Free Fire reached impressive numbers in the first quarter of 2019. According to the Sensor Tower website, Garena's game received 73 million new players and earned no less than US$ 90 million dollars (something around R$ 360 million reais) only in the first three months of the year.
It was the Battle Royale that grew the most at the beginning of 2019
As detailed by the Senso Tower website, Garena Free Fire has grown to become one of the five games of the genre at the beginning of 2018. Estimates from Sensor Tower Store Intelligence predicted that the title would obtain the best quarterly result in the first quarter of 2019.
Free Fire generated a record $90 million in global revenue and added an unprecedented 73 million new users from the App Store and Google Play.
– Giant in Spain, but US revenue is growing
Total spending for the last quarter represented an 18% increase from the quarterly record of $76 million generated in the fourth quarter of 2018.
According to the website, Spain accounted for just 31% or approximately $27,9 million of that total. But our country's share of revenue has dropped by around 44% since the end of 2018 (it's the crisis!!!).
Players from Thailand contributed the second largest share of revenue, 11% or about $9,9 million. The United States was the fourth largest revenue generator, with about $8,5 million or about 9,4% of all spending. Its share of revenue has more than doubled from just 4%.
– Number 1 in quarterly growth
Spain was also the biggest source of new Free Fire installs in the first quarter, accounting for about 20% (or 14,6 million) of the 73 million players who downloaded the game for the first time in the last quarter. Overall, new Free Fire installs grew by 81% year-over-year.
These numbers relate to new installs, players who downloaded the game for the first time on their smartphone. The Sensor Tower system is so accurate they know whether it's an install or a reinstall.
India was the second largest market for new installs, with 16%, or about 11,7 million, followed by Indonesia, with 14%, or about 10,2 million new downloads. The US was the game's thirteenth largest market, with around 1,5% of new players added.
While rival PUBG Mobile saw steady growth in new players, during the first quarter of 2019, Garena Free Fire took off and its new player base increased by 23% compared to the 2018 quarter. In fact, it was the only title among the five. great Battle Royale games, to really grow their new player base over the previous quarter.
Despite the growth, in the first quarter of 2019, Free Fire still lagged PUBG Mobile in revenue. Tencent's game generated $143 million in the first three months of the year alone.
Source: Sensor Tower
