Why it matters: 2019 was another bumper year for the gaming industry, with spending on digital games rising three percent year-on-year to $120.1 billion. The most successful title in terms of revenue was Fortnite, which, despite earning a quarter less than it did in 2018, brought in $1.8 billion.

The report, from Nielson-owned Superdata (via Variety), notes that this is the second year Fortnite has topped the revenue list, having made a record $2.4 billion in 2018. Its 25 percent decline is evidence that the game's revenue "stabilized" in 2019, but it was still the top-earning free-to-play game---a segment that represented 80 percent of the total digital games market for the year.

Sitting behind Fortnite in the FTP category are Dungeon Fighter Online and Honour of Kings, both of which earned $1.6 billion. They were followed by League of Legends and Candy Crush Saga (both with $1.6 billion), and Pokémon Go and Crossfire ($1.4 billion each).

Fortnite might be the best at convincing people to spend money, but it still has fewer players than League of Legends. Thanks to its battle pass and cosmetic items combined with big-name promotions and partnerships, the battle royale game keeps on generating huge amounts of cash.

In the paid/premium game section, FIFA 2019 came top after generating $786 million. It was followed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which made $645 million. Overall, premium game revenue declined 5 percent YoY to $18.9 billion due to fewer blockbuster titles being released.

As usual, the mobile platform continues to see most spending ($64.4 billion), while the PC ($29.6 billion) remains ahead of consoles ($15.4 billion).

This year is expected to see premium games reach a record $19.8 billion in revenue, thanks to highly anticipated releases such as Cyberpunk 2077 and The Last of Us Part II. The launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X during the holiday season will also boost the industry.

Top 2019 titles by revenue:

Free-to-play Games

1. Fortnite.

2. Dungeon Fighter Online.

3. Honour of Kings.

4. League of Legends.

5. Candy Crush Saga.

6. Pokemon Go.

7. Crossfire.

8. Fate/Grand Order.

9. Game for Peace.

10. Last Shelter: Survival.

Premium Games

1.FIFA 19.

2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

3. GTA 5.

4. FIFA 20.

5. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

6. NBA 2K19.

7. The Division 2.

8. Rainbow Six Siege.

9. Borderlands 3.

10. The Sims 4.