July 2018 Top 30 Chinese Mobile Games by Overseas Revenue

The July 2018 rankings of Chinese mobile games by overseas revenue highlight shifting market leadership and the efficacy of new monetization strategies. The primary objective of this analysis is to identify the top 30 highest-grossing Chinese-developed titles in international markets, utilizing store intelligence data to track performance trends and revenue drivers.

IGG’s Lords Mobile reclaimed the top position in July 2018, generating $35 million in overseas revenue, with the United States serving as its largest market, contributing 20% of that total. This performance allowed it to surpass NetEase’s Knives Out, which had previously held the lead. Meanwhile, Tencent’s PUBG Mobile demonstrated significant growth, climbing from the 20th position in June to 4th place in July. This surge resulted in over $20 million in monthly overseas revenue, largely driven by the introduction of the Royale Pass system.

The implementation of the Royale Pass, a $10 in-app purchase model inspired by Fortnite, effectively doubled the daily revenue for PUBG Mobile. The success of this monetization feature suggests a broader industry trend toward battle-pass systems, which are expected to see increased adoption across various game genres. Revenue for PUBG Mobile was notably balanced between the United States and Japan, which accounted for 24% and 21% of its international earnings, respectively. These findings underscore the critical impact of localized monetization features on the global competitiveness of Chinese mobile gaming exports.