Block Blast!, the puzzle game that dominated mobile downloads in 2025, will launch an ad-free version on Apple Arcade on September 3. Apple announced the addition Tuesday, bringing one of the most-installed games of the past two years to its $6.99/month subscription service.
The timing is telling. Despite Hungry Studio, the game's developer, reporting 70 million daily active users and promoting the title at Coachella earlier this year, the data suggests Block Blast! has passed its download peak. That makes an Arcade deal sensible for both sides.
Why release an ad-free version now?
How to Remove Ads From Block Blast (EASY Steps!)
Apple's internal data ranked Block Blast! as the most downloaded free iPhone game in 2025, a position it held into early 2026 according to both Hungry Studio and third-party trackers like Sensor Tower. The game still adds tens of millions of users monthly.
But those monthly numbers have slipped from their late-2024 peak, when Block Blast! was pulling nearly 50 million downloads per month. The decline signals maturation. For a free-to-play title dependent on ad revenue, that's the moment to monetize the loyal base differently.
An Arcade release locks in recurring subscription revenue from players who already love the game. Apple gets a proven hit for its catalog. Hungry Studio converts hardcore fans into paying subscribers without cannibalizing ad revenue from the still-enormous casual player base.
The ad problem Block Blast! needed to solve
Anyone who has played Block Blast! knows the pain. After every loss, an ad plays before you can start again. The common workaround: swipe the app closed, reopen, and skip the ad entirely. Players have asked for a paid option to remove ads for years.
The Arcade version, branded Block Blast!+, answers that request. It joins Apple's library of 200+ games, all playable without ads or in-app purchases for the subscription fee.
What else launches September 3
Block Blast!+ shares its release date with several other titles. Art of Fauna: Cozy Puzzles+, a 2025 App Store Award winner, leads the group. NFL Retro Bowl '27, Coloring Games for Families+, and Let's Play! Oink Games+, a digital collection of nine tabletop games, round out the additions.
Logicity's Take
This deal follows a pattern. Apple Arcade increasingly targets games past their viral phase but with loyal audiences. The $6.99/month price or Apple One bundle ($19.95/month) lets Apple pitch quantity over exclusivity. For Hungry Studio, the move hedges against ad-market volatility and rising user acquisition costs. The strategic question: whether Arcade's subscriber base converts casual players into payers, or just shifts revenue from ads to subscriptions for the same users.
Apple Arcade launched in 2019 as a bet on premium, ad-free gaming. Seven years in, its strategy has shifted from exclusive launches to acquiring proven hits. Block Blast! fits that playbook. The game already has the audience. Apple just needs to sell them a quieter way to play.
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Source: TechCrunch / Sarah Perez
Manaal Khan
Tech & Innovation Writer
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