Mobile-game revenue grew in 2025 even as downloads weakened—but the size of that growth depends on which market report you use. Sensor Tower estimates $82 billion in revenue, up 1%, while Newzoo estimates $113.3 billion in mobile revenues, up 10.7%. Those are separate estimates with differing coverage, not numbers to combine into one market total or trend line.
How can revenue rise when downloads slow?
Downloads count installations, not how much players spend. A market can therefore generate more revenue without attracting more new installs if existing players keep playing or spend more. Sensor Tower describes this as a mature-market shift: acquiring additional downloads is harder, so developers focus more on retaining and engaging players and monetizing established audiences.
Acquiring players can also cost more. Newzoo cites Adjust data showing that the global cost per install rose 30% to $0.56 in 2025. Newzoo also points to a higher paid-to-organic install ratio. These figures suggest greater acquisition pressure, but they do not establish that rising costs alone caused the revenue trend.
Why do the 2025 revenue estimates differ?
Sensor Tower’s estimate is $82 billion in mobile-game revenue for 2025, up 1%. Newzoo reports $113.3 billion in mobile revenues, up 10.7%. The gap is too large to treat as rounding, and the reports do not provide enough harmonized methodological detail to reconcile it definitively. Do not average the estimates or assume they measure precisely the same revenue.
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Coverage is one important distinction. AppMagic says its figures cover App Store and Google Play downloads and in-app purchase (IAP) revenue, while excluding webshops and other alternative monetization. That scope illustrates why store-based IAP figures may differ from broader mobile-revenue estimates. It does not, by itself, explain the entire gap between Sensor Tower and Newzoo.
| Publisher and figure | What it reports | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Tower: $82 billion, up 1% (2025) | Mobile-game revenue estimate, published in its 2026 State of Gaming release | Sensor Tower’s estimate and definition; not a universal consensus total. |
| Newzoo: $113.3 billion, up 10.7% (2025) | Mobile revenues, reported in its 2026 market update | A separate estimate; the reviewed report does not establish a fully harmonized basis with Sensor Tower. |
| AppMagic: genre changes (2025) | App Store and Google Play downloads and IAP revenue; excludes webshops and other alternative monetization | A defined store-based dataset, not a directly interchangeable total for broader market revenue. |
What is changing in how developers grow revenue?
Sensor Tower CEO and co-founder Oliver Yeh described the shift this way: “While downloads are harder to scale, opportunity has shifted to favor developers who prioritize retention, monetization, and innovation, with tactics like webstores and IP partnerships driving sustainable growth.” The statement is a description of the strategic opportunity, not proof that every developer or game is following the same approach.
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The practical distinction is between reach and value: adding installs expands the audience, while retention and monetization seek more durable engagement and revenue from players already reached. Sensor Tower’s figures for 2024 illustrate why downloads alone are an incomplete measure of market activity: it reported 49 billion global downloads, down 7%, alongside $82 billion in global mobile-game IAP revenue, up 4%. It also reported 3.5 trillion hours spent, up 8%, and sessions up 12% that year.
Why do results vary by game genre?
Market growth is not shared evenly across genres. Sensor Tower says strategy was the only genre to gain across revenue, downloads, and time spent in 2025, with Last War: Survival and Whiteout Survival leading that performance. AppMagic reports strategy revenue up 16.1% and RPG revenue down 16.6% in its App Store and Google Play dataset. Those AppMagic figures have narrower stated coverage and should not be read as a complete measure of every revenue channel.
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The contrast matters for interpreting the headline: a growing market does not mean every category, title, or developer is growing. The broad shift toward monetizing existing audiences can coexist with sharply different genre results.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does the 2026 outlook say?
Newzoo forecasts mobile revenues of $121.1 billion in 2026, up 6.8%, and expects a mobile audience of 3.10 billion players. These are forecasts, not observed full-year results. Their growth outlook alongside declining downloads reinforces the distinction between audience acquisition and revenue, but actual outcomes may differ from the forecast.
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