TheCrash Bandicootseries began as a 3D platformer created by Naughty Dog in 1996 that went toe-to-toe with Nintendo’sSuper Mario 64. It has seen a big resurgence as of late thanks to a number of developers under Activision creating theCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy,Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, andCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, and the mobile gameCrash Bandicoot: On the Runcapitalized on that resurgence when it launched March 25.
This mobile game has thus far been a big success for developer King, best known forCandy Crush Saga.Crash Bandicoot: On the Runreported over eight million downloadsshortly after it released, and it made nearly $700,000 USD based on consumer spending in its first week according to smartphone app market analyst Sensor Tower.
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Sensor Tower released its Q1 2021 Data Digest report on April 15, and one of its three major “Stories of the Quarter” was a breakdown ofCrash Bandicoot: On the Run. Over 23 million players installed the game total in its first week, according to Sensor Tower, making theCrash Bandicootspin-off King’s most successful launch based on downloads since 2016. Despite releasing near the end of the quarter, it became the top new game in the United States by nearly double the amount of installs seen by runner-upJelly Dye,released by Good Job Games on January 8.
Eight of the 10 titles on the “Top New Games in the U.S.” list were considered “hypercasual,” such asJelly Dyebeing a painting game, helpingCrash Bandicoot: On the Runstand out further given its success. Compared to other games in the Platformer/Runner genre,Crash Bandicoottopped a list of downloads including titles likeSubway Surfers,Super Mario Run,Temple Run, andMinion Rushfor the period between January 1 and June 27, 2025.
Activision Blizzard saw its best-performing quarter in terms of downloads sinceCall of Duty: Mobilelaunched in Q4 2019 because ofCrash Bandicoot: On the Run, according to Sensor Tower. The nearly $700,000 it made in just one week is impressive, though still pales in comparison to the success of the mobile first-person shooter.Call of Duty: Mobilemade $480 million USD in its first year, based on data published by Sensor Tower last October.
Crash Bandicoot: On the Runwill be a “key title” to watch going forward based on its success, according to the Data Digest report, but it certainly isn’t the only smartphone title making an impact. Last month, the analyst revealedGenshin Impactbecame the fastest mobile game to make $1 billion. With additional stories focusing on the rise of investment and cryptocurrency apps, as well as an increase in the use of secure messenger apps, the report should offer a lot for those interested in diving into mobile technology.
Crash Bandicoot: On the Runis available now on Android and iOS devices.
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