The Top Mobile Apps and Games of January 2018: Tencent's QQ Speed Races Up the Revenue Charts

This analysis examines the global mobile application and gaming landscape for January 2018, utilizing Store Intelligence data to rank performance across the Apple App Store and Google Play. The primary objective is to identify market leaders in consumer spending and download volume, highlighting significant shifts in user behavior and the emergence of new titles.

In the non-game sector, Tinder emerged as the top-grossing application, generating over $68 million in consumer spending and displacing Netflix from the position it held throughout 2017. Facebook maintained dominance in download volume, with four of its core applications—WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Facebook—securing spots in the top five. The Chinese market remained a significant driver of revenue, with five of the top ten highest-grossing iOS apps originating from the region.

The gaming sector saw Fate/Grand Order claim the top revenue spot, overtaking Monster Strike. Tencent’s QQ Speed made a notable debut, ranking fifth in overall revenue and securing the top download spot on the Apple App Store. While battle royale titles such as Rules of Survival, Free Fire, and Knives Out achieved high download rankings, they have yet to reach the top tier of revenue generation. Meanwhile, Subway Surfers reclaimed the lead in total global game downloads. The findings suggest that while new genres are capturing significant user interest, established titles continue to dominate the highest revenue brackets, with regional preferences in South Korea and China playing a pivotal role in global performance metrics.