Supercell rolled out a major update to Squad Busters on August 14, which added new cosmetics monetisation, a new season of content and removed some pay to win mechanics.
So how is that working out? Well, according to Appmagic estimates, the new update boosted daily revenue over the $400k mark for the first time since July 20. Daily revenue had been in steady decline, and hit a low of $160k on August 7. But Squad Busters is now back to earning over $400k during weekend peaks, and around $250k midweek.
In terms of Supercell’s portfolio, it was tracking behind Hay Day and Clash Royale by daily revenue before the update, but has now caught up.
We asked GameRefinery’s chief game analyst Teemu Palomäki explain these changes to the economy. First, there’s the addition of cosmetic currency Style Tickets, which are obtainable through the Battle Pass or by completing specific tasks.
“Several new and exclusive cosmetics are tied to these Style Tickets, but even after purchasing the Battle Pass, gathering enough tickets to actually acquire these items is really challenging,” he said.
“By purchasing and completing the Battle Pass, players only get around 600 Style Tickets, which is just enough to purchase one cosmetic skin. It’s a strange move, as the game offers up a new skin daily, which most players won’t be able to afford.”
Palomäki also talked us through the removal of the game’s Mega units and Consumable keys, considered to be the game’s most overt ‘play to win’ elements. “While Supercell attempted to balance these with mechanics like cooldown timers and random elements, the advantages they provided were simply too strong and caused frustration,” he said.
“Matches now feel much more balanced, with all players having an equal chance of ranking high in each game. Players who had purchased a Mega unit were compensated with coins and skins to make up for their removal from the game, which felt adequate, although I could see this upsetting some of the game’s bigger spenders who may feel shortchanged.”
“Overall, Squad Busters plays much better now, and the game feels more responsive,” Palomäki continued. “More and more players are now managing to stay alive until the end of a match, which makes those last few moments a real fight for survival.”
These changes may have helped Supercell generate more revenue from its existing playerbase, but it is not helping player retention overall, according to Appmagic’s DAU estimates. As you can see above, DAU continues to decline, and currently sits at around the 500k mark.
Daily downloads are also surprisingly low, according to Appmagic estimates, having dipped below 50k last week, and fell to 45k per day over this past weekend.
In the context of the Supercell portfolio, that puts it solidly in fifth place in terms of attracting new players, and above only legacy title Boom Beach, which averages around 3k daily installs. Hay Day generates around 60k installs per day, with Clash Royale on around 80k, Clash of Clans at ~100k and current star performer Brawl Stars on around 260k.
Looking ahead, GameRefinery’s Palomäki says Supercell needs to look at tweaking game progression and ramping up content output overall if the game is to continue the momentum it has after the latest update. “Since its launch, Squad Busters has introduced several new areas into the game, initially made available to all players through a one-week trial. It’s an excellent idea as it means everyone gets to experience the latest and most exciting content,” he said.
“However, there is a drawback in that, after the trial period is over, the new area becomes locked off to endgame players, leading to a severe drop in performance. For example, if you want to explore the latest new area Lava World, you must be at Squad Journey Level 120, which will be a massive feat for most players. According to my player stats, I’ve completed over 800 matches and made several in-game purchases, yet I’m only at Level 105.”
“If you compare this with Brawl Stars, new game modes are rolled out to players fairly quickly, with everyone given full access to fresh content shortly after downloading the game,” Palomäki added. “I’d be surprised if Squad Busters doesn’t overhaul its approach and take a similar route to unlocking areas and characters within the next six months.”
