Sensor Tower: Global In-App Purchase Revenue for Mobile Games Expected to Reach $85.4 Billion in 2025, with South Korea’s Market Revenue Projected at $5.3 Billion

Stock News
Oct 27, 2025

According to Sensor Tower's report titled "2025 South Korean Game Market Insights," the revenue from the global mobile and PC/console gaming market continues to rise. By 2025, global in-app purchase revenue for mobile games is projected to increase by 6% to $85.4 billion, while game purchase revenues on the Steam platform are expected to grow by 12% to reach $11.9 billion. By 2028, the global in-app purchase revenue for mobile games and Steam game purchase revenues are anticipated to exceed $105 billion and $15 billion, respectively, with the combined revenue surpassing $120 billion. In 2021, during the pandemic, South Korea's mobile in-app purchase revenue peaked at $5.5 billion. Although revenues from 2022 to 2024 did not match 2021 levels, revenues from mobile games on the App Store and Google Play have increased year-over-year. It is anticipated that by 2025, South Korea's mobile in-app purchase revenue will reach $5.3 billion, with Google Play accounting for 75%. Subcategories such as 4X strategy, turn-based RPGs, and synthesis mobile games are seeing a surge in revenue. RPGs remain the cornerstone of South Korea's mobile game market, contributing 48% of total revenue in the first three quarters of 2025. MMORPGs continue to be popular among South Korean players, accounting for 30% of total revenue. Revenue from subcategories such as 4X strategy, turn-based RPGs, and synthesis mobile games has increased dramatically, with corresponding year-on-year growth rates of 25%, 138%, and 89%, respectively. Mid-core mobile games still dominate the South Korean market, contributing 79% of total revenue in January to September 2025. Notably, revenues from casual and hybrid casual mobile games grew by 8% and 37% year-over-year, showing impressive performance. Meanwhile, revenue from anime-style mobile games in the South Korean market has been on a consistent rise over the past three years. Driven by top games launched this year, such as "Seven Knights Re:BIRTH" and "Mabinogi Mobile," this genre reached a historic high in revenue from October 2024 to September 2025, growing 41% compared to 2022, nearing $1.4 billion. This clearly indicates that games based on anime IPs and the two-dimensional culture still have considerable growth potential in the South Korean market.

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