One of the first gaming sub-genres to perform well on mobile was the endless runner, combining the simplicity of the touchscreen with low-intensity, repetitive gameplay. Temple Run and Jetpack Joyride were the first to reach a mass audience, and one year later Subway Surfers launched offering a similar gameplay experience.
What separates Subway Surfers from a lot of these other titles is the lack of sequel or added complexity. Imagi Studios, the team behind Temple Run, launched a second edition with new tricks (and monetization), while Jetpack Joyride 2 added more weapons. We have seen similar efforts by Rovio (Angry Birds) and King (Candy Crush) to build a franchise out of a simple mobile game.
Kiloo, the developer behind Subway Surfers, said early on they had no interest in launching a sequel, as it would split engagement between two games. Their strategy proved right, as while Temple Run, Jetpack Joyride, and others launched sequels that performed poorly in comparison or split the fanbase, Subway Surfers has continued to add more and more users to its player-base.
Another bit of rationale was keeping the game similar to what it was at launch. With the massive success of Subway Surfers within the first year of release, Kiloo and SYBO Games have not made major changes to the game. It also hasn’t been monetized as aggressively as some other titles, especially newer hyper-casual games which have ads every five to ten minutes.
Subway Surfers was the first mobile game to reach one billion downloads on Google Play and the first mobile game to reach four billion downloads across the Google Play and Apple App Store.
We have collected data and statistics on Subway Surfers. Read on below to find out more.
Subway Surfers Key Statistics
- Subway Surfers has made $155 in lifetime revenue, with $55 million of that coming in the last four years
- Subway Surfers had 35 million daily active users and 140 million monthly actives in 2022
- It is one of the few apps to be downloaded over four billion times, and the only mobile game
Subway Surfers Overview
| Title 1 | Title 2 |
|---|---|
| Launch date | May, 2012 |
| HQ | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| People | Mathias Gredal Nørvig, (CEO), Bodie Jahn-Mulliner (founder, president), |
| Business type | Private |
| Industry | Video games |
| Genre | Endless runner |
Subway Surfers Revenue
Subway Surfers has generated $155 million in lifetime revenue since launch. It reached $100 million in 2018.
Subway Surfers cumulative revenue 2018 to 2022 ($mm)
| Year | Revenue ($mm) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 100 |
| 2020 | 120 |
| 2022 | 155 |
Note: This does not include advertising revenue. Sources: AppMagic, Sensor Tower
Subway Surfers Users
Subway Surfers had 35 million daily active users in 2022. That has grown significantly over the past 18 months due to TikTok channels showing Subway Surfers gameplay.
Subway Surfers daily active users 2015 to 2022 (mm)
| Year | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 27 |
| 2020 | 15 |
| 2021 | 20 |
| 2022 | 35 |
Source: Company data, Tencent
Subway Surfers Monthly Active Users
Subway Surfers had 150 million users who played the game once a month. This figure has increased in the past few years, after declining in the late-2010s.
Subway Surfers monthly active users 2014 to 2022 (mm)
| Year | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 140 |
| 2019 | 100 |
| 2022 | 150 |
Sources: Company data, SimonMoller
Subway Surfers Downloads
Subway Surfers has been downloaded more than four billion times since launch, making it the most downloaded mobile game.
Subway Surfers cumulative downloads 2015 to 2023 (bn)
| Year | Downloads (bn) |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2.5 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2023 | 4 |
Source: Company data
Subway Surfers Downloads by Country
Subway Surfers was downloaded over 50 million times in India in 2022.
Subway Surfers downloads by country 2022 (mm)
| Country | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| India | 56 |
| Brazil | 33 |
| United States | 21 |
| Indonesia | 17 |
| Mexico | 12 |
| Vietnam | 11.7 |
| Turkey | 11.4 |
Source: AppMagic
Subway Surfers Platform Demographics
Three quarters of Subway Surfers players use Android, while only 22% play use iOS.
Subway Surfers demographics by mobile platform (%)
| Platform | Market share (%) |
|---|---|
| Android | 75 |
| iOS | 22 |
Source: Company data
Subway Surfers FAQ
Who owns Subway Surfers?
Kiloo and SYBO Games developed and published the game, with Kiloo ending its partnership in 2020. SYBO was acquired by Miniclip in June 2022, which is a subsidiary of Tencent.
When did Subway Surfers come out?
Subway Surfers launched on the 24th May 2012 on iOS, Android, Windows Phone and web.
What platforms is Subway Surfers available on?
Subway Surfers is available on iOS, Android, and the web.
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