📈 Royal Match's $219 Battle Pass Secret: Cracking the Premium Pass Formula

A deep dive into how a casual game transformed core gaming's favorite monetization feature into a $200M+ success story

Hello GameMakers,

While battle passes have become a cornerstone of monetization in core games like Fortnite and PUBG, they've historically struggled to gain traction in casual titles—but Royal Match cracked the code.

In this deep dive, we'll deconstruct how Royal Match transformed the battle pass system for casual players, turning a traditionally core gaming feature into a $200M+ success story. Their secret? A carefully crafted system that delivers $219 worth of value for just $9.99, while maintaining the simplicity casual players demand.

The results speak for themselves—stronger retention, higher engagement, and significant revenue growth.

This week, we break down the key elements that make Royal Match's battle pass work, from its strategic reward distribution to its psychological triggers, and uncover actionable insights you can apply to your own games.

Read on!

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In this newsletter:

1. Top Revenue: Note just how dominant Tencent is in the Chinese gaming market. 7 of 10 of the top 10 revenue games in China are from Tencent.

2. Top Downloads: At #3 Worldwide, Cat Chaos: Prankster is kind of an action puzzle game where you play as a cat trying to irritate a grandma in her house without getting caught.

3. Top Steam Revenue: Defying the odds for new games launching and losing steam on Steam, Marvel Rivals jumps to #2 revenue.

4. Highlight: Deep dive on Royal Match battle pass!

Top 10 Mobile Revenue (Worldwide, US, and China)

• It is interesting to note how critical the Chinese and US markets are to driving Worldwide revenue rankings.

• Also, note just how dominant Tencent is in the Chinese gaming market. 7 of 10 of the top 10 revenue games in China are from Tencent.

Top 10 Mobile Downloads (Worldwide, US, and China)

• At #1 Worldwide and US, Block Blast continues to dominate.

• At #3 Worldwide, Cat Chaos: Prankster is kind of an action puzzle game where you play as a cat trying to irritate a grandma in her house without getting caught.

• At #4 China, 时光大爆炸 (aka Time Big Bang) is a kind of idle simulation city building game almost like Civilization if it were a 2D mobile idle game.

Top 10 Steam Charts by Revenue

• Defying the odds for new games launching and losing steam on Steam, Marvel Rivals jumps to #2 revenue.

• Civilization VII hits #9 revenue. I keep buying these games but never play them. Lol.

By Shilpa Gaur

Introduction

Royal Match has successfully adapted the Battle Pass system from core games to casual puzzle gameplay, demonstrating how this monetization feature can be effectively implemented across different gaming genres.

• The game's Battle Pass system is built on addressing specific player pain points while creating value through a dual-track reward system.

• The month-long Winter Pass showcases a carefully balanced approach to free and premium content distribution, with strategic rewards placement to maximize player engagement and monetization potential.

This article explores how Royal Match has implemented this system, including its reward distribution, pacing, and the value of its Battle Pass.

Key Highlights

• The Battle Pass features 30 tiers with 80 total rewards (30 free, 50 premium)

• The premium track contains 62.5% of total rewards, emphasizing enhanced gameplay features

• Reward distribution is strategically phased across early, mid, and end-game tiers

• The free track focuses on maintaining engagement while preserving the premium value

• The premium track offers exclusive features like extended Infinity Lives and special chests

Understanding Spend Drivers in Royal Match Battle Pass

Royal Match's Battle Pass monetization is fundamentally driven by addressing critical player pain points affecting core gameplay progression and meta-decoration systems. The interconnected nature of level completion and decoration progress creates compelling motivations for Battle Pass purchases.

The following diagram illustrates the key pain points and corresponding solutions:

By carefully analyzing player behaviour and friction points, the game identifies specific moments where players are most likely to find value in Battle Pass purchases. These are the spend drivers for battle passes. They impact battle pass design through targeted solutions and strategic reward distribution, as shown in the following table:

This approach impacts the battle pass design philosophy. It demonstrates a deep understanding of player psychology, combining resource management, progression acceleration, and collection mechanics into a cohesive monetization strategy that feels both valuable and fair to players.

Rather than treating each pain point in isolation, the system creates a web of interconnected solutions to enhance both gameplay and long-term engagement.

Royal Match Battle Pass (Winter Pass)

Royal Match’s Battle Pass is designed like many standard battle pass systems. It is a progression-based game system designed with four pillars. These pillars encompass monthly structure, tier-based progression, BP-specific currency (Key)-driven advancement, and dual-track rewards.

The following image shows Royal Match’s current battle pass- Winter Pass. It also shows various elements and how the system works. The interesting thing is the UI screen shows how the system works in just three steps:

Battle Pass Rewards:

The Royal Match battle pass rewards fall into three categories:

Consumable Rewards

Currency consists of virtual Coins, while the Life System grants players a special battle pass perk of 8 maximum lives instead of the standard 5. Level Start Boosters include TNT for bomb effects, Rockets for line clearance, and Light Balls for color-specific tile removal. In-game boosters provide strategic options through Arrows (row clearance), Cannons (column clearance), Jester Hat (board shuffle), and Royal Hammer (single tile removal).

Reward Packages

Gift Boxes come in Orange (single reward) and Blue (two rewards) variants, offering a mix of coins, level start boosters, or in-game boosters. Chests appear in Normal (2-5 modest rewards) and Premium variants (higher quantities).

Collection Reward Packages

Card Packs progress from Brown (2 cards), Green (3 cards), and Blue (4 cards) to Purple (6 cards with guaranteed 3+ stars) and Red (6 cards prioritizing missing and gold cards).

Reward Distribution:

Royal Match implements a month-long, time-limited Winter Pass with a direct purchase pricing model, strategically differentiating itself from virtual currency systems to better serve its casual audience. The battle pass features 30 tiers, with the free track offering 30 rewards and the premium track providing an additional 50 rewards (a total of 80 rewards), carefully balancing functional and cosmetic items to appeal to different player motivations. The following table shows the reward distribution across both tracks:

Royal Match's Battle Pass reward distribution shows a distinct approach to player engagement and monetization:

1. Premium Value Focus

   • 62.5% of total rewards (50/80) reserved for premium track

   • Heavy emphasis on gameplay enhancers (32 additional level start & in-game boosters)

   • 10x more life system rewards in the premium paid track

2. Free Track Strategy

   • Level Start Boosters (36.7%) form the core reward type

   • Equal chest distribution between tracks maintains collection appeal

Let us examine the rewards in more detail, focusing on the free track distribution.

Free Track Reward Distribution

Royal Match's Battle Pass free track implements a strategic reward system that balances immediate gameplay value with long-term engagement potential. The distribution spans multiple reward types across 30 tiers, creating engagement through functional and collectable rewards.

The free tier reward distribution for the Royal Match Winter Pass is shown below:

This data showcases Royal Match's focus on maintaining high player engagement while preserving premium track value. The following table shows the list of tier-wise rewards for winter pass free-track:

When we analyze the reward distribution table, we can observe a clear strategic placement and pacing of rewards. The reward placements are organized into three distinct phases of the pass progression:

1. Early Pass (Tiers 1-10)

2. Mid Pass (Tiers 11-20)

3. End Pass (Tiers 21-30)

The following diagram shows the reward pacing analysis for these three phases:

The Battle Pass free tier reward pacing shows that:

• The Early Pass (Tiers 1-10) prioritizes immediate player engagement by front-loading gameplay boosters in the first tiers, introducing core resources mid-phase, and concluding with milestone rewards like TNT and Gift Box.

• The Mid-tier phase (Tiers 11-20) maintains momentum by providing strategic tools and economic support, enhanced rewards through upgraded card packs, and new mechanics for gameplay variety.

• The High-Value End phase (Tiers 21-30) maximizes player satisfaction with premium utility features like Infinity Lives, increased reward values including 200 Coins and Cannon, and amplified power-ups for a strong finish.

• The Placement of Chests in every fifth tier (T5,10,15,20,25,30) is done very well as chests provide a more significant no. of rewards

The system maintains consistent engagement through regular chest placement at 5-6 tier intervals, strategic milestone distribution, progressive value scaling, and a balanced mix of resources and power-ups. This carefully crafted structure effectively drives player engagement while showcasing premium track value through clear progression milestones.

Paid Track Reward Distribution

Royal Match's Battle Pass paid track implements a comprehensive premium reward system that significantly enhances the gameplay experience through exclusive items and amplified rewards. The distribution demonstrates a clear value proposition across 30 tiers, offering superior rewards through both increased quantities and exclusive premium items.

The paid track's reward distribution showcases Royal Match's commitment to delivering premium value through:

• Exclusive Features

  • Multiple duration Infinity Lives (15m to 1h)

  • Premium, Royal, and Holiday chest variants

  • Enhanced card packs (Blue Pack, Purple Pack with six cards)

• Amplified Power-ups

  • Increased quantities (x2, x3 multipliers)

  • Exclusive items (TNT Infinity, Bomb)

  • Extended duration boosters (30m Rockets)

• Strategic Value Progression

  • Base rewards include 8 Lives, Gift Box, and Profile Frame

  • Premium chest variants at regular intervals

  • Escalating reward quantities in later tiers

This structure creates a distinct premium experience while maintaining strong engagement through enhanced rewards and exclusive content. It clearly differentiates the paid track's value from the free track offerings.

Let us see the tier-wise reward distribution for winter pass paid-track rewards, which is shown in the following table:

Similar to free-tier rewards, paid track rewards' placements are also organized into three distinct phases of the pass progression: Early Pass (Tiers 1-10), Mid Pass (Tiers 11-20), and End Pass (Tiers 21-30). The following table illustrates the reward pacing analysis for these phases:

The Premium Battle Pass demonstrates a meticulously structured 30-tier reward system designed to deliver significant value to paying players.

• The Early paid pass (Tiers 1-10) establishes value with immediate collection opportunities through Brown Pack cards. This is followed by strategic power-ups and a Normal Chest for early progression.

• The Mid-tier phase (Tiers 11-20) elevates the experience with enhanced rewards, including the Blue Pack (4 Cards) and specialized tools like Light Ball and TNT. It introduces gameplay variety through the Jester Hat/Shuffle mechanic.

• The high-end tier phase (Tiers 21-30) offers exceptional value with high-value rewards such as Infinity Lives (30m) and powerful strategic enhancements, including double TNT. It wraps up with impactful items like the Cannon and Hammer.

• The Placement of Chests in every fifth tier (T5,10,15,20,25,30) is similar to the free tier, but the chests are more premium.

The premium track delivers high-value content through regular chest placement, enhanced card packs, and increasingly powerful boosters. The significantly improved rewards at each tier clearly demonstrate the added value of the premium investment.

End of Premium Pass Reward

In Royal Match's Winter Pass, players can accumulate rewards in the Bonus Bank. For every 10 keys collected, players earn 100 coins stored in the Bonus Bank. The bank has a maximum capacity of 5000 coins, which can be claimed once the event concludes. This reward structure offers significant value to players, considering that purchasing 5000 coins directly from the shop would cost $7.99.

Cost & Value of Royal Match Battle Pass

Royal Match does not implement regional pricing based on purchasing power parity. The table below shows the Battle Pass cost across countries in their local currencies and USD. The cost is uniform across geographies, and Royal Match uses charm pricing where the prices end in 99s, like 999 instead of 1000 or 9.99 instead of 10.

Royal Match offers no sales or alternative versions of this Battle Pass. The system remains clean and simple, appealing to casual players.

Value of Royal Match Battle Pass

We evaluated the December 2024 Battle Pass (the Winter Pass) for this analysis. The value includes the 5 chest rewards offered to players, though these rewards may vary monthly or from player to player.

We calculated the value based on the following:

• Average Level Completion Time: 3 minutes.

• Booster Activation Conversion: 60 hours → 20 levels → 20 boosters.

• Lives Calculation: Each set of full 5 lives costs 900 coins, so one life equals 180 coins.

Note: Card Packs & Coins collected as rewards were excluded from the calculation, making the estimated value conservative.

Based on this, the following are the winter Pass Rewards & Cost Breakdown:

Cost Analysis

• IAP Pack of 1000 Coins = $1.99

• Total Cost for 109,940 Coins = $219

This demonstrates that the Royal Match Battle Pass delivers a significant value to players, offering approximately 95% discount compared to the cost of acquiring rewards directly through in-app purchases. This design encourages players to see the Battle Pass as an excellent deal while maintaining simplicity and accessibility for casual gamers.

Conclusion

Royal Match's Battle Pass system successfully adapts the battle pass concept for casual players through:

1. Accessible Design: Simple, clear progression system

2. Strong Value Proposition: Significant discount vs. direct purchases

3. Balanced Reward Distribution: Strategic placement maintaining engagement

4. Casual-Friendly Features: Month-long duration and straightforward mechanics

The system demonstrates how traditional core gaming features can be effectively adapted for casual audiences while maintaining strong monetization potential. The careful balance between free and premium tracks and strategic reward distribution creates a compelling value proposition that serves both player engagement and business objectives.