Chinese Genre Specialists Challenge Global Mobile Gaming Charts
Recent data reveals that six of the top ten highest-grossing mobile games globally are published by Chinese companies, with the number rising to nearly four out of ten when including offshore Chinese-founded studios. Tencent retains its position at the pinnacle of mobile gaming revenue with Honor of Kings, although most of its earnings are derived from domestic players. In contrast, Century Games has emerged as a significant player in global markets, boasting three titles in the global top 30.
According to AppMagic estimates, the top-grossing mobile games are now increasingly diversified. While Tencent's Honor of Kings leads globally with approximately $230 million in gross player spending, nearly all of that revenue is domestic, reflecting Tencent’s reliance on the Chinese market. Century Games’ Whiteout Survival ranks second worldwide, generating $156.5 million, with roughly 71% of its revenue sourced from overseas. Another title from Century Games, Kingshot, follows closely at eighth place, earning $130.8 million, predominantly from international players. Additionally, Tasty Travels, with earnings of $35.3 million, adds to Century Games’ impressive portfolio, highlighting the growing influence of Chinese publishers in the mobile gaming export market.
The classification of successful Chinese titles reveals three primary genre clusters that dominate: survival/4X strategy, merge games, and gacha/RPGs. Survival and 4X strategy games lead the way, illustrated by titles like Last War, Puzzles & Survival, and Age of Origins. Merge games are gaining traction, with Microfun's Gossip Harbor earning around 99% of its revenue from international markets. Meanwhile, gacha and RPGs remain significant, featuring popular titles such as miHoYo’s Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail.
Interestingly, the preferences of Chinese players diverge from global trends. The Chinese App Store's top earners predominantly include Tencent's Honor of Kings and PUBG Mobile, while the global charts reflect a broader array of genres, emphasizing survival, merge, and romance-driven games. Notably, four titles—Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, Delta Force, and Whiteout Survival—appear in both the Chinese and global top eight, while others like Gossip Harbor and Kingshot do not rank among China’s top earners.
Why it matters
The shifting landscape indicates that the narrative of Chinese dominance being limited to Tencent and NetEase is evolving. A growing cohort of genre specialists is now capturing significant market shares globally, even surpassing NetEase in revenue. This transition raises questions about which developers will join this expanding pack and what insights Western studios might glean from China's strategies in creating successful mobile games. This topic will be addressed at the upcoming Pocket Gamer Connects Summit in Shanghai on July 19th, where industry leaders will engage with investors to discuss the next wave of mobile gaming innovations.
Original source
PocketGamer.biz
