Fate/Grand Order: Nearly a decade of dominating the Japanese gaming market.

This turn-based gacha game has maintained its strong appeal nearly 10 years after its release, solidifying its position as a major player in the Japanese mobile gaming industry.

Fate/Grand Order (FGO) is a free-to-play online role-playing mobile game developed by Lasengle using Unity and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game was first released in Japan on July 29, 2015 for Android and on August 12, 2015 for iOS. Most recently, Aniplex's turn-based RPG celebrated its 9th anniversary this past August. Despite its release in 2015, FGO has maintained strong appeal in the Japanese gaming market. Remarkably, FGO has maintained a stable player base for almost a decade, despite the emergence of many new mobile games with more impressive graphics and engaging gameplay. The average monthly active players (MAU) of FGO in Japan has exceeded 1 million over the past three years.

According to Sensor Tower data, FGO has consistently ranked among the top 10 highest-grossing mobile games in Japan every year from 2015 to the present. Furthermore, from 2016 to 2023, FGO consistently ranked in the top 3, demonstrating its enduring appeal. In the context of the increasingly competitive Japanese mobile gaming market with the emergence of many new titles, FGO's success is even more remarkable. Not only impressive in terms of revenue, FGO has also attracted a large number of loyal players. The average monthly active players (MAU) of FGO in Japan has consistently remained above 1 million for the past three years. This shows that FGO is not just a passing fad but has truly become an indispensable part of the lives of many Japanese gamers.

What makes Fate/Grand Order so appealing to gamers?

What has kept this nearly 10-year-old gacha game thriving in the Japanese market is its vast and captivating storyline. FGO is not just a simple gacha game with turn-based role-playing gameplay, but also a fascinating adventure with a massive storyline, immersing players in a fantasy world where history and mythology intertwine. FGO takes players to various historical periods, from the Trojan War in Greek mythology to the era of the Pharaohs in ancient Egypt, and more. Each chapter of the storyline revolves around a specific historical event, where players will meet and fight alongside famous historical figures such as King Arthur, Saint Joan of Arc, and Achillies. The storyline of FGO is full of mysteries and surprises, keeping players constantly curious to explore further.

The storyline is one of the most important elements that makes Fate/Grand Order so appealing. It's not just a side part of the gameplay, but the soul of the game, captivating players with its thrilling plot, memorable characters, and meaningful messages.

One of the key factors contributing to FGO's success is its unique turn-based strategy gameplay, which requires players to utilize their intelligence and strategic thinking to the fullest. In FGO, players control a team of Servants (heroes from history and mythology) to fight enemies. Each Servant has unique skills and characteristics. Players need to thoroughly understand each Servant, build a suitable team, and choose appropriate strategies to win. FGO's strategic gameplay not only requires players to have control skills but also to be able to observe, analyze, and make accurate strategic decisions. Therefore, FGO is not just an entertaining game but also an exciting challenge for the player's intellect.

Furthermore, each Servant in FGO has their own unique appearance, personality, and story, creating diversity and richness in the game world. The game also allows us to explore the complex relationships between characters, from friendship and love to betrayal and sacrifice. FGO is not just an entertaining story; it also raises questions about the meaning of life and human destiny throughout human history.

The engaging tactical gameplay, deep storyline, and unique character design are some of the key elements that make Fate/Grand Order so appealing and different from other gacha games. This has contributed to attracting and retaining a large player base for nearly a decade.

Challenges in the New Era

FGO, Aniplex's veteran gacha game, has enjoyed nearly a decade of resounding success. However, the mobile gaming market is constantly changing at a dizzying pace, and FGO is no exception, facing fierce competition from prominent newcomers like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail from miHoYo. Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail are two next-generation gacha games that have received significant investment in graphics, gameplay, and content. With vast open worlds, compelling storylines, and diverse characters, these two games quickly attracted a large number of players worldwide, becoming phenomena in the gacha gaming world.

Despite facing strong competition from rivals, FGO has proven its enduring appeal in the Japanese market. According to Sensor Tower data, FGO has maintained a stable monthly active player base and high revenue for many years.

According to Sensor Tower statistics, the top five mobile games by revenue in Japan in Q2 2024 were Monster Strike (MIXI), Puzzle & Dragons (GungHo Online Entertainment), Mushroom Legend (Joy Net Games), and Fate Grand/Order in fifth place. Looking at the player retention rates of these five games in Japan, FGO's player retention rate was the most outstanding.

Specifically, according to Sensor Tower statistics, FGO's player retention rate is over 30% after 30 days and remains above 25% after 90 days. This shows that once players start playing FGO, they tend to continue playing for a long time. Compared to other popular games in Japan such as Monster Strike, Puzzle & Dragons, or Honkai: Star Rail, FGO remains the undisputed leader in player retention.

Not only does FGO retain players for the long term, but it also successfully maintains a high level of engagement. Data from Sensor Tower shows that FGO's average weekly playtime is slightly higher than 'Honkai: Star Rail', and its average weekly playtime is higher than 'Puzzle & Dragons' and 'Monster Strike'. However, the number of days played per month for these games is comparable.

High player retention rates and strong engagement are key factors contributing to Fate/Grand Order's sustained success in the Japanese mobile gaming market.

Despite maintaining a loyal player base, FGO cannot ignore the challenges posed by newer gacha games. The game's gameplay system is quite outdated; while turn-based combat might appeal to some players, it can also bore new players, especially in a market currently flooded with fast-paced and intense action games.

FGO's gacha mechanism has a relatively low chance of yielding the desired character, at only 0.8%. This requires players to invest significant time, effort, and money to acquire their favorite character. The game's insurance mechanism is also not very appealing, requiring players to spin 330 times to guarantee a desired character. The game's interface, designed a long time ago, hasn't received many significant updates. Compared to newer gacha games with modern and user-friendly interfaces, FGO's interface may be difficult and unappealing for new players.

Therefore, a strong storyline alone is not enough for FGO to continue its future success. Without significant changes to gameplay, interface, and gacha mechanics, FGO risks being left behind in the fierce competition of the gacha game market.

FGO has already become a giant in the gacha game genre. However, to continue its success in the future, FGO needs to adapt to market changes and listen to player feedback. Currently, FGO has international versions and is released in many countries. You can download the game on Google Play (Android) and the App Store (iOS).