TT Show Episode 59 - Ryzen 9800X3D Review, the new gaming CPU champ

Top 10 premium games of 2018 in revenue

PUBG takes top spot, Rockstar has two games in top 5.

Comment IconFacebook IconX IconReddit Icon
Senior Gaming Editor
Published
Updated
1 minute & 15 seconds read time

Led by big names like PUBG, GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2, the premium gaming market earned $17.9 billion in 2018.

Top 10 premium games of 2018 in revenue 1141414

Although the free-to-play segment utterly dominated 2018's gaming revenues thanks to Asia's massive playerbase spending, the latest report from SuperData illustrates how different regions favor different types of games. Premium games, that is games that are buy-to-play sold digitally and in retail, dominate the North American and European markets, serving as a sharp contrast to the F2P-led regions.

Buy-to-play games across PC and console made $17.9 billion in 2018, up 10% year-over-year but only accounting for just 16.3% of the total $109.8 billion in digital revenues.

Top 10 premium games of 2018 in revenue 632

Despite Fortnite's astronomical $2.4 billion success, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds beat out all other major premium games of 2018 with over $1 billion in revenues and reigns on the top 10 chart. FIFA 18 sits at number two, whereas GTA V, a game released in 2013, is at number three, followed closely by Black Ops 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2.

What's also interesting is that PC games are on the rise in Europe. Typically console games make more money than PC games because of a wider install base, but this trend is changing, at least overseas. With $3.2 billion earned, premium PC games made up 45% of total revenues in Europe, compared to $1.6 billion or just 22% in North America.

Consoles still reign in North America (and in Europe, but not by as much) with $5.6 billion or 77% of total earnings. Asia only spent $1.6 billion on the premium gaming market.

Newsletter Subscription

Join the daily TweakTown Newsletter for a special insider look into new content and what is happening behind the scenes.

Senior Gaming Editor

Email IconX IconLinkedIn Icon

Derek joined the TweakTown team in 2015 and has since reviewed and played 1000s of hours of new games. Derek is absorbed with the intersection of technology and gaming, and is always looking forward to new advancements. With over six years in games journalism under his belt, Derek aims to further engage the gaming sector while taking a peek under the tech that powers it. He hopes to one day explore the stars in No Man's Sky with the magic of VR.

Related Topics

Newsletter Subscription