otome games, contributing 70% of global revenue in 2023. In the first half of 2024, the launch and growth of Love and Deepspace increased China's share of global otome game revenue to 45%.

Love and Deepspace has also gained significant popularity among Japanese players, generating over $21 million in revenue from January to July 2024, ranking 3rd in the otome game revenue chart. It became the fastest-growing otome game in Japan during this period. Of Love and Deepspace's global total revenue of $200 million (as of August 11, 2024), 65% came from the Chinese market, while Japan, the highest-revenue market outside China, accounted for more than 11%.