How Brawl Stars 6X'ed daily revenue ft. 2.5 Gamers + Ken Landen
Feb 6, 2024
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GameMakers features Matej Lancaric and Jakub Reimar from 2.5 Gamers and Ken Landen, former PM at Kongregate, Scopely, Blizzard, and Hit Factor. They discuss the rise in downloads and daily revenue of Supercell's Brawl Stars, highlighting the influence of influencers, the difference between micro and macro in gaming, Brawl Stars progression and gameplay, incentivizing engagement and spending, event structure and quest cadence, advertising channels, low user acquisition efforts, and the future of Brawl Stars.
Structural changes in live ops and the impact of influencers drive Brawl Stars' recent growth.
Improvements in gameplay, including accessible core loop and new monetization strategies, contribute to revenue growth.
Increased generosity with in-game currency and introduction of new purchase mechanics enhance player experience and unlock additional content in Brawl Stars.
Deep dives
Game Performance and Recent Spike
Brawl Stars has experienced a recent surge in numbers, unlike anything seen since 2020-2021. The game's performance started declining in 2022-2023, but this recent spike has caught everyone's attention. The podcast explores this unexpected boost in detail and discusses the game's long-standing success.
Changes in Live Ops and Structural Shifts
Supercell has announced plans to structurally change live ops, which is surprising for a game that has been around for a long time like Brawl Stars. The discussion delves into the implications of these changes and how they might be connected to the recent growth of the game. The podcast also touches upon the impact of influencers and their role in driving user acquisition.
Gameplay and Monetization Improvements
The podcast identifies improvements in Brawl Stars' gameplay, including its accessible core loop and a variety of game modes that keep the experience fresh. The hosts also discuss new monetization strategies, such as the Brawl Pass and hyper charges, which have contributed to revenue growth. They explore the importance of optimized offers, personalized advertisements, and enhancing the event structure to drive further growth.
Increased Currency for Free-to-Play Players
The podcast episode discusses how the game has become more generous in terms of in-game currency for free-to-play players. There are now more opportunities to earn free currency, including gems, which were not previously available. Overall, there has been a 10 to 15% increase in currency for free-to-play players.
New Monetization Strategies and Purchase Mechanics
The podcast episode highlights the introduction of new monetization strategies and purchase mechanics in the game. One of these is the addition of hypercharges, which provides players with a power progression layer that requires in-game currency to unlock. Additionally, there are new tiered purchase options that offer a combination of free unlocks and gem purchases. These changes aim to provide players with appealing offers and unlock additional content.