InnoGames, the German mobile games company, has celebrated a significant milestone as its game "Forge of Empires" officially crosses the €1 billion ($1.1 billion) mark in lifetime revenue, while boasting an impressive player base of over 130 million globally.

"Forge of Empires," a free-to-play strategy game, has gained its most significant traction in key markets such as the USA, Germany (its home country), and France.

The journey to this accomplishment began with the company surpassing $1 billion in lifetime revenue back in 2019. InnoGames, which has evolved from a modest venture by three individuals to a major player in the gaming industry, initially started as a browser-based strategy game project in 2003, several years prior to its official founding.

Notably, "Forge of Empires" stood out even in 2019, contributing to half of the total revenue and generating $552 million by that point. This game was a pivotal factor driving InnoGames' transition to the mobile platform.

Shifting to the Mobile Sphere

InnoGames has traversed a remarkable journey from its humble beginnings. What commenced as a university project for two brothers and their friend has now matured into a company owned by the Modern Times Group, following several increments in ownership stake.

InnoGames achieved success through its innovative salary transparency initiative last winter, creating 19 new positions within just two months. Pioneering not only in the strategy genre but also in workplace practices, InnoGames became the first German games company to openly disclose salary bands to prospective employees.

Adapting to an ever-evolving industry, InnoGames has embraced a mobile-focused approach, live operations, and consistent content updates. Mobile revenue constituted half of the company's total revenue three years ago, a proportion that has likely expanded even further with "Forge of Empires" nearly doubling its overall revenue since then.

InnoGames' Chief Product Officer, Christian Reshöft, shared insights into their recipe for success: "Our approach involves retaining long-standing players by consistently offering compelling reasons to stay engaged, all the while ensuring that new players find the game enjoyable and accessible. Striking this balance is achievable only by attentively listening to community feedback and continuously delivering fresh content that resonates with players."

He also highlighted their commitment to cross-platform play, allowing gamers to seamlessly switch between browsers and iOS or Android devices, ensuring that "Forge of Empires" remains integrated into their evolving lifestyles and gaming preferences.

As 2022 concluded, the strategy genre experienced a notable surge in popularity, as observed by Azur Games.

Source: Glenda Bull, Events Contributor at PocketGamer