The State of Card Battler Mobile Games 2021
Download PDFDec, 2021 —
An Analysis of the Card Battler Sub-Genre
The State of
Card Battler
Mobile Games 2021
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
Table of Contents
03 – Introduction
04 – Card Battler Games Worldwide
11 – Mid-core Comparison
14 – Worldwide Top Games
17 – U.S. Market: Game Profiles
21 – Conclusion
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
This report provides an overview of the Card Battler sub-genre of
mobile games, delving into the current market landscape, the most
popular titles, and growth opportunities.
This analysis leverages Sensor Tower’s Game Taxonomy, Game
Intelligence, Store Intelligence, and Ad Intelligence data.
●Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by
Apple or Google).
●Download estimates presented are on a per-user basis, meaning
that only one download per Apple or Google account is counted
towards the total.
●Downloads of the same app by the same user to multiple devices,
updates, or re-installs of the same app by the same user are not
counted towards the total.
●Android app install estimates represent downloads from the
Google Play Store only. Sensor Tower does not provide download
estimates for third-party Android stores.
Introduction
3
—
An Overview of the Card Battler Sub-Genre
Card Battler Games:
Worldwide
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
Card Battler Overview
5
The Mid-Core class is a collection of genres
which appeal to a more dedicated gaming
audience. They typically require a significant
time investment by the player, have complex
mechanics, and monetize through in-app
purchases. This class accounted for 60 percent
of worldwide player spending during the first
half of 2021.
Strategy games rely on the player’s decision-
making skills to make strategic choices.
Typically, games are slower paced and more
mechanically complex than other mobile
genres. Strategy ranked as the No. 2 genre by
player spending, accounting for 34 percent of
the mid-core market. This genre was bigger
than the Shooter, Action, and Sports & Racing
genres combined.
In Card Battler games, the players earn or collect
cards with different abilities and combine those
cards into a deck, which is used to battle other
players or virtual opponents. This sub-genre
accounted for 5 percent of Strategy game
player spending.
Market Overview: Worldwide Revenue
Player spending by Game Class, Genre, and Sub-Genre in H1 2021
Build & Battle
6%
Empire Simulation
5%
Card Battler
5%
Tactical Battler
4%
Tower Defense
4%
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
6
Even though more than half of player spending
was concentrated in the Mid-Core class, the vast
majority of downloads were from Casual games.
Excluding Hypercasual games, Casual games
accounted for 70 percent of downloads. Mid-
Core games accounted for just 20 percent of
worldwide installs.
The Shooter genre ranked as the No. 1 most
popular genre among Mid-Core games. Strategy
was the second largest genre by downloads,
accounting for 24 percent of the Mid-Core
installs in the first half of 2021.
The Card Battler sub-genre accounted for 6
percent of overall Strategy downloads.
Market Overview: Worldwide Downloads
Note Regarding Downloads Charts
Hyper-casual titles are excluded.
Mid-Core
20%
Downloads by Game Class, Genre, and Sub-Genre in H1 2021
Card Battler Overview
Card Battler
6%
Empire Simulation
2%
Casino
2%
Card Battler Games Saw Steepest Revenue Gains in 1Q21
Quarterly worldwide Strategy genre revenue by sub-genre (indexed to Q1 2019)
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
Card Battler Overview
50%
75%
100%
125%
150%
175%
200%
Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021
4X Strategy Build & Battle Card Battler Empire Simulation MOBA Tactical Battler
Two sub-genres have stood out in terms of
worldwide revenue over the past two years: 4X
Strategy and MOBA. They were the fastest
growing and highest grossing sub-genres,
accounting for 53 percent and 23 percent of
overall Strategy genre revenue, respectively.
The Tower Defense* sub-genre exhibited rapid
growth during the last two years, with revenue
increasing by more than 500 percent.
Card Battler revenue increased 17 percent
Q/Q during Q1 2021, its steepest rise over the
last two years, and has remained stable since.
During the first half of the year, titles in these
sub-genres generated approximately $380
million in player spending.
7
4X Strategy
MOBA
Card Battler
Tactical Battler
Empire Simulation
Build & Battle
*Tower Defense is excluded from the chart due to scale.
Card Battler is the Fastest Growing Strategy Sub-Genre
Quarterly worldwide Strategy genre downloads by sub-genre (indexed to Q1 2019)
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
Card Battler Overview
50%
100%
150%
200%
250%
Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021
4X Strategy Build & Battle Card Battler Empire Simulation MOBA Tactical Battler Tower Defense
The Card Battler sub-genre is relatively small
when compared to 4X Strategy or MOBA.
Nevertheless, it has seen strong growth in
downloads during the last two years.
The first spike in installs was observed in Q3
2019, when Dragonest Games released Auto
Chess and Proxima Beta published Chess Rush.
Both games exceeded the 5 million worldwide
downloads mark during that quarter.
The sub-genre’s installs spiked again during Q2
2020 with the worldwide release of Legends of
Runeterra, a card battler game published by Riot
Games using the League of Legends IP.
During Q2 2021, downloads of Card Battler titles
saw a double digit increase for the second
quarter in a row, rising by 23 percent quarter-
over-quarter. During this period, installs were
propelled by Mighty Party and Magic: The
Gathering Arena.
8
4X Strategy
MOBA
Card Battler
Tactical Battler
Empire Simulation
Build & Battle
Tower Defense
The Card Battler sub-genre had a revenue
peak during January 2021. Since the start of
the year, the sub-genre has held a new
baseline in player spending of over $55
million per month.
The January revenue spike was largely driven by
the strong revenue performance of Yu-Gi-Oh!
Duel Links, which celebrated its four year
anniversary since launch with a special
promotion. Worldwide monthly player spending
for the title increased by 190 percent from $9.6
million in December 2020 to $27.9 million in
January 2021.
While Card Battler downloads have not reached
the height of 2019, they have consistently been
on the rise since February 2021, showing an
increased interest in these games.
9
Card Battler Monthly Spending Exceeded $55 Million
Worldwide spending, downloads, and month-over-month change for Card Battler sub-genre
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
Card Battler Overview
$
$
$
$
10
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
Card Battler market share by country
U.S. Card Battler Market Share is Increasing
2018
2019
2020
H1 2021
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Japan U.S. China Other
Historically, the Card Battler sub-genre was very
focused on Asian markets. During 2019, Japan
accounted for 43 percent of overall revenue,
while China represented 14 percent from its App
Store alone.
During the first half of 2021, the U.S. has
significantly increased its market share and
accounted for 27 percent of player spending.
This represents an increase of 6 percentage
points compared to 2020.
The three countries make up more than 70
percent of player spending in the Card Battler
sub-genre.
Card Battler Overview 27% 25% 25% 29% 17% 15% 14% 13% 27% 21% 18% 21% 29% 39% 43% 37%
—
An Overview of the Mid-Core Genres
Mid Core
Comparison
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
$60
Action Shooter
RPG
Strategy Tower
Defense Tactical Battler
MOBA Card
Battler
Empire
Simulation
Build & Battle
4X Strategy
Worldwide U.S.
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
The average revenue per download (RPD) of the
Strategy genre in the United States was $31
during the first half of 2021. This figure is 2.6
times higher than the worldwide average. The
same pattern is observed among all mid-core
genres, which explains why the U.S. is
considered a Tier 1 market.
In some genres such as Action and Shooter, the
U.S. RPD was three times higher than the
worldwide average.
The RPD of the Card Battler sub-genre was
$17 in the U.S., a figure close to double the $9
worldwide average. This indicates that the
sub-genre is a good fit for the U.S. market and
has the potential to become a standout like
Build & Battle or 4X Strategy as it matures.
Mid-Core Comparison
Strategy has Highest Revenue Per Download in the U.S.
Revenue per download by game genre and Strategy sub-genre in H1 2021
Mid-Core Genres Strategy Sub-Genres
U.S. RPD > $25
U.S. RPD < $20
12 $55 $41 $30 $17 $12 $10 $4 $31 $28 $11 $11 $19 $10 $25 $9 $13 $4 $3 $12 $23 $3 $3
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Action Shooter
RPG
Strategy Tower
Defense Tactical Battler
Card
Battler
Build & Battle MOBA
4X Strategy
Empire
Simulation
2020 H1 2021
13
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
On average, Strategy genre RPD increased by 28
percent during the first half of 2021 in the U.S.
Even though the U.S. RPD of the Card Battler
sub-genre is still below $20, it is the fastest
growing among all the Strategy sub-genres
(53 percent). This growth is comparable with
that of Shooter games (54 percent), which is
surpassed only by Action games (74 percent).
Card Battler Has Fastest Growing RPD in Strategy Genre
Revenue per download growth by game genre and Strategy sub-genre in the U.S.
Mid-Core Comparison
Mid-Core Genres Strategy Sub-Genres
Note
Revenue per download is calculated using revenue and
downloads in each period. 2020 growth is compared to
2019, and H1 2021 growth is compared to 2020.
175%
-3%
180% -3% 30% 5% 9% 53% 33% 10% 28% 29% 54% 74% 25% 22% 36% 25% 26% -11% 175% 26% 34% 49% 27%
—
Analysis of Top Titles by Revenue and Downloads
Top Card Battler
Games Worldwide
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links .
Hearthstone .
Mighty Party .
WWE SuperCard .
Shadowverse .
Three Kingdoms Heroes .
Magic: The Gathering Arena .
Touken Ranbu .
Duel Masters Play’s .
Teamfight Tactics .
$20M $40M $60M $80M $100M $120M
U.S. Japan Other
15
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links was the top grossing
card battler in H1 2021, generating $110
million in worldwide player spending. Japan
accounted for 33 percent of revenue, while
the U.S. represented 27 percent, making the
title a global success.
Hearthstone ranked as the No. 2 game by player
spending, generating more than $40 million. The
biggest market for this game was China (40
percent) followed by the U.S. (20 percent).
Both Yu-Gi-Oh and Hearthstone are considered
forever franchises, as they were launched more
than five years ago and generate consistent
revenue. Since launch, Yu-Gi-Oh has
accumulated more than $700 million in player
spending while Hearthstone is close to hitting
the $1 billion mark.
Six out of the top 10 Card Battler games
generated the majority of their revenue from
Asian markets like Japan and China.
Magic: The Gathering Arena was launched in
March 2021. Within just three months of launch,
the game already ranks among the top 10.
Top Games Worldwide
Six Top Titles Generated Majority of their Revenue in Asia
Top grossing titles by worldwide player spending in H1 2021
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
Mighty Party .
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links .
Magic: The Gathering Arena .
Teamfight Tactics .
Hearthstone .
Plants vs. Zombies Heroes .
Three Kingdoms Heroes .
Legends of Runeterra .
Auto Brawl Chess .
WWE SuperCard .
5M 10M 15M
U.S. Japan Other
16
While a few forever franchises continue to
generate significant installs, the 1H21 saw the
emergence of a number of new titles on the
top downloaded chart: Mighty Party (released
in 2018), Teamfight Tactics (2020), Legends of
Runeterra (2020), Auto Brawl Chess (2020), and
Magic: The Gathering Arena (2021).
Mighty Party topped the chart, generating more
than 14 million downloads worldwide in H1
2021. The latest release in the sub-genre, Magic:
The Gathering Arena, ranked No. 3,
accumulating more than 3 million installs during
the first half of the year.
While the U.S. and Japan are the top countries
by revenue, they represent just a fraction of the
global downloads.
New Contenders Emerge in the Card Battler Sub-Genre
Top Games Worldwide
Top titles by worldwide downloads in H1 2021
—
Profile of the Top Grossing Titles
U.S. Market
Deep Dive
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
U.S. key performance indicators in H1 2021 among top tabletop Card Battler titles
18
The top grossing tabletop card battlers in the
U.S. leverage popular existing IPs: Yu-Gi-Oh,
Wizards of the Coast’s Magic: The Gathering
Arena (MTGA), and Hearthstone, which is built
on top of Blizzard’s Warcraft universe.
Magic: The Gathering is a legacy trading card
game originally released in 1993. By the end of
December 2018, the company claimed to have
35 million players of the tabletop game.
According to Hasbro’s financial report, Magic:
The Gathering made $581 million in 2020 (27
percent Y/Y).
1 Within just three months after
launch, the mobile version of the game,
MTGA, currently ranks No. 1 among Card
Battlers for weekly active users (WAU).
MTGA is the most Western-oriented tabletop title
among this set of Card Battler releases. More
than 75% of revenue comes from the U.S. and
Europe, while Hearthstone and Yu-Gi-Oh
generate more revenue in Asian markets.
U.S. Market Deep Dive
Magic: The Gathering Arena Shakes Up the Market
1Source: Forbes
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
19
The Card Battler sub-genre appears to be a good
place for niche titles. WWE SuperCard, published
by Take-Two Interactive and using the official
WWE IP, has generated more than $120 million in
player spending to date in the U.S. What’s
more, title generated significant revenue
despite a relatively low number of weekly
active users.
Mighty Party is a Battle Chess game with a
Stickmen theme. This title has the lowest
retention among this set of titles but it ranks
No. 1 by downloads.
Niche IP Offers Possibilities in the Market
U.S. key performance indicators in H1 2021 among niche Card Battler titles
U.S. Market Deep Dive
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Magic: TGA
Mighty Party
Hearthstone
Yu-Gi-Oh!
WWE
Teamfight Tactics
YouTube Unity AdMob Facebook Instagram MoPub Snapchat
20
Forever franchises like Hearthstone, Yu-Gi-Oh
Duel Links, and WWE SuperCard were not very
active in terms of marketing on the main ad
networks during the first half of 2021.
Two games stand out in terms of share of voice
among this set of titles, Mighty Party and Magic:
The Gathering Arena.
Magic: The Gathering Arena ranks No. 1 as the
most active Card Battler game in terms of
user acquisition. Its marketing strategy is
diversified across several major networks
including YouTube, Unity, AdMob, Facebook,
and Instagram. This broad marketing strategy
points to an attempt to profitably scale the
game via user acquisition.
Mighty Party also had a strong presence across
multiple Networks. Such active campaigns are
part of the reason why the game ranked No. 1 for
downloads in the sub-genre during the first half
of 2021.
New Contenders Use More Active Marketing Strategies
Active User Acquisition
across networks
App Store advertising share of voice by network in the U.S. for H1 2021
U.S. Market Deep Dive
Conclusion
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. – All Rights Reserved
Conclusion
22
●The Card Battler sub-genre is relatively small when compared to 4X Strategy
or MOBA. Nevertheless, it has seen strong growth in downloads during the
last two years.
●During the first half of 2021, the U.S. has significantly increased its market
share and now accounts for 27 percent of player spending in the sub-genre.
This represents an increase of 6 percentage points from H1 2020.
●Six out of the top 10 Card Battler genre games generated the majority of
their revenue from Asian markets like Japan and China.
●The top grossing tabletop Card Battler titles in the U.S. leverage popular
existing IPs: Yu-Gi-Oh, Hearthstone (which is built on top of Blizzard’s
Warcraft universe), and Magic: The Gathering Arena.
●While a few forever franchises, such as Hearthstone and Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel
Links, continue to generate significant installs, the first half of 2021 saw the
emergence of a number of new titles in the top downloads chart. This
suggests that the sub-genre has consumers willing to try new concepts.
●The Card Battler sub-genre appears to be a good place for niche titles as
displayed by the success of WWE SuperCard and shows potential for other
IPs in this market.
Conclusion
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