The classic online multiplayer betrayal game Among Us just reached over 500 million lifetime downloads on mobile as of March 7, according to a report by data.ai.
Although the game first launched in June 2018, it really exploded in popularity near the end of 2020, likely heavily assisted by people looking to connect with each other during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“By combining multiplayer gameplay—typically leveraged and popularized by core game genres like battle royale—with hypercasual elements of arcade games, Among Us has garnered a large and heavily engaged audience,” said Lexi Sydow, Head of Insights at data.ai.
The game, which is also available on consoles and PC, rocketed in popularity in large part thanks to many popular streamers playing together in hectic and sometimes loud online lobbies.
“Its deeply customizable gameplay settings help keep the game fresh and enable users to adjust settings to best-fit gamer preferences — strategic elements that help to bolster retention,” said Sydow. “These unique gameplay strategies continue to garner success for Among Us as the game also ranked number one by monthly active users worldwide in the first two months of 2023 in the Mafia/Betrayal subgenre.”
While most creators have moved on from streaming and creating VOD content from Among Us, the game still has a solid player base, according to the report. In 2023, most downloads are coming from the United States, Brazil, India, Mexico, and Russia.
“It’s clear Among Us filled a very particular yet necessary niche at a time when interacting with others in real life potentially posed danger more real than anything in the game,” the report said. “In the process, it attracted a loyal audience who continues to play it on mobile to this day—and have helped push it past this truly impressive milestone.”
Among Us has generated $91.7 million in consumer spending since launch.
