Pikmin Bloom Posts Record $36.1m Year Five as Taiwan Outspends Japan

Pikmin Bloom earned $36.1m in net player spending during its fifth year, its best annual result to date and a 53% jump from year four's $23.6m, according to AppMagic data covering Google Play and the App Store. The Scopely Explore walking game, developed with Nintendo, has now generated $97.1m lifetime, close to the $100m milestone it marked at its fifth anniversary on November 1st, 2026.

Annual revenue has risen every single year since launch. Year one brought $6.1m; year five delivered six times that figure and accounted for 37% of lifetime earnings. October 2026 alone produced $3.6m.

What changed under Scopely?

Year five was the first full year under Scopely's ownership. The Saudi-owned publisher acquired Niantic's games business in 2025 for $3.5 billion, and the numbers since suggest a turnaround. Before the deal, the game's best month was December 2024 at $2.4m. Every month since March 2026 has beaten that figure. May 2026 set the current record at almost $4.7m.

Japan still dominates lifetime spending at 49% of the total, worth $47.7m. The US follows at 15%. But the growth story is Taiwan, now second at 18% of global spend after a 900% spending increase in the first half of 2026.

Taiwan barely registered at launch. Daily spending there did not reach $1,000 until year two. It then exploded to a single-day record of $195,000 on May 2nd, 2026. Over the past year Taiwan generated $13.7m, overtaking Japan's $10.2m to become the game's most lucrative current market.

How does it compare within the portfolio?

Pikmin Bloom remains the smallest of the former Niantic titles by lifetime revenue against Pokémon Go and Monster Hunter Now. The monthly picture tells a different story: it has out-earned Monster Hunter Now nine months in a row, every month since February 2026.

Total revenue is likely higher than the AppMagic figure, since the data excludes the game's web shop. Direct-to-consumer platforms now deliver significant income for many publishers, and Pikmin Bloom operates one.

What did Pikmin Day announce?

The anniversary coincided with Nintendo's first-ever Pikmin Day presentation, set to recur every November 1st. The franchise turns 25 in December. Series creator Shigeru Miyamoto explained the date choice through the original three Pikmin types.

"If you imagine those three Pikmin as the number one, that makes November 1st Pikmin Day," Miyamoto said.

The presentation confirmed a Nintendo Switch 2 version of Pikmin 4. For Pikmin Bloom, it revealed Secret Caves, a feature modeled on the cave systems of Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 4. Players will acquire a Cave Map, then send a Pikmin squad underground to explore automatically. Encounters with enemies shift to a command mode: players tap the screen to attack and call Pikmin back before the enemy strikes. Victories yield rewards recorded in a new treasure catalogue.

Cross-promotion is built in. Meeting certain requirements in the Switch 2 version of Pikmin 4 unlocks a special Cave Map and other items in Pikmin Bloom, pushing players toward both titles.

Anniversary content includes challenge missions such as planting specific flowers and hitting step targets. Players can earn Special Mii costumes, a guaranteed Gold Seedling, and seedlings that grow into one of eight Fifth Anniversary Toy Jewellery Decor Pikmin.

Monetization gets a direct push too. A Premium Event Pass is on sale, with bonus Acrylic Fruit Charms for anyone purchasing before November 7th.

The open question is whether Taiwan's surge sustains beyond the anniversary window, and whether the Switch 2 cross-promotion converts Pikmin 4 players into Bloom spenders through the holiday quarter.