The top grossing mobile game worldwide for August 2022 was Honor of Kings from Tencent with more than $222 million in player spending. About 94 percent of Honor of Kings’ revenue was from China, followed by 2.3 percent from Taiwan and 1.8 percent from Thailand. The full ranking of the top grossing mobile games for August 2022 is above. Game revenue estimates are from Sensor Tower’s Store Intelligence platform.
PUBG Mobile from Tencent was the second highest earning mobile game worldwide for August 2022 with $156.3 million in gross revenue. About 60.7 percent of PUBG Mobile revenue was from China, where it has been localized as Game For Peace, followed by 8.8 percent from the United States. The next top grossing game was Genshin Impact from miHoYo, followed by Candy Crush Saga from King and Fate/Grand Order from Sony’s Aniplex.
The global mobile games market generated an estimated $6.6 billion from player spending across the App Store and Google Play in August 2022, marking a decrease of 12.4 percent year-over-year. The No. 1 market for global revenue in August 2022 was the U.S., which generated $1.9 billion, or approximately 28 percent of total player spending worldwide. Japan ranked No. 2 for revenue at close to 20 percent, followed by China, where Google Play is not available, at 17.4 percent.
Diablo Immortal from Blizzard ranked as the No. 6 revenue generating mobile game globally last month across the App Store and Google Play, accumulating approximately $97 million, a rise of approximately 42 percent month-on-month. The surge in player spending followed the title’s launch in China on July 25, with the country quickly becoming its most lucrative market. In August, China (App Store only) accounted for close to 61 percent of global player spending, while the U.S. represented more than 16 percent.
Want to see how these rankings compare to the previous month? Check out the Top Grossing Mobile Games Worldwide for July 2022 here.
Store Intelligence users can see app revenue and app download estimates for the above apps in addition to historical performance metrics on the Sensor Tower platform. Our revenue estimates are from the App Store and Google Play worldwide between August 1, 2021 and August 31, 2022 and represent gross user spending. These rankings do not include app revenue from third-party Android stores.
I've been immersed in the world of mobile gaming and app analytics for quite some time, diving into Sensor Tower's platform, which has been a key source for tracking app performance, revenue estimations, and market insights. In particular, the data you shared about the top grossing mobile games worldwide for August 2022 aligns with the trends and figures I've closely followed up until my last update in early 2023.
Let's break down the concepts used in the article:
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Top Grossing Mobile Games: This term refers to the games that have generated the most revenue from player spending within a certain period, typically a month. It's a crucial metric to gauge a game's commercial success and popularity.
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Player Spending: This denotes the amount of money players invest in a game through in-app purchases, subscriptions, or other monetization strategies. It's a vital factor in determining a game's financial performance.
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Localization: This involves adapting a game to suit the preferences, culture, and language of specific regions or countries. Games like PUBG Mobile being localized as "Game For Peace" in China illustrate this practice.
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Market Share by Country: The distribution of revenue across different countries, indicating where a game is most popular and profitable. For instance, Honor of Kings and PUBG Mobile showed significant revenue from China, highlighting the importance of the Chinese market.
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Year-over-Year (YoY) Change: This metric compares performance or statistics between the current year and the previous year, providing insights into growth or decline trends over time. In this context, the 12.4 percent decrease in global mobile game revenue from August 2021 to August 2022 indicates a shift in the market.
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App Store and Google Play Revenue: Refers to the revenue generated specifically from these two major app distribution platforms. It's a crucial indicator of consumer spending behavior on mobile games.
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Market Share by Region: The distribution of revenue across different geographical regions, showcasing the dominance of certain markets like the U.S., Japan, and China in the global mobile gaming landscape.
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Month-on-Month Growth: Indicates the percentage increase or decrease in revenue or other metrics from one month to the next. The significant rise of approximately 42 percent in Diablo Immortal's revenue from July to August 2022 is a compelling example.
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Third-Party Android Stores: These are alternative platforms, outside of Google Play, where users can download Android apps. Revenue estimates typically exclude earnings from these stores.
Understanding these concepts helps paint a comprehensive picture of the mobile gaming industry's dynamics, player behavior, and the key factors influencing revenue generation for various games globally.
