Candy Crush Saga led the way for a new generation of mobile games, as one of the first freemium apps to generate over $1 billion revenue.
King, which was already the second largest Facebook gaming publisher in 2012, saw mobile as the next step for freemium games and launched Candy Crush, which was already trending well on Facebook, on November 14, 2012 for iOS.
Candy Crush alone shifted the fortunes of King, with the company reporting a 1084 percent increase in revenue from 2012 to 2013. It competed with Clash of Clans for highest grossing game from 2013 to 2017.
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Download nowOff the back of Candy Crush’s success, King filed for IPO in 2013.
Even though Candy Crush has remained a stable revenue source for King, its monthly active users peaked in 2015. It has launched several spin-offs, including Soda Saga, Jelly Saga and Friends Saga, which have all generated hundreds of millions for the publisher.
In 2016, King was acquired by Activision Blizzard for $5.9 billion.
While Candy Crush is not in the same position it was half a decade ago, it is still one of the highest grossing games. It has a loyal fanbase of over 150 million users who play it more than a once a month, and continues to add levels to the game for returning players.
It has also, for better or worse, been one of the most influential games over the past decade, responsible for many of the decisions of video game publishers since 2015. The freemium model has been exported to every platform.
We have collected data and statistics on Candy Crush Saga. Read on below to find out more.
Candy Crush Key Statistics
- Candy Crush generated $1 billion in 2024, similar to the previous two years
- Candy Crush has made over $10 billion revenue for King since launch
- 180 million people play Candy Crush once a month. MAUs peaked in 2015 with 327 million users
- Across all platforms, Candy Crush has been downloaded more than 3.6 billion times
Candy Crush Overview
| Title 1 | Tiutle 2 |
|---|---|
| Launch date | 12 April 2012 (iOS: 14 November 2012) |
| HQ | Stockholm, Sweden |
| People | Tjodolf Sommestad (President), Phil Spencer (CEO, Microsoft Gaming) |
| Business type | Subsidiary |
| Owner | Microsoft |
| Industry | Mobile games |
Candy Crush Revenue
Candy Crush has reported just over $1 billion revenue for the past three years. It is one of five top grossing games of all time.
Candy Crush revenue 2012 to 2024 ($mm)
| Year | Revenue ($mm) |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 77 |
| 2013 | 230 |
| 2014 | 1130 |
| 2015 | 1293 |
| 2016 | 784 |
| 2017 | 695 |
| 2018 | 930 |
| 2019 | 1117 |
| 2020 | 1190 |
| 2021 | 1211 |
| 2022 | 1009 |
| 2023 | 1042 |
| 2024 | 1088 |
Sources: Company data, Sensor Tower
Candy Crush Users
Candy Crush had 180 million users in 2024. It is difficult to estimate an exact figure, as King only publishes usage for its entire catalog of apps.
Candy Crush users 2013 to 2024 (mm)
| Year | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 287 |
| 2014 | 322 |
| 2015 | 327 |
| 2016 | 303 |
| 2017 | 293 |
| 2018 | 283 |
| 2019 | 272 |
| 2020 | 273 |
| 2021 | 255 |
| 2022 | 210 |
| 2023 | 186 |
| 2024 | 180 |
Sources: Company data
Candy Crush Downloads
Candy Crush has been downloaded over three billion times since launch, making it one of the most popular mobile games ever.
Candy Crush cumulative downloads 2013 to 2024 (mm)
| Year | Downloads (bn) |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 0.5 |
| 2015 | 1.4 |
| 2017 | 2.7 |
| 2022 | 3.4 |
| 2024 | 3.6 |
Source: Company data
Candy Crush FAQ
When did Activision acquire King?
Activision Blizzard acquired King in 2016 for $5.9 billion
How many users play Candy Crush Saga more than three hours?
According to senior executive Alex Daly, more than nine million people play the game for more than three hours daily. This statement was later retracted by King as inaccurate (Metro)
How much revenue does Candy Crush Saga generate daily?
According to Sensor Tower, Candy Crush Saga generated $4.2 million per day in 2018
How many levels are there on Candy Crush Saga?
There are 8,900 levels on the HTML5 version
How many hours have been played on Candy Crush Saga?
Users have spent 73 billion hours on Candy Crush Saga
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