Market (Mobile)·Updated Apr 8, 2026 by Sensor Tower
Report · January 1, 2024
Published by Sensor Tower
The report examines Southeast Asian mobile gaming in 2024, focusing on download volumes, in‑app purchase (IAP) revenue, genre performance, country dynamics, and top titles. In the first half of 2024, downloads rose 3.4 % to 4.2 billion, with Google Play accounting for 91 %. IAP revenue increased 3.4 % to $1.16 billion, though a slight 3 % decline in overall revenue was noted compared to the prior half‑year; Google Play contributed 57 % of total earnings. Mid‑core, simulation, arcade, puzzle and lifestyle games dominated downloads (67 % of total), while strategy and RPG titles captured 47 % of revenue, despite modest declines in downloads. Sports games experienced a 39 % revenue surge, representing 9 % of total market income. Indonesia remains the largest download hub, growing 10 % in January‑August 2024 and contributing over 41 % of regional downloads; Thailand follows with a 10 % revenue rise. The top downloaders include Garena Free Fire, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Roblox, and Honor of Kings, the latter achieving a 175 % month‑over‑month jump in July after its Southeast Asian launch. Revenue leaders are Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, eFootball 2024, Garena Free Fire, and Roblox, with eFootball showing a 90 % revenue spike. The analysis draws on Sensor Tower’s estimated download and IAP data from the App Store and Google Play, excluding ad revenue and third‑party sales.
SensorTower SRRT C SA AIOOO S o u t h e a st A s i a n Mobile Game Market Insights 2024
iew Sensor Tower Introduction/Overview — epth analysis of the This report provides an in-depth analysis App Store and Google Play mobile game markets of the App Store and 2024, covering the overall e in Southeast Asian in 2024, in these revenue and download trends in these genres, markets, revenue shares and trends across top game genres, download and revenue changes across different countries, as well as well Ar as top mobile games by revenue and downloads. Through case case study, this report will also help you decode how top games top games successfully penetrated the Southeast Asian markets. utheast Asian markets. Clarification on Revenue and Downloads Data Sensor Tower's revenue figures are derived from estimated in-app purchase (IAP) revenue on the App Store and Google Play, excluding d from estimated in-app purchase (IAP) revenue on ad revenue, revenue from third-party Android appstore sales, and direct payment revenue from developers’ websites and other channels. Unless explicitly stated as net revenue, the revenue figures shown represent gross revenue (before platform deduction). nue figures shown represent gross revenue (before Sensor Tower's downloads figures are derived from estimated downloads on the App Store and Google Play, excluding pre-installs, duplicate downloads, and downloads from third-party Android app-store. Google Play is not available in Mainland China. cate downloads, and downloads from third-party ble in Mainland China.
Contents Introduction/Overview 02 Overview of the Southeast Asian Mobile Game Market 04 Popular Mobile Games and Top Publishers in Southeast Asia 08 Case Study: Honor of Kings 13 Key Takeaways 19
In the first half of 2024, mobile game downloads in Southeast Asia increased by 3.4% compared to the previous half-year period, reaching 4.2 billion, with 91% coming from Google Play Note: Data as of June 2024. Source: Sensor Tower Store Intelligence Sensor Tower's download data is derived from estimated downloads on the App Store and Google Play, excluding pre-installs, duplicate downloads, and downloads from third-party Android app-store. Google Play is not available in Mainland China. During the first half of 2024, mobile game downloads in the Southeast Asian market rose In the first half of 2024, the IAP revenue of mobile games in the Southeast Asian market by 3.4% compared to the previous half-year, totalling 4.2 billion downloads, of which 91% decreased slightly by 3.0% compared to previous half-year to $1.16 billion, close to the were from Google Play. level in 2020H1. Google Play revenue accounted for 57% of the total. Mobile Game Downloads Trends in Southeast Asia Mobile Game IAP Revenue in Southeast Asia from 2020H1 to 2024H1 from 2020H1 to 2024H1 App Store Google Play App Store Google Play 4.5B $1.4B 3B $0.7B 1.5B 0B $0B 2020H1 2020H2 2021H1 2021H2 2022H1 2022H2 2023H1 2023H2 2024H1 2020H1 2020H2 2021H1 2021H2 2022H1 2022H2 2023H1 2023H2 2024H1
From January to August 2024, downloads of mid-core mobile games in the Southeast Asian market grew significantly, while revenue from sports mobile games increased by 39% period-over-period Note: Data as of August 2024. Source: Sensor Tower Store Intelligence Sensor Tower's download data is derived from estimated downloads on the App Store and Google Play, excluding pre-installs, duplicate downloads, and downloads from third-party Android app-store. Google Play is not available in Mainland China. Between January and August 2024, simulation, arcade, puzzle, and lifestyle mobile games On the revenue side, strategy and RPG mobile games collectively accounted for 47% of accounted for 67% of the total downloads in the Southeast Asian market. total, though they experienced period-over-period declines of 3% and 9%, respectively. Specifically, downloads of simulation, strategy, shooting, and RPG mobile games grew by Meanwhile, revenue from sports mobile games spiked by 39% period-over-period, 11%, 14%, 6%, and 7%, respectively. accounting for 9% of the total mobile game revenue in Southeast Asia. Mobile Games Downloads Share in Southeast Asia Mobile Game IAP Revenue Share in Southeast Asia by Genre (January-August 2024) Market by Genre (January-August 2024) Others Others 13% Simulation 8% Action 22% +11% YoY Puzzle Strategy -0.3% YoY 5% +6% YoY 8% 24% -3% YoY RPG Shooter +7% YoY 5% +0.5% YoY 8% Shooter S Downloads ower 0 Revenue +6% YoY 5% Downloads Sports +14% Strategy Arcade +39% YoY 9% YoY 5% 19% -4% YoY Lifestyle Simulation RPG +4% YoY 10% Puzzle +2% YoY 9% 23% -9% YoY
ion 8% Action 22% +11% YoY Puzzle Strategy -0.3% YoY 5% +6% YoY 8% 24% -3% YoY RPG Shooter +7% YoY 5% +0.5% YoY 8% Shooter S Downloads ower 0 Revenue +6% YoY 5% Downloads Sports +14% Strategy Arcade +39% YoY 9% YoY 5% 19% -4% YoY Lifestyle Simulation RPG +4% YoY 10% Puzzle +2% YoY 9% 23% -9% YoY 16% -6% YoY -14% YoY Casino 11%
The 2026 State of Gaming analysis demonstrates a shifting landscape in which mobile gaming remains the largest driver of downloads—approximately 50 billion in 2025—but its growth rate is slowing. Revenue, however, continues to climb as monetization models mature and lifetime value deepens, especially within hybrid‑casual titles that now generate the most incremental income. In contrast, PC and console platforms experience record revenue growth, with Steam’s premium segment up 32 % and blockbuster releases such as Battlefield 6 capturing significant market share from incumbents. Shooter downloads on these platforms have plateaued, suggesting new titles are primarily cannibalizing existing audiences rather than expanding the category. Genre‑specific dynamics reveal that strategy games are the only mobile genre to grow in downloads, driven by 4X titles from Eastern developers. Action and shooter games dominate PC/console gains, while hyper‑casual remains the largest download engine but shows a notable lift in time spent, particularly in Tier 2 markets. Casual titles face declining day‑7 retention, indicating a stickiness challenge that could erode long‑term player value. Live‑ops and acquisition strategies have evolved toward retention‑focused events, multi‑tier season passes, and expedition‑style rewards. These mechanisms now represent the most reliable revenue drivers across competitive genres such as RPG, action, and simulation. Advertising spend remains concentrated on social channels—YouTube, Facebook/Instagram—and high‑attention formats like video, playable, and rewarded ads. Battlefield 6’s pre‑launch spend surpassed Call of Duty titles, leveraging Facebook, Reddit, and desktop display, while its post‑launch strategy pivoted to YouTube with cinematic, celebrity‑hook creatives. Geographically, the U.S. market shows a skew toward lifestyle and puzzle categories despite lower IAP shares, whereas casino titles exhibit higher spend‑to‑revenue efficiency. Overall, the industry is moving from acquisition toward deeper monetization per user, with indie shooters and simulation titles gaining traction amid intense competition in the shooter segment.
The report argues that non‑gaming mobile applications are experiencing accelerated growth driven by AI integration, short‑form content, and intensified user acquisition competition. Key findings show that Android dominates download volume—particularly in Utilities (79 % of installs) and Life Services (58 %)—while iOS generates a higher share of revenue, especially in Finance & Business (56 % of iOS revenue) and Life Services (57 %). In 2025, AI‑focused apps such as ChatGPT (+1,340 %) and Perplexity (+3,613 %) achieved the highest year‑over‑year download growth, and Short Drama titles like Kuku TV (+45 % k) and RapidTV (+498 %) recorded explosive revenue increases, with AI Social apps (e.g., Character AI +918 %) also driving significant monetization. User acquisition activity expanded across all major categories, with Life Services (+42 %) and Finance & Business (+43.5 %) leading the rise in app counts. Smart bidding adoption surged, with Target ROAS spend increasing by 50 % and Target CPE spending up 57 %, particularly in Utilities and Entertainment. Cost‑per‑install (CPI) analysis revealed that E‑Commerce on Android commands a 3× premium, while Finance & Business on iOS reaches 4.6×, underscoring high competition for transactional users. Monetization patterns shift toward in‑app advertising (IAA), dominating across Education, Utilities, and Entertainment. Video formats—rewarded and interstitial—outperform banner ads by 128–165× eCPM, with North America delivering the highest rewarded video eCPMs (up to 11.8× in Short Drama). The report covers global markets excluding Mainland China from January to December 2025, drawing on anonymized data from Mintegral and Insightrackr across 100+ key app categories.
The 2026 State of Mobile report demonstrates that the global mobile ecosystem remains mature yet increasingly monetized, with 2025 in‑app purchase (IAP) revenue reaching $85.6 billion—a 21 % year‑over‑year rise that now places non‑game apps ahead of games for the first time. Generative AI and short‑form drama have become the fastest‑growing subgenres, driving double‑digit IAP growth; AI assistants such as ChatGPT alone generated $3.4 billion in 2025, while short‑drama apps captured more than ten percent of global video‑entertainment time. These categories also show a shift from acquisition to retention, with session volumes outpacing downloads and time spent tripling in AI apps. Hybrid‑casual and hyper‑casual games continue to lead revenue growth, especially in Tier 2 markets where downloads are falling but engagement is surging. Publishers targeting these segments can capture higher revenue per user, though they face tighter ad‑spend competition and a move toward high‑attention formats. In the gaming web arena, Roblox dominates with 74 % of game‑publisher site visits in 2025, underscoring the importance of product‑centric web design. Beyond entertainment, general‑shopping apps such as Temu and Amazon maintain massive download volumes, with grocery and buy‑and‑sell subgenres growing 5 % and 4 % YoY, respectively. Food & drink apps hit a record 2.4 billion downloads in 2025, driven largely by emerging markets like India and the Middle East. Mobility and sports apps also show notable shifts: Waymo’s standalone app captured 15 % of rideshare MAUs in key U.S. metros, while DFS‑style sports betting apps now command 80 % of the betting‑app MAU share, reflecting regulatory impacts and new market entrants. Overall, the report covers a global geographic scope with particular emphasis on the U.S., India, Western Europe, and emerging Tier 2 markets. It spans 2025 data with forward‑looking insights for 2026, highlighting AI’s transformative role across monetization, user engagement, and competitive dynamics in the mobile industry.
1. Market trajectory What direction is the PC and console market heading in 2026? 8 What direction is the PC and console market heading in 2026? 2. Attention & value allocation Where do players spend time and money on PC and console? 17 3. Market concentration What happens if you are not a top-20 game? 45 4.