[Report] Action & Strategy Games Deep Dive Analysis
Sensor Tower releases an analysis report on action and strategy games, noting that while Steam leads in growth, mobile publishers are shifting focus toward monetizing existing users as RPG revenues decline.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 15:49
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 07:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 04:42 (21h 11m after Collected)
Action & Strategy continues to be a crucial genre in the gaming industry, dominating downloads and revenue on PC/consoles and accounting for more than half of mobile IAP revenue. Publishers are prioritizing social play and high-value engagement wherever possible. This 'Action & Strategy Games Deep Dive Analysis' report explains how indie co-op titles have climbed to the top, and how mobile 4X strategy is experiencing a downward trend.
Download the full report for free
Here are three key takeaways highlighted from the report.
Steam Leads Growth, Mobile Focuses on Monetization
Action and strategy titles on Steam have shown significant year-over-year growth in both downloads and revenue, proving that there is still massive demand for premium games. Hit titles such as 'Battlefield 6', 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33', and 'ARC Raiders' demonstrate that technically ambitious experiences that cannot be realized on mobile can be delivered on PC/consoles.
On the mobile side, downloads continue to decline, but revenue is trending upwards. This strategic shift appears to be intentional. Rather than solely chasing new installations, publishers are focusing on their existing players, emphasizing engagement and monetization from their core player base instead of chasing volume.
Mobile Action & RPG Decline in Contrast to PC/Console
While Action & RPG perform well on PC/consoles, mobile RPGs face a harsher reality. Revenue in this genre has declined for four consecutive years, and the outlook for 2026 is not very positive. Mobile Action had a few bright spots in 2024. Fueled by the massive comeback of 'Brawl Stars' and the release of 'Dungeon Fighter Mobile', it recorded a 78% growth spike. However, this momentum did not last, resulting in a 30% decline in 2025.
It is becoming clear that the traditional gacha model, which kept RPGs at the top of the mobile charts until 2023, is finally losing its steam. Although the action category still sees occasional explosive hits, the industry as a whole is struggling to find a replicable growth strategy. Nevertheless, these genres have immense potential to adopt the tactics that made 4X strategy successful, leaving ample room for a pivot.
'Slay the Spire 2' Exceeds Deck-Builder Expectations
In just three months post-release, 'Slay the Spire 2' generated Steam revenue nearly equivalent to what the entire deck-builder genre earned throughout 2025. Other deck-builders also maintained 26% of the overall category revenue, proving that the success of 'Slay the Spire 2' did not cannibalize the rest of the genre.
The game has transcended the deck-builder genre, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with major PC titles. In the first quarter of 2026, only 'BIOHAZARD requiem' sold more units or generated more premium revenue on Steam.
Detailed information is available on our website:
https://sensortower.com/ja/blog/gaming-deep-dive-action-and-strategy-JP
Download the full report for free
Introduction to Sensor Tower
Founded in San Francisco in 2013, Sensor Tower is a company that provides data and analytics environments for mobile apps/games. Trusted by global digital enterprises such as P&G, Tencent, and HBO, it provides high-quality insights and advanced customer support in all mobile scenarios as a digital analytics platform, utilizing App Performance Insights to grasp mobile market trends and App Advertising Insights to optimize advertising strategies.
Our Japan office relocated to Kanda, Tokyo in 2025, strengthening our business in Japan, and the number of partner companies is rapidly increasing. We intend to further enhance customer support while increasing our staff.
Currently, we are also ramping up staff recruitment. For details on open positions, please check our recruiting information.
Senso
Download the full report for free
Here are three key takeaways highlighted from the report.
Steam Leads Growth, Mobile Focuses on Monetization
Action and strategy titles on Steam have shown significant year-over-year growth in both downloads and revenue, proving that there is still massive demand for premium games. Hit titles such as 'Battlefield 6', 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33', and 'ARC Raiders' demonstrate that technically ambitious experiences that cannot be realized on mobile can be delivered on PC/consoles.
On the mobile side, downloads continue to decline, but revenue is trending upwards. This strategic shift appears to be intentional. Rather than solely chasing new installations, publishers are focusing on their existing players, emphasizing engagement and monetization from their core player base instead of chasing volume.
Mobile Action & RPG Decline in Contrast to PC/Console
While Action & RPG perform well on PC/consoles, mobile RPGs face a harsher reality. Revenue in this genre has declined for four consecutive years, and the outlook for 2026 is not very positive. Mobile Action had a few bright spots in 2024. Fueled by the massive comeback of 'Brawl Stars' and the release of 'Dungeon Fighter Mobile', it recorded a 78% growth spike. However, this momentum did not last, resulting in a 30% decline in 2025.
It is becoming clear that the traditional gacha model, which kept RPGs at the top of the mobile charts until 2023, is finally losing its steam. Although the action category still sees occasional explosive hits, the industry as a whole is struggling to find a replicable growth strategy. Nevertheless, these genres have immense potential to adopt the tactics that made 4X strategy successful, leaving ample room for a pivot.
'Slay the Spire 2' Exceeds Deck-Builder Expectations
In just three months post-release, 'Slay the Spire 2' generated Steam revenue nearly equivalent to what the entire deck-builder genre earned throughout 2025. Other deck-builders also maintained 26% of the overall category revenue, proving that the success of 'Slay the Spire 2' did not cannibalize the rest of the genre.
The game has transcended the deck-builder genre, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with major PC titles. In the first quarter of 2026, only 'BIOHAZARD requiem' sold more units or generated more premium revenue on Steam.
Detailed information is available on our website:
https://sensortower.com/ja/blog/gaming-deep-dive-action-and-strategy-JP
Download the full report for free
Introduction to Sensor Tower
Founded in San Francisco in 2013, Sensor Tower is a company that provides data and analytics environments for mobile apps/games. Trusted by global digital enterprises such as P&G, Tencent, and HBO, it provides high-quality insights and advanced customer support in all mobile scenarios as a digital analytics platform, utilizing App Performance Insights to grasp mobile market trends and App Advertising Insights to optimize advertising strategies.
Our Japan office relocated to Kanda, Tokyo in 2025, strengthening our business in Japan, and the number of partner companies is rapidly increasing. We intend to further enhance customer support while increasing our staff.
Currently, we are also ramping up staff recruitment. For details on open positions, please check our recruiting information.
Senso