South Korea’s mobile gaming market contracted sharply in the first half of 2025, with revenue dropping 13% to $2.4 billion (3.3 trillion won) from $2.77 billion in the same period last year, according to market research firm Sensor Tower.
The decline reflects broader challenges facing the sector, with total app downloads falling to 222 million from 245 million year-over-year. Platform dynamics shifted modestly, as iOS captured a larger share at 26.4% compared to 24.1% previously, while Android’s dominance slipped to 73.6% from 75.9%.
Despite the overall contraction, domestic publishers achieved notable success with new titles. Three South Korean games released in the first half ranked in the top 10 revenue earners: Seven Knights Re:BIRTH from Netmarble placed fourth, followed by Nexon’s Mabinogi Mobile in fifth and Netmarble’s RF Online Next in sixth position.
The achievement marks the first time since Sensor Tower began tracking the market in 2014 that three newly released domestic titles simultaneously entered the top 10 in either half of the year. NCSoft maintained its market leadership with Lineage M securing the top revenue spot.
The revenue decline underscores intensifying competition in the global mobile gaming landscape, where South Korean developers face pressure from Chinese titles that captured second and third places in the rankings. Market leader NCSoft, along with Netmarble and Nexon, retained the top three publisher positions by revenue, though the overall market pullback suggests challenges ahead for sustained growth.
