Tencent's Honor of Kings Anniversary Fuels $6.8 Billion Mobile Game Market
Global mobile game spending rebounded in October, propelled by lucrative anniversary celebrations for established titles and widespread seasonal promotions, with Tencent’s blockbuster Honor of Kings leading a significant revenue growth surge.
Player spending on mobile games across the App Store and Google Play reached $6.8 billion in October, a 4.5 % increase from the previous month, according to data from Sensor Tower. The U.S. remained the largest market, accounting for 32 % of total revenue, followed by China’s iOS market (14.8 %) and Japan (12 %). The data do not include sales from third-party Android stores.
The month's growth was significantly driven by a revenue spike in Honor of Kings, from Tencent Holdings Ltd., following its elaborate 10th-anniversary event. Meanwhile, FunPlus's Last War: Survival maintained its position as the top-grossing title globally, while Halloween-themed events provided a substantial lift to games like Royal Match and MONOPOLY GO!.
The download market also saw a modest uptick, with global installations reaching 3.78 billion. The month highlighted the effectiveness of seasonal content and accessible game design, as seen with the rapid ascent of X-Clash, a new strategy title from a Chinese developer that became the fastest-growing game by downloads.
Anniversary and Holiday Events Boost Top Earners
Major in-game events, known as Live Ops, were a primary engine for revenue growth among top-tier titles in October. The revenue for Honor of Kings saw a notable increase starting 24 October, driven by its 10th-anniversary festivities. The event, which included limited-time currency, prize draws and sought-after character skins, culminated in a star-studded "Co-creation Night" live stream on 26 October. The celebration pushed the game’s in-app-purchase revenue up 11 % month-over-month, reaffirming the critical role of large-scale anniversary events in sustaining long-term user engagement and monetisation.
Halloween-themed promotions also proved to be a powerful trend. Royal Match secured its position in the top three global earners with a steady stream of Halloween updates. Similarly, MONOPOLY GO! sustained strong momentum through consecutive holiday-themed activities, while Whiteout Survival leveraged its 2025 Halloween event to remain in the top five. The success of these seasonal campaigns underscores how coordinated Live Ops and cosmetic-driven rewards are key catalysts for revenue.
New Content and Franchises Spur Growth
Beyond the top of the charts, several games posted impressive revenue gains driven by new content and strong intellectual-property (IP) tie-ins. Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket celebrated its first anniversary on 30 October with a "Mega Rising" update that introduced new "Mega Evolution Pokémon ex" mechanics and enhanced social features, reigniting player spending, particularly in Japan and the U.S.
SD Gundam G Generation Eternal also gained momentum from a new story season, "Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory Part 2", which featured fan-favourite units that spurred renewed purchasing enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Smilegate's new turn-based RPG, Chaos Zero: Nightmare, broke into the top-ten revenue-growth chart after its launch. The title’s mix of tactical combat, cinematic narrative and an anime-inspired sci-fi aesthetic helped it stand out in a crowded market.
Seasonal Updates and New Entries Drive Download Charts
In the download market, which grew 2.2 % to 3.78 billion installs, seasonal events and regional launches were pivotal. India continued to lead the market with 676 million downloads, or 18 % of the total. The casual title Block Blast! reclaimed the top spot on the download chart after its "Spooktacular Halloween!" event drove user acquisition in the U.S., Indonesia and India.
Industry giants Roblox and Free Fire maintained their high rankings at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, using large-scale seasonal content like the "Halloween Spotlight" and "Light Fest 2025" to keep their communities engaged. The month’s fastest-growing game was X-Clash from Glacier Network, a 4X strategy title that surged to fourth on the global download chart. Its success is attributed to streamlined base-building and hero-collection mechanics, making the complex genre more accessible for mobile users and fuelling rapid growth in markets like India, Brazil and Indonesia. Other notable entries included EA SPORTS FC Mobile, which climbed the charts following its launch in Vietnam, and ScarFall 2.0: Battle Royale, an Indian-developed title that gained traction with its offering of offline play and fast-paced combat.