Fate Grand Order drives $1.8 billion revenue for Sony-owned Aniplex
Mobile RPG's global rollout helped double revenue in the last fiscal year
The Sony-owned entertainment company Aniplex made $1.8 billion in revenue last year, with the mobile RPG Fate Grand Order the driving force behind its financial performance.
Aniplex is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, but it is the publisher of Delightworks' popular free-to-play RPG both in Japan and other territories worldwide. Fate Grand Order launched in Japan in 2015, and started its global rollout in June last year.
This is central to the growth shown in figures released by the Japanese government's Official Gazette, sourced by Dr Serkan Toto, an expert on the Japanese games industry.
In the year ended March 31, 2018, Aniplex earned $1.8 billion in revenue, with $312 million net profit. Fate Grand Order's launch in North America, China, Korea and SE Asia happened during this period.
In the previous fiscal year, when Fate Grand Order available and earning plenty of revenue in Japan, Aniplex earned $934 million in revenue and $220 million in profit. The official figures do not disclose how much much of that money was made by Fate Grand Order, but Toto pegs it as the primary driver of both income and growth.
Data from Apptopia indicated that Fate Grand Order was the third highest-earning mobile app of 2017.