On March 19th, the renowned research institution DataEye released its observation of Tencent Games' performance in the first quarter of 2024. According to their calculated data, within three months after its public release, "Star of the Elements" gained a total of 129 million new registered users across all channels. In terms of user registration, it is considered one of the fastest-growing games in gaming history.
Furthermore, the DataEye Research Institute pointed out that Tencent Games' new frontline lineup is making strides. "Battle of the Golden Shovel," "League of Legends Mobile," and "Breakout in the Dark Zone" saw significant year-on-year increases in revenue and daily active users in January and February of this year, indicating that these products are becoming growth engines for Tencent Games.
With major DAU games steadily progressing, the significant achievements of the new frontline lineup are evident.
According to projections from the DataEye Research Institute, in February of this year, "Arena of Valor" on iOS saw a month-on-month revenue increase of approximately 4% (after deducting platform shares). It also experienced a peak in daily active users on New Year's Eve, with a 28% increase compared to February 1st. Data from Sensor Tower's rankings show that "Arena of Valor" continued to dominate the domestic gaming bestseller list even after the Chinese New Year holiday.
Another high-DAU product, "Peace Elite," saw a 17.5% month-over-month revenue increase on the iOS platform (excluding platform shares) in February this year. It hit a peak in daily active users on the first day of the Lunar New Year, with a nearly 30% increase compared to February 1st.
Let's take a look at the latest lineup from Tencent Games. According to DataEye Research Institute's data estimates, in January and February of this year, "Clash of Pickaxes" saw a year-on-year revenue increase of 102% and 152%, respectively.
In January and February, the DAU (Daily Active Users) of "Battle of Golden Shovel" increased by 89% and 91% respectively compared to the same periods last year.
The performance of "League of Legends: Wild Rift" is also impressive, with a year-over-year revenue growth of 34% in January and 120% in February this year.
The DAU (Daily Active Users) for "League of Legends: Wild Rift" increased by 15% and 20% respectively year-over-year.
Sure, don't forget about the rising star "Dark Zone Breakout." In January and February this year, "Dark Zone Breakout" saw a year-over-year revenue increase of 34% and 213%, respectively.
In January and February, the DAU (Daily Active Users) of "Dark Zone Breakout" increased by approximately 8% and 46% respectively, compared to the same period last year.
In addition to the steady performance of the two flagship products, the growth of the new frontline lineup including "Peacekeeper Elite," "League of Legends: Wild Rift," and "Area F2" should not be underestimated. They have taken on the role of Tencent Games' new growth engine by continuously delivering gameplay content, adopting non-compulsory payment business models, and promoting mass participation through esports events.
With 129 million registrations in just three months, "The Dream of Stars" has seen astonishing growth.
Looking at the highest ranking on the iOS bestseller list, "The Dream of Stars" consistently ranks at the top in the sub-category of family gathering games. While it remained stable on the overall bestseller list until February 15th, there was a slight decline in revenue after the end of the Spring Festival holiday. However, with the start of the third season on March 15th, "The Dream of Stars" has once again climbed into the TOP10.
The fluctuation in the bestseller rankings, especially around the Spring Festival, can be easily analyzed. The reason? "Star of Yuan Dream" has fewer pay points and lower pricing.
"Star of Yuan Dream" has always been a low-cost product since its launch, with most costumes almost given away for free. This trend continued during the Spring Festival. By comparing the paid costumes, guaranteed rewards, and recharge rebates of "Star of Yuan Dream" and "Egg Party," you'll find that "Star of Yuan Dream" offers lower prices and better value.
Driven by both conscience welfare and multi-channel marketing, according to DataEye Research Institute's calculations, within three months after the public beta, "Star of Yuan Dream" gained 129 million new registered users across all channels. In terms of registered users, it can be called one of the fastest-growing games in history. Comparing the performance of the first three months after launch, "Star of Yuan Dream" far exceeds "Egg Party" or most other games.
Overall, at this stage, "Star of Yuan Dream" is still in the stage of increasing DAU (Daily Active Users), focusing on improving user welfare and gaming experience, and expanding user base to make the cake even bigger. Recently, the new version of "Star of Yuan Dream" directly connected with the WeChat and QQ platforms, supporting cross-platform search and inviting friends. In terms of social connectivity, "Star of Yuan Dream" clearly has more moves. DataEye Research Institute believes that by the third quarter, "Star of Yuan Dream" may climb steadily again, but the growth is not expected to be very aggressive.
With diverse overseas layouts, there's more to come after the second dimension.
As Tencent's flagship product for going global, "PUBG MOBILE" generated approximately 650 million RMB in revenue in the overseas market in Q1 of this year. The United States market contributed the highest revenue, accounting for about 130 million RMB.
Another hit title from Tencent's global publishing brand, Level Infinite, is the anime-style RPG+TPS game "NIKKE," which was launched in November 2022. In its debut month alone, it generated a staggering 719 million RMB in global revenue. As of March 10th, the cumulative revenue from its mobile version has reached approximately 3.79 billion RMB.
In addition to these flagship titles, Tencent Games has several other new releases making waves overseas. On February 21st, the MOBA mobile game "Honor of Kings," under Tencent Timi Studios, officially launched in 57 countries and regions worldwide, spanning the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Asia, and many other overseas territories.
Additionally, "NBA Infinite" has claimed the top spot in the free game hot list on the Google Play Store, with over 1 million downloads and securing a spot in the top ten sports games in 61 regions worldwide.
Overall, Tencent's gaming ventures are proving highly successful. Not only did "PUBG MOBILE" witness a surge in revenue last year, but the collaboration between "NIKKE" and "NieR: Automata" even trended on Twitter in Japan, showcasing their influence and user recognition.
Now, with "Arena of Valor" making another international push into its second phase of release, it's bound to shake up the global MOBA scene. Reports suggest that this year's esports for "Honor of Kings" will see a $15 million investment in the international esports ecosystem, bringing local and international tournaments to players and teams in various regions. This move is expected to further bolster the global presence of "Honor of Kings."
