Halfbrick Studios has announced a celebratory 5th anniversary update for Fruit Ninja last week and they have coincidentally achieved another milestone on their journey – a billion downloads across multiple app stores.
The app has been downloaded more than a billion times, with the split of downloads divided across Google Play, the iOS App Store, Amazon and China’s iDreamsky.
On Google Play, at least, Haflbrick’s Fruit Ninja commands between 100 million to 500 million downloads.
This high download rate puts them in the running to be one of the first games to crack the 1 billion mark – something achieved by only a handful of Google apps and some Facebook properties including WhatsApp, Messenger and the Facebook app itself.
Speaking about the milestone, Halfbrick CEO Shainiel Deo said:
It’s an amazing achievement. To reach such a large proportion of the world’s population is something that you’d never imagine in your wildest dreams. That fact that we’ve had such a positive reaction towards Fruit Ninja only makes this achievement more rewarding. Our sights are now set on the next billion!
There’s a raft of updates aimed at their suite of titles on Google Play, including updates featuring the Android Robot.
Mr Deo is pumped about the updates, stating:
The latest update of Fruit Ninja is really a new chapter for the game and for Halfbrick. We are grateful for the success it’s brought, but we’re also excited by the evolution of the game… and it all starts here.
With the success of Fruit Ninja, Mr Deo also says they feel the pressure to release a Fruit Ninja 2, but says they aren’t going to succumb to it till they aren’t happy with instead saying that when a Fruit Ninja 2 finally is launched, it will be something new and exciting.
Halfbrick came to Android late, launching their titles on iOS first and Android coming a few months later in 2010, but have more recently adopted a dual release schedule, launching iOS and Android titles simultaneously, with even the occasional Android first launch.
There’s more in the future with Android, especially for a gaming company. When looking at whether Haflbrick would look at releasing Fruit Ninja for Android TV, Mr Deo said
We’re certainly looking at making more of our games compatible with Android TV, especially where the control scheme makes sense. We have built in gamepad support as part of our game engine and it will only be a matter of time before more of our titles are available for Android TV.
There’s more updates coming for Fruit Ninja down the track, as well as more updates for another hugely popular Halfbrick title: Jetpack Joyride.
Mr Deo said that some of the updates ‘will be cross overs with other big name IPs’ and they expect to release more information on these on their social media channels in the future.
For Halfbrick fans, you will find your app prompting to update, but for anyone else wanting to try them out, you’ll find a host of updates added to the game, including:
Jetpack Joyride – Check out the new “Cut-n-Run” game mode. Also, the Android Robot becomes one of the game’s scientists! Vrrooom…
Monster Dash – Enjoy your new katana weapon, ninja outfit and bomb obstacles, plus take on an Android Robot challenge!
Band Stars – Not only is there a juicy Fruit Ninja studio, but you can win a new Android Robot ornament
Radical Rappelling – Try the new Fruit Ninja costumes and abseil away with a new Android Robot accessory
Yes Chef – There’s 25 new levels, and the Android robot comes into the restaurant as a new customer
Bears vs Art – New challenges and costume
Fruit Ninja Academy: Math Master – New party sticker pack
Top Farm – New buildings, characters and challenges
The celebration doesn’t just end there with a bunch of deals on in-app purchases. Halfbrick is doing deals which include:
| Game | Item | Discount |
| Fruit Ninja | Gold Apple Chest | 60% |
| Fruit Ninja | Starfruit Chest | 60% |
| Monster Dash | Fruit Ninja Blade | 50% |
| Jetpack Joyride | Sleigh of Awesome | 50% |
| Jetpack Joyride | 20,000 Coins | 50% |
| Radical Rappelling | Action Outfits Bundle | 66% |
| Radical Rappelling | 75 Rubies | 50% |
| Radical Rappelling | 20 Rubies | 40% |
| Bears vs. Art | 30,000 Coin Pack | 50% |
| Bears vs. Art | 250,000 Coin Pack | 20% |
| Bears vs. Art | Everything Combo Pack | 50% |
| Top Farm | Bag of Diamonds | 50% |
| Band Stars | Critters Pack | 55% |
| Yes Chef | Bugdroid Beginner’s Pack | 50% |
| Fruit Ninja Academy: Math Master | Entire Game | 50% |
If you want to check out any of the Halfbrick titles, you can see them all now in the Halfbrick Studios Google Play focus that’s live in the Game Category on Google Play.
