AppMagic: Most Downloaded and Highest-Grossing Mobile Games of October 2021

This analysis provides an overview of the global mobile gaming landscape for October 2021, focusing on download volume and revenue generation. The data highlights a significant trend in the mobile market during this period: the rapid emergence of hyper-casual titles inspired by the popular South Korean series, Squid Game. These titles dominated the download charts, with five of the eight new entries in the top rankings leveraging the show’s branding and mechanics.

In terms of download performance, Free Fire MAX emerged as the global leader, securing 41.5 million downloads, primarily driven by Android users. On the iOS platform, the Chinese version of League of Legends: Wild Rift claimed the top spot with 6.8 million downloads. Notable hyper-casual titles capitalizing on the Squid Game trend included 456: Survival Game, which reached 36.3 million downloads, and Cookie Carver: Life Challenge, which garnered 25.2 million downloads.

The revenue landscape remained more stable, with PUBG Mobile leading the global grossing charts at $107.7 million. Honor of Kings dominated the iOS market with $87.7 million, while ODIN: Valhalla Rising led on Android with $53.1 million. The Chinese version of League of Legends: Wild Rift was the only new title to break into the top-grossing rankings, earning $43.5 million. Additionally, the long-standing title Monster Strike demonstrated continued market relevance, generating $71.8 million in total revenue for the month. The findings underscore the influence of pop culture trends on short-term download spikes, contrasted with the sustained financial performance of established, high-revenue mobile franchises.