Hungry Shark
Arcade-style shark survival series with over one billion downloads.
Hungry Shark is a series of arcade-style aquatic survival video games originally developed by Future Games of London. The series gained prominence after the studio was acquired by Ubisoft, with subsequent titles published by Ubisoft. The games allow players to control various shark species, consuming marine life to survive and grow, and have achieved significant commercial success, including over one billion downloads across all platforms by 2022.
- first_release
- Hungry Shark: Part 1 (2010)
- developer
- Future Games of London (original); Ubisoft London (later)
- publisher
- Future Games of London (early titles); Ubisoft (since Hungry Shark Evolution)
- genre
- Arcade-style aquatic survival
- platforms
- Mobile, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Google Daydream
- notable_titles
- Hungry Shark Evolution, Hungry Shark World, Hungry Shark Arena
Lore & Background
The Hungry Shark series began with a trilogy of games released between 2010 and 2011: Hungry Shark: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, later compiled as Hungry Shark: Trilogy with HD graphics. The final game published solely by Future Games of London was Hungry Shark: Night in 2011. In 2012, Future Games of London released Hungry Shark Evolution, which was later published by Ubisoft in 2013 after the studio was acquired. This title marked the series' transition to Ubisoft's oversight.
Hungry Shark World, released in 2016, became a major success, reaching 10 million downloads in six days and 30 million downloads on Google Play Store. It featured 33 new sharks and was later released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch in 2018 with improved graphics and no microtransactions. The series expanded into virtual reality with Hungry Shark VR (2017) and a battle royale spin-off, Hungry Shark Arena (2020). A spinoff, Hungry Dragon (2018), was developed by Ubisoft Barcelona Mobile.
A prehistoric-themed mobile game, Hungry Shark Primal, entered open beta in the Philippines in April 2023 but was delisted in September 2023 after the closure of Ubisoft London. Development was officially cancelled in January 2025, with Ubisoft shifting focus to supporting Hungry Shark Evolution and Hungry Shark World. An animated series, Hungry Shark Squad, is in development at Ubisoft Motion Pictures.
Reader's Guide
The Hungry Shark series is significant for its enduring popularity in the mobile gaming market, demonstrating the viability of the freemium model—offering games for free while charging for in-game currency like gold and gems, a model that has drawn criticism. The series' core gameplay loop of consuming marine life to grow and unlock more powerful sharks, while facing escalating hazards such as helicopters and fishermen, has proven addictive. The commercial peak came with Hungry Shark World, which reached one billion downloads across all platforms by 2022, and was nominated for Best Casual Game at The Independent Game Developers' Association Awards 2018. The series also showcases the transition of a small developer (Future Games of London) into a Ubisoft studio, and the eventual closure of that studio in 2023. The cancellation of Hungry Shark Primal highlights the challenges of sustaining a franchise after studio closure. The series' legacy includes its influence on mobile arcade games and its expansion into console, VR, and an upcoming animated series.
Did You Know?
- Hungry Shark World was downloaded 10 million times in six days in May 2016.
- Hungry Shark World reached 1 billion downloads across all platforms in 2022.
- Hungry Shark Primal entered open beta in the Philippines in April 2023 but was cancelled in January 2025.
- An animated series titled Hungry Shark Squad is in development at Ubisoft Motion Pictures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hungry Shark and who made it?
Hungry Shark is an arcade-style aquatic survival series where you pilot various shark species, eating smaller sea creatures to grow bigger and last longer. It was originally created by Future Games of London in 2010, and Ubisoft took over publishing starting with Hungry Shark Evolution.
What is the core gameplay loop?
You control a shark swimming through an open ocean environment, consuming everything from plankton to whales to gain size and score. The challenge is surviving as long as possible while avoiding larger predators and environmental hazards, with no traditional narrative or story progression.
Which Hungry Shark titles are considered the best?
Hungry Shark Evolution and Hungry Shark World are the two entries most fans point to as the series' peaks, offering the deepest shark rosters and progression systems. Hungry Shark Arena is also popular for its competitive multiplayer format, setting it apart from the rest of the lineup.
What platforms is Hungry Shark available on?
The series spans mobile devices, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Google Daydream VR, though not every title appears on every platform. Mobile has been the primary home for the franchise since its 2010 debut.
How commercially successful is the franchise?
By 2022 the series had crossed the one-billion-download mark across all platforms combined, making it one of Ubisoft's most widely downloaded properties. Its success is largely attributed to the accessible, pick-up-and-play mobile design that made it easy to pick up in short sessions.
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