Fire Emblem Heroes Nintendo’s First $1 Billion App Game

Fire Emblem Heroes

As the world’s largest video game company by revenue, it’s fair to say that Nintendo has more than its fair share of gold coins. But there’s a reason their hoard is so vast, and it’s thanks to titles like Fire Emblem Heroes – the first Nintendo app game to break a cool $1 billion in revenue.

Of course, that’s not to say that Nintendo’s free-to-play app game is breaking any records beyond personal ones. Making billions in revenue is business as usual for titles like PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact. Even Pokémon Go, a collaborative app game between Nintendo and Niantic, recently broke the $6 billion total revenue mark.

But Nintendo can still chalk up the milestone as a huge win for a game that was released in 2017. There aren’t many Nintendo app games on the mobile market, with the Nintendo Switch arguably dominating its own corner of portable gaming. But Fire Emblem Heroes has been Nintendo’s biggest app game cash cow since as far back as January 2020, when it grossed $656 million worldwide.

As just one of many games in the expansive Fire Emblem series, Fire Emblem Heroes is a tactical RPG that sees players battling enemies in turn-based combat on a 6×8 grid map with teams of four heroes. These heroes each have unique traits that determine where they can move and their effectiveness against certain enemies. Think of it like chess if you replaced the intellectual aspect with some chaotic anime vibes.

Players acquire different heroes through gacha mechanics, with orbs (the game’s currency) which can be obtained through gameplay or via in-app purchases in the cash shop. These purchases can net players heroes or various other quality of life items.

Needless to say, the lucrative gacha model has a lot to do with Nintendo’s latest achievement and might influence the development of future Nintendo app games. Depending on how Disney Mirrorverse performs, for instance, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a future hero-based RPG centred around the illustrious cast of characters from the Mario franchise.

For now though, we expect Nintendo to double down on their Fire Emblem app game with a slew of new updates or perhaps even a sequel on the horizon.