Chinese Mobile Games Market: 2019 vs. 2020

The Chinese mobile games market underwent significant shifts between Q2 2019 and Q2 2020, a period heavily influenced by the global COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis focuses on the iOS market, utilizing in-app purchase revenue data from the top 500 games to evaluate changes in subgenre performance and publisher market share. The study highlights how evolving player behaviors and the emergence of new competitive titles altered the industry landscape during this twelve-month window.

Key findings indicate a notable decline in the dominance of the MMORPG subgenre, which saw its revenue share drop by over eight percent to 23.5%. Conversely, other mid-core categories experienced growth, specifically 4X strategy games, battle royale titles, and idle RPGs. The surge in 4X strategy was largely driven by the success of Lingxi Games’ Romance of the Three Kingdoms – Strategic version, while the idle RPG category benefited from the performance of Lilith Games’ AFK Arena. Additionally, the poker and card game subgenre saw an uptick in revenue, potentially linked to pandemic-related restrictions on physical social gatherings.

The competitive hierarchy among publishers also shifted during this period. Tencent experienced a contraction in its market share, falling from 49.58% to 39.26%, representing a revenue decrease of over $125 million. While NetEase maintained a relatively stable revenue position, the market saw a significant influx of new competition. Lingxi Games emerged as a major player, growing its market share from 0.38% to 6.64%, while Lilith Games successfully scaled its presence from zero to 2.89%. These findings illustrate a diversifying market where established giants face increasing pressure from agile competitors capitalizing on specific genre trends.