Supercell’s seventh global game launch is unconventional however you look at it.
Monster hunting game Mo Co was surprise-launched on iOS and Android worldwide on March 18, during GDC. And it remains invite-only: you need to apply for full access to the game through its website – though anecdotally these invites are being given out pretty freely.
Since launch on March 18, Appmagic data suggests it has racked up over 2.3m downloads, and Supercell has earned a fraction over $1m from the title. Total player spend to date will be well clear of $1m, as Appmagic estimates do not include Apple and Google’s 30% IAP cut, and are based on developer payout.
Revenue by market is very western – 30% of the IAPs to date came from the US, says Appmagic, with Germany and France on 12% and 11% respectively. Typically higher spending markets like South Korea and Japan are way down in the mix, and the game has not launched in China.
As above, fellow tracking service Appfigures has also been tracking the game’s performance. It suggests a slightly lower developer earnings figure to date – around $800k – but again the data does not account for Apple and Google’s 30% cut of all IAPs, so total player spend will have passed $1m already. Appfigures also estimates a total download figure of 2.2m, with 1.4m of those on Android and the remaining 800k on iOS.
Like several other commentators, Appfigures boss Ariel Michaeli has also highlighted some concerns over the game’s monetisation. “You can’t pay to win in Mo Co,” he notes in its latest newsletter. “Instead, the in-app purchases the game provides are for customization. Many users love and praise this approach for being more fair and making the game more enjoyable. But, this approach gives less incentive to spend money. At least to the very casual users.”
Similar concerns over the game’s monetisation are being noted by other industry watchers. Product consultant and part of Two and a Half Gamers Jakub Remiar notes that while the influencer marketing around the game has been clever and the game’s production values are excellent, “churn will hit very fast” as it is currently missing “itemization and endgame features” required to be a long-term success.
“Monetization wise it’s very heavy on cosmetics and you can’t buy power,” Remiar said on LinkedIn. “There are just two season passes – a base and elite one, that will give you a little bit more gacha boxes, but that’s it. This is probably the reason why there is low revenue on so many downloads.”
Sensor Tower’s Sam Aune said on LinkedIn that Mo Co “lacks the character/equipment gacha systems that power most mobile RPG monetization”, and as a result revenue is “not exactly inspiring for a mid-core mobile game”.
“Building up and retaining a huge player base, then optimize monetization is a plan that could work for them,” Aune continued. “but the narrower audience Mo Co is targeting is an obstacle to step one in that plan.”
Longtime product consultant and advisor Antti Kananen also noted the neat execution of the invite-only launch and described the game as “an accessible blend of ARPG and MMO mechanics, with a hint of Extraction-style objectives.”
But he also notes potential issues with the game’s progression systems, which he describes as “functional but light”, and a slight mismatch between the game’s art style, which skews slightly younger, and the type of player who typically plays – and spends – in midcore games like this.
“Can MMO / ARPG be made too streamlined? I believe the answer is: Yes, it unfortunately can,” Kananen wrote on Substack. And later, on the game’s monetisation, he adds:
“I think Mo Co will have hard time in its early stages to find ways to monetize the same way as Supercell’s other games do, as now definitely you feel immediately how light the monetization layer of the whole game and economy is.”
Will Supercell change its approach as Mo Co picks up more players? It doesn’t seem that way – a note on the product page says that the firm has “chosen to remove all pay-to-win features” and will instead “focus only on selling cosmetics”.
