Tencent's PUBG Mobile Grossed More than Fortnite for the First Time in January, Up 24% Over December

Global player spending in PUBG Mobile surpassed the amount spent in the mobile version of Fortnite for the first time last month, Sensor Tower Store Intelligence estimates reveal. It was the best month yet for the Tencent-developed title, with approximately $45.2 million spent worldwide across the App Store and Google Play. By comparison, players spent an estimated $37.9 million in its competitor from Epic Games.

The caveat here is that PUBG Mobile earned this amount across both platforms, while Fortnite's mobile spending represents iOS only. Still, Tencent's title has trailed its primary competitor in revenue every month leading up to January, usually by a significant amount.

PUBG Mobile surmounted the total spent in Fortnite on mobile last month due to consistent growth in its monthly revenue—up 24 percent over December—while the Epic Games title saw its most significant month-over-month decline in spending yet, dropping approximately 45 percent over the previous month.

To date, gross PUBG Mobile revenue totals an estimated $242 million globally across both platforms, with the exception of China where the game is still prohibited from offering in-app purchases. The mobile version of Fortnite, by comparison, has grossed more than $500 million on iOS alone.