Honor of Kings tops global mobile game revenue in October, with Royal Match close behind

In October 2024, the global mobile gaming scene saw significant shifts in rankings as top titles battled for dominance in revenue and downloads, according to Sensor Tower. Leading the charge in revenue was Tencent’s Honor of Kings, which held its top position thanks to a 10% revenue boost from celebratory events marking the game’s ninth anniversary. This event, featuring a limited-edition skin inspired by traditional Chinese aesthetics, was a hit among fans, driving high engagement and increased spending in China, particularly via the App Store.

Second in revenue rankings was Royal Match, a match-swap game that leveraged Halloween-themed events like Haunted Pass and Spooky Rise to captivate players and boost spending to $177 million—a 3% month-over-month increase, with nearly half of this revenue from U.S. players. Following closely were Last War: Survival, MONOPOLY GO!, and Whiteout Survival, each experiencing steady growth in October.

The global mobile game market generated $6.55 billion in consumer spending from the App Store and Google Play in October, although this figure marked a slight 0.7% decline from September. The U.S. remained the largest revenue-generating market, accounting for approximately $2 billion, followed by China and Japan.

Per the report, October introduced new contenders with remarkable revenue growth. Tree of Savior: Neverland, Age of Empires Mobile, and Pokémon TCG Pocket entered the top ten revenue growth rankings. Each game resonated with nostalgic themes and adapted classic gameplay to mobile formats, appealing to both long-standing fans and new players alike. Tree of Savior: Neverland, developed by Qookka Games, saw rapid popularity in East Asia and generated over $23 million, largely due to its engaging MMORPG experience and unique art style. Age of Empires Mobile, published by Level Infinite, attracted strategy enthusiasts with mobile-optimized controls and real-time multiplayer events, earning $10.7 million in October. Pokémon TCG Pocket, bringing the classic trading card game to mobile, quickly amassed millions of downloads and revenue over $42 million.

In terms of downloads, Mini Games: Calm & Relax topped the charts in October 2024, with nearly 26 million downloads, especially popular in India and Indonesia due to its stress-relieving, offline-play features. Garena Free Fire, known for its high-energy battle royale experience, maintained the #2 spot with 22.8 million downloads, spurred by the “Booyah My Way” event, which introduced exclusive rewards. Other games rounding out the top five included My Supermarket Simulator 3D, Block Blast!, and Roblox, each appealing to diverse audiences and capturing significant download numbers globally.

October saw global mobile game downloads rise by 4.8%, with 3.9 billion downloads across app stores. India led with the most downloads, followed by the U.S. and Brazil. Rising stars in download growth included Tik Tap Challenge, a quick-play arcade title from XGame Global, and Age of Empires Mobile, both achieving substantial engagement due to accessible gameplay and well-adapted classic mechanics for mobile.