For a game where spending isn’t mandatory, League of Legends sure nets a lot of money. Microtransaction revenue for the MOBA is up from last year, with Riot making $946 million through in-game purchases. It’s getting pretty close to that ridiculous $1 billion figure, which no online game managed to achieve last year.
SuperData Research has published its list of the top 10 online PC games, based on microtransactions, with League of Legends sitting in the number one spot.
The top five are Crossfire, the South Korean F2P shooter; Dungeon Fighter Online, also from South Korea; World of Warcraft, though its subscription wasn’t taken into account; and Wargaming’s World of Tanks.
A significant gulf exists between World of Warcraft and World of Tanks, though. The former has racked up $728 million, while the latter sits at $369 million. And, in the face of declining subscriptions, the massive leap in in-game purchases in World of Warcraft is quite impressive.
League of Legends’ competition, DOTA 2, is left far behind, though still makes the top 10. Don’t feel too sorry for Valve’s MOBA, $136 million is probably going to keep the developers warm at night.
Just as World of Warcraft’s subscriptions haven’t been included, neither have mobile purchases in Hearthstone, which sits at the bottom of the pile.
Cheers, VentureBeat.