Fortnite's mobile version earned more than PUBG with half the downloads

PUBG mobile may be surpassing Fortnite mobile in downloads, but it still hasn't caught up in revenue.

Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds are the biggest competitors in Battle Royale across all systems, and mobile platforms are no exception. Both games released smartphone editions earlier this year, and after a few months some interesting trends are taking shape.

According to a new report from Bloomberg (via GamesIndustry.biz), PUBG for Android and iOS peaked at 23.3 million downloads in its early weeks. Fortnite for iOS was downloaded at a 3.4 million peak by comparison.

That said, Fortnite is absolutely raking in cash. In the iOS version's first 11 weeks, it gained $92 million in revenue. In the same period, PUBG mobile gathered $19 million.

What's behind these numbers? The biggest difference is Fortnite is still waiting on an Android launch, which would likely balance or surpass PUBG's download figures. This means Epic Games was probably smart to focus on higher-paying iOS markets first, even if the company missed out on overall downloads.

It also implies that if PUBG can't monetize a bigger Android customer base, catching up will be an uphill battle - but not necessarily an impossible one.

"At present, we estimate that PUBG mobile is now earning more than $700,000 per day in player spending across both stores worldwide and has grossed more than $16 million to date," Randy Nelson, head of mobile insights at Sensor Tower explained. "As players of the game are aware, Tencent appears to be continuing to fine-tune its monetisation strategy, adding items such as weapon skins, player emotes, and more. We'll be continuing to watch its development closely and offer more insights as they emerge."

Among other interesting details, two thirds of Fortnite's revenue comes from North American customers, but is weaker in Asian markets. Meanwhile, a third of PUBG's revenue comes from both regions. The full report can be read here.