The King has been dethroned. Following Pokémon Go‘s meteoric rise to the top of app charts everywhere, developer Niantic has officially supplanted King as the top games publisher in 45 countries, which is to say, globally.
As per new research from SimilarWeb based on install and usage rates of game apps on Android devices across 183 countries, Niantic was named the top game app developer in nearly a quarter of surveyed nations last month. While King is responsible for games like Candy Crush Saga and Farm Heroes Saga, it was unable to withstand the crushing popularity of Pokémon Go. As of July, King developed the top games in only 39 countries, a significant decline from their previous control over 60 countries. Now, Niantic is the top dog in the game markets of all North America and much of Europe. King, on the other hand, maintains its standing in countries like India, Venezuela, Ethiopia, and Malaysia.
In a distant third place comes Outfit7, which is responsible for games like My Talking Tom. This developer’s apps were most popular in 3o countries, most of which are in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Game developer Kiloo claims fourth place, and is responsible for games that are largely popular in Africa, like Subway Surfers and Smash Champs.
Due to Pokémon Go’s success, SimilarWeb suggests, Niantic could be worth some $10 billion — enough for a few lifetime’s supply of Pokécoins. And given that Pokémon Go is still unavailable in major markets like China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Russia, there’s still plenty of growth opportunity left for Niantic.
It’s estimated that in its first month of activity alone, Pokémon Go earned an impressive $200 million, and Apple is also slated to make an incredible $3 billion from the game. So keep at it, Niantic. Your future is really looking brighter than ever, and it’s all thanks to a favorite childhood game.
