Usage & attitude study
Why Are You Still Playing for Free?
In a 1,720-player study of Indian gamers, value holds spending back more than payment does. 43.3% see no value in digital goods, against 27.4% who cite payment methods. A high-value Starter Pack is the leading first-purchase trigger (34.9% first choice), and 80.6% say Battle Passes offer good value for money.
Explore the findingsDo not see the value in digital goods
Agree Battle Passes offer good value for money
Rank a high-value Starter Pack first of five triggers
Based on 1,720 completed responses. Usage & attitude study.
What we set out to answer, and what we found
We looked at why engaged Indian gamers hold back on spending
Why do free players stay free?
We asked players who never or rarely spend for the main reason behind that choice.
What would trigger a first purchase?
We asked players to rank the offers most likely to convince them to make their first in-game purchase.
Do Battle Passes justify the money?
We asked directly whether Battle Passes offer good value for the money spent.
How strong are clans as a retention moat?
We asked how much belonging to a clan or guild influences the decision to keep playing, and how likely players are to follow their group to a new game.
Value is the main barrier. 43.3% of players say they do not see the value in digital goods and 32.3% are happy playing free. Lack of convenient payment methods is cited by 27.4%, which is 15.9 points behind value. A discount will not fix a perceived lack of worth.
Starter Packs lead on first purchase. A high-value Starter Pack tops the ranking of five triggers with 34.9% of first-choice votes and the best mean rank (1.76). The report headlines it as the top trigger for 62.2% of players. Competitive advantages and power-ups rank last.
Battle Passes bridge to repeat spending. 80.6% of players agree Battle Passes offer good value for money. That rises to 83.3% among 25-35 year olds and 84.6% among 46-55 year olds.
Core gameplay reaches only part of the base. 55.4% rate gameplay, graphics and mechanics a very strong engagement driver, which leaves 44.6% neutral or weak. Social and reward systems are needed to reach them.
Clans hold few players but can take many with them. The report reads clan influence as capped and too shallow to lock players in. Yet 82.9% of Achievement Hunters are likely to follow their clan to a new game, 12.5 points ahead of Social Butterflies.
Link social features to individual progress. Achievement Hunters score highest on clan influence (4.094 out of 5) and clan following (3.986). The report therefore recommends linking guild milestones to individual achievement systems.
Achievement Hunters Who Follow
Likely to follow their clan to a new game
A Perfectly Fragmented Player Base
Which Best Describes Your Gaming Personality?
Base: 1,720 respondents
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Social Butterfly | 26% |
| Competitive Pro | 25.2% |
| Casual Explorer | 24.7% |
| Achievement Hunter | 24.2% |
01. The four personalities are almost evenly split. Social Butterflies are 26.0%, Competitive Pros 25.2%, Casual Explorers 24.7% and Achievement Hunters 24.2%, so no type is above 26.0%.
02. Competitive Pros are only a quarter of the market, so monetisation built on leaderboards reaches about a quarter of potential spenders.
03. Players aged 55+ lean towards Casual Explorer at 34.1% against 24.7% overall, a directional read because the subgroup has fewer than 30 respondents.
The Monetisation Gap Is a Value Barrier
Main Reason for Never or Rarely Spending on Games
Base: 1,720 respondents. Multi-select, average 1.57 options per person
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| I don't see the value in digital goods | 43.3% |
| I can enjoy the game perfectly for free | 32.3% |
| Fear of getting addicted to spending | 30.3% |
| Lack of convenient payment methods | 27.4% |
| Items are too expensive | 23.1% |
| Other | 0.3% |
01. Value is the biggest barrier at 43.3%, followed by being content to play free at 32.3%. Payment friction trails at 27.4%, a 15.9-point gap.
02. Value scepticism peaks at 45.5% among 36-45 year olds. Price sensitivity rises with age, as 33.1% of 46-55 year olds cite expensive items against 22.4% of 18-24 year olds (directional).
03. Respondents chose 1 to 3 reasons, averaging 1.57. 43.3% gave one reason and 56.6% gave two.
Starter Packs and Clan Status Trigger First Purchases
What Would Most Likely Convince You to Make Your First Purchase?
Base: 1,720 respondents ranking five options
View the data behind this chart
| Ranked first | Ranked in top 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| High-value Starter Pack | 34.9% | 48.9% |
| Exclusive clan status or badges | 30.8% | 50.2% |
| Limited-time discount (80-90% off) | 23.9% | 38.1% |
| Supporting a favourite streamer or creator | 8% | 23.7% |
| Competitive advantage or power-up | 2.3% | 11.5% |
Total Preference Score (Borda Count)
Base: 1,720 respondents. Higher score = stronger overall preference
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Value |
|---|---|
| High-value Starter Pack | 2189 |
| Exclusive clan status or badges | 2098 |
| Limited-time discount (80-90% off) | 1863 |
| Supporting a favourite streamer or creator | 1412 |
| Competitive advantage or power-up | 952 |
01. A high-value Starter Pack leads with 2,189 Borda points, a mean rank of 1.76 and 34.9% of first-choice votes. The report's headline calls it the top trigger for 62.2% of players.
02. Clan status is a close second, with 30.8% first choice and the highest top-3 share at 50.2%. The report adds that 54.0% of players who selected clan badges ranked them first.
03. A direct competitive advantage is the weakest lever, with 2.3% first choice, a Borda total of 952 and the worst mean rank (3.618).
Clans Are Weak Moats but a High Migration Risk
How Much Does Belonging to a Clan Influence Your Decision to Keep Playing?
Base: 1,720 respondents. Rating scale shown in the source chart: 1 to 5
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| 5 | 31.5% |
| 4 | 42% |
| 3 | 19.2% |
| 2 | 6.1% |
| 1 | 1.22% |
Clan Influence and Clan Following by Gaming Personality
Mean score out of 5
View the data behind this chart
| Clan influence on staying | Likely to follow clan to a new game | |
|---|---|---|
| Achievement Hunter | 4.094 | 3.986 |
| Social Butterfly | 3.94 | 3.89 |
| Casual Explorer | 3.934 | 3.873 |
| Competitive Pro | 3.891 | 3.822 |
01. 73.5% rate clan influence 4 or 5 (42.0% at 4, 31.5% at 5). The report describes influence as "capping out at a mediocre 5 out of 10" and concludes that clans are not yet a strong retention moat.
02. Achievement Hunters are the most tied to their clans, scoring 4.094 out of 5 on clan influence and 3.986 on following their clan to a new game.
03. 82.9% of Achievement Hunters are likely to follow their group to a new game, 12.5 points ahead of self-identified Social Butterflies. The report treats the link as directional.
Battle Passes Are the Bridge to Repeat Spending
Agree Battle Passes Offer Good Value for Money, by Age
Age groups reported in the source. All players: 80.6% (base 1,720)
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Age 46-55 | 84.6% |
| Age 25-35 | 83.3% |
| Age 55+ | 72.7% |
01. 80.6% of players agree Battle Passes offer good value for the money spent.
02. Approval is highest among 46-55 year olds (84.6%) and 25-35 year olds (83.3%, 2.7 points above average), which the report sees as the most viable targets for premium tiers.
03. Players aged 55+ are lowest at 72.7%, 10.6 points below 25-35s. This suggests older players need more tangible or immediate rewards.
Core Gameplay Engages 55.4%, Leaving 44.6% to Reach Another Way
Gameplay, Graphics and Mechanics as an Engagement Driver
Base: 1,720 respondents, rating their favourite game
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Very strong driver | 55.4% |
| Neutral or weak | 44.6% |
01. 55.4% rate core gameplay, graphics and mechanics a very strong reason they stay engaged, while 44.6% are neutral or weak.
02. Appeal peaks at 59.1% among 36-45 year olds (n=198) and is lowest at 49.3% among 46-55 year olds (n=136). 18-24 year olds sit at 53.8% (n=899); the 55+ reading of 65.9% rests on only 44 respondents.
Battle Pass Missions and Timed Events Form the Strongest Daily Loop
Daily Login Triggers That Occur Together
Base: 1,720 respondents. Lift above 1.0 = pair occurs more often than chance
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Value |
|---|---|
| Battle Pass missions + timed events | 1.22 |
| Daily login rewards + relaxing after school or work | 1.12 |
| Battle Pass missions + relaxing after school or work | 1.12 |
| Daily login rewards + Battle Pass missions | 1.11 |
| Timed events + relaxing after school or work | 1.11 |
| Daily login rewards + timed events | 1.09 |
01. Completing Battle Pass missions and taking part in timed events are most strongly linked, with a 1.22 lift covering 10.76% of players. The report calls this a 22% higher co-occurrence than average.
02. The market is fragmented beyond personality. Free Fire (37.2%), PUBG (26.3%) and Clash of Clans (19.8%) are the most-played apps, mobile is the main platform for 46.7%, and 78% of players naming an "Other" app play mainly on mobile.
What we would recommend
Practical priorities drawn from this study for further validation.
Prioritise progression-based monetisation over raw discounts.
With 43.3% of players seeing no value in digital goods, lead with high-value Starter Packs and Battle Passes that stress progression and social status. Avoid cheap, transactional discounts.
Make the Starter Pack the entry point for first-time spenders.
Position high-utility Starter Packs as the exclusive first purchase instead of discounting individual items, and build the marketing creative around the bundle's prestige and utility.
Redesign clan mechanics and tie them to individual achievement.
Add shared incentives such as collaborative Battle Pass challenges and group purchase discounts, and link guild milestones to individual completionist rewards. That helps hold on to the 82.9% of Achievement Hunters who would follow their clan.
Synchronise live-ops calendars.
Line up Battle Pass progression milestones and daily login rewards with limited-time events, since pass missions and timed events already co-occur 22% more than average.
