Atlas Earth: a legit game, an investment, or a scam?

Making money by renting out virtual real estate sounds appealing (and easy), but after hundreds of hours spent watching ads, the real payout from Atlas Earth is generally tiny — and many users never recoup their “investments.” This has led some Redditors to label Atlas Earth a scam.

Read on to learn how Atlas Earth works, whether it pays real money, and how to stay wise to online scams and fake apps.

What is Atlas Earth?

Atlas Earth is a mobile app that allows users to purchase parcels of virtual real estate corresponding to real-world territory and “rent out” the land for a profit. It presents itself as a way for users to earn cash as virtual landlords. However, despite the earning potential, Atlas Earth is a game, not an actual investment strategy. It is not a viable source of passive income for most players.

Unlike real-world real estate, “rent money” doesn’t come from tenants. Instead, Atlas Earth follows the “pay to earn” model — its main source of revenue is in-app purchases: players can buy Atlas Bucks (the game’s virtual currency), Legendary Parcel Upgrades, and various other gameplay enhancements.

Atlas Earth also gets income from ads shown in the game, which players can choose to watch in order to multiply their “earnings.” Ad revenue is used to pay players when they redeem their Atlas Bucks for real-world money.

How does Atlas Earth work?

In the Atlas Earth app, users purchase virtual land parcels that passively accrue rent, denominated in Atlas Bucks. Atlas Bucks can be used to “invest” in more parcels, or they can be cashed out for real money or gift cards once the player has accrued a minimum of $5.

There are four types of land parcels, each of which accrues rent at a different rate, as shown below:

• Common: $0.0000000011 per second.
• Rare: $0.0000000016 per second.
• Epic: $0.0000000022 per second.
• Legendary: $0.0000000044 per seconds.

In order to increase their earnings, Atlas Earth players can use the Boost function, which multiplies rent rates for one hour if the player watches an ad. Players can “boost” for up to six hours per day — they just need to keep watching ads.

The boost multiplier depends on how many plots the player owns and what country they live in, among other factors. The more plots you own, the smaller the rate of the boost. For example, a U.S.-based player with five plots might see a 30× boost from watching an ad, while someone with 2,000 plots would only get a 2× boost. Basically, the further you advance in the game, the harder it gets to multiply your earnings.

Players can also boost their earnings by buying badges. These are purchasable for 200 Atlas Bucks (slightly under $10) when the player opens the game shop from a new real-world location. Accumulating enough badges leads to a permanent rent multiplier increase.

Atlas Bucks can also be earned in other ways, including by logging in every day, referring new players, and participating in minigames.

Does Atlas Earth pay real money?

Yes, Atlas Earth does technically pay real money. Once you earn the equivalent of $5 in Atlas Bucks, you can redeem them for cash or rewards. Twenty-five Atlas Bucks can be traded in for $1, so you will need to accrue 125 Atlas Bucks to receive five real U.S. dollars.

The catch? Rent yields are so low that players will need to devote significant time watching ads and purchasing more plots before they see any actual profit.

Obviously, the game expects players to own multiple parcels, use the boost feature, and purchase badges to increase earnings. However, this involves significant “grinding” (i.e., constant ad watching).

One math-loving super fan has calculated that in order to make $1 a day on Atlas Earth, a player would need 101 badges, one 32-hour “Super Rent Boost,” and a whopping 875 parcels. You can use an Atlas Earth Calculator to see for yourself how much time it will take you to earn money on the Atlas Earth app.

Do you have to spend real money in Atlas Earth?

No. You don’t have to spend real money to play Atlas Earth, and some players claim that they have never spent a dime in the app. However, others feel that the game pushes them to spend money in order to level up in the game faster.

Is Atlas Earth a scam?

No, Atlas Earth is not technically an internet scam, although some users may feel like they have been scammed if they invest money in the game hoping to make a profit.

That said, Atlas Earth’s design may exhibit dark marketing patterns, or subtle messaging tactics that manipulate players into choices they might not fully understand. The game’s payout system and complex math, along with the limited-time offers and progress incentives, make it hard for players to understand how little they might actually earn compared to what they spend.

In addition, some reviewers complain that Atlas Earth turns players into “ad slaves” — who subject themselves to endless ads in the hope of increasing their “rental income” in the game. All this can make the app feel like a scam.

Potential red flags with Atlas Earth

Here’s a breakdown of some of the more misleading aspects of Atlas Earth.

• Very low payout rate: Purchased parcels of land are rented out for extremely low rates, meaning you would need to buy hundreds of parcels (at around 100 Atlas Bucks or $5 each) to get a payout of even $1 a day.
• High push for in-app purchases: It takes a long time to earn money without paying for boosts and enhancements (additional parcels of land, badges, etc.). Players may be misled into believing that in-app purchases will be a worthwhile “investment.”
• Reliance on ad views for income: Watching ads will earn US players 2 Atlas Bucks; players who don’t want to make in-app purchases will end up watching lots of ads to make money.
• Unclear terms: Many players sign up without understanding the requirements for making money, making them feel scammed once they realize how small the payout will likely be.

How to protect yourself from scammy mobile games

Some mobile games can leave users feeling scammed, and others may even present a financial risk — especially if you link your bank account to them. Here are a few steps users can take to avoid mobile gaming scams:

• Read reviews before signing up: Check other users’ experiences with an app before you download it to make sure it is safe and has a high user satisfaction rate.
• Be cautious about linking your bank account: Look out for recurring charges or unauthorized transactions from suspicious or fake apps, and be aware of the risk of your account being compromised if a data breach occurs.
• Safeguard your personal information: To protect your personal information, check your app permissions to ensure maximum privacy settings, protect your accounts with strong passwords, and consider linking a prepaid card rather than your bank account to stay safer while gaming.
• Avoid apps that require payments to “unlock” earnings: This dark marketing pattern may feel like a mobile gaming scam to users, and it should be an immediate red flag.
• Use AI tools to help detect scams: Cyber Safety software like Norton 360 Deluxe can help alert you to scam apps and protect your device from malware.

What to do if you think you were scammed by a mobile game

If you think you are the victim of a mobile game scam, you should act quickly to protect your personal information and recover any lost funds. Here are some steps you should take:

• Review recent transactions: Check your bank statement and account transactions to identify any suspicious activity or unauthorized transactions.
• Dispute unauthorized charges: Immediately flag any unauthorized charges to try and recoup any financial losses.
• Reach out to the game’s support team: Contact the official support channel and alert them to any suspected scams.
• Update your passwords: Create a new secure password for any accounts that may have been compromised.
• Report the scam to the FTC: Reporting scams to the FTC helps to prevent future scams and protect others.

Protect your money (real or virtual)

Unfortunately, many cyberscams can cost users much more than the price of a few “boosts” in Atlas Earth. Using AI, scammers can create entire websites, games, and apps that look and feel completely legit — but their real goal is to steal your personal information, login credentials, or money.

Advanced AI tools, like those included in Norton 360 Deluxe, can help you detect malicious websites and apps. In addition, Norton 360 helps to protect your device from malware, safeguard your privacy with a VPN, and alert you to potential phishing and scams, keeping you safer when you browse the web.

FAQs

Is Atlas Earth safe?

Yes, Atlas Earth is a safe and legitimate mobile app. However, users should be aware that it’s a game, and the possibility of making real money through it is purely secondary and unlikely to result in significant earnings.

Can you make money on Atlas Earth?

It is possible to make money on Atlas Earth, but payouts take a lot of time and effort, so users hoping to make money right away will be disappointed.

What are users saying about Atlas Earth?

The general consensus is that Atlas Earth is legit and some users do get payouts, but earning rates are extremely low, so users need to invest a lot of time in order to make any money.