Nintendo’s mobile division has long been held up by Fire Emblem Heroes. Released way back in 2017, the gacha-strategy game was a huge part of the series’ renaissance.
Fast-forward five years and Fire Emblem Heroes is still the tentpole money-maker for Nintendo Mobile. Even better, it’s just smashed a long-time goal for the company.
How much money has Fire Emblem Heroes made?
According to a report from games analyst firm Sensor Tower, the mobile strategy game has successfully raked in over $1 billion in total revenue. In its five-year lifespan, the mobile game has managed to make substantially more profit than any of Nintendo’s other mobile games.
For example, the closest Nintendo mobile game in terms of revenue is Mario Kart Tour. Released two years later in 2019, the kart racer has raked in $282 million, a distant second place. This spot is tied with Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.
In a very poor last place, Nintendo’s Dr. Mario game has still failed to make much money at all at just $14 million. The cute puzzle game launched in July, 2019. However, abysmal sales led it to be closed just last year.
Unsurprisingly, Fire Emblem Heroes has made most of its money out of Japan. Over its five-year life, 54% of player purchases have come from Japan with 32.4% coming out of the United States. Revenue split between platforms is a rough 50/50 between iOS and Android.
It’s clear that the internet’s adoration of Fire Emblem is still burning. Not only is the game still raking in money, but it’s also still receiving frequent updates with new storylines and characters.
How has it made so much?
Of course, this is a reason as to why Fire Emblem is so far ahead of other Nintendo games in terms of revenue. Not only has Fire Emblem been a hot property for the past five years, but Heroes has benefited from expert monetisation.
While the gacha system will always be a little pay-to-win, Fire Emblem Heroes is one of the most relaxing and balanced gacha games on the market. Despite this, developer Intelligent Systems has still managed to monetise the game in two ways.
For starters, there’s the typical premium currency to quickly buy more character pulls, but there’s also a subscription. For $9.50/£10, subscribers are able to receive “five special benefits”. Some would see that as a steal.