Free Fire overtakes PUBG Mobile as the highest-earning mobile battle royale in the US in 2021

Top-performing battle royales such as PUBG Mobile and Garena Free Fire have been at the top of the food chain when it comes to mobile gaming.

Competition between the titles has always been neck and neck, with each trying to oust the other by setting new records.The reach of mobile gaming and esports is touching new heights with each passing day. With 2020 being the breakout year for mobile gaming in terms of numbers and revenue, 2021 so far has provided good signs as well.

PUBG MOBILE has officially connected 1 billion people across the globe! 🙉🌎 Where in the world are your teammates? 🗺️✈️👫 #PUBGM1Billion pic.twitter.com/fe83KOWP6U

— PUBG MOBILE (@PUBGMOBILE) March 25, 2021

Free Fire finally trumps PUBG Mobile

According to the latest Sensor Tower report for the first quarter of 2021, Free Fire has surpassed PUBG Mobile as the highest-earning battle royale in the United States of America.

Top Grossing Mobile games in U.S for Q1,2021

Free Fire generated a total revenue of $100 million in the first quarter of 2021 - a jump of 4.5 percent from the revenue earned in Q1 of 2020. This is only the second time Free Fire gained more revenue than PUBG Mobile in a quarter, ever.

Survivors! We have sorted out your Holi party song! 🥳 Head to the link to check out the Music Video now!!- https://t.co/SKOLbbrQZj 🤩#DNAMeinDance #UnleashYourTrueColours #FreeFireHoli #IndiaKaBattleRoyale pic.twitter.com/kBoJsuWFGQ

— Free Fire India Official (@IndiaFreeFire) March 28, 2021

PUBG Mobile accumulated a total of $68 million in player spending worldwide, while another popular battle royale-cum-FP Shooter, COD Mobile by Activision, sat at the third spot $62 million.

Zooba and Bullet Echo, fourth and fifth in terms of overall revenue in the USA, also did well, with $4 million and $1 million respectively. However, their earnings seem minuscule in front of the battle royale and FP giants.

The success of PUBG Mobile and Free Fire in the States can be attributed to the removal of another popular title, Fortnite by Epic Games, from the Play Store and the App Store. The title had generated a total of $43.6 million in the first quarter of 2020.

Top Grossing Mobile Battle Royale Shooters worldwide in Q1,2021

However, PUBG Mobile continued its domination over the global market, racking in revenue of a whopping $744 million - a 3.2 percent increase from Q1 of 2020. Garena Free Fire was in second place in the global list of revenue, generating a total of $255 million with an increase of 80.8 percent. COD Mobile was in third place in the list, gaining a total revenue of $182 million worldwide in Q1 of 2021.

With this amount of growth, it will be interesting to see if any of these titles will be able to hit the $1 billion a quarter mark in the coming months. With Garena and Krafton announcing their new titles for 2021, it will also be intriguing to see how much traction they generate upon launch.