MOBA Mobile Games 2021 - The State of - An Analysis of the MOBA Sub-Genre - Sensor Tower
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The State of MOBA Mobile Games 2021 — An Analysis of the MOBA Sub-Genre
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved Table of Contents 03 - Introduction 04 - Game Intelligence: Taxonomy 05 - The History of MOBAs 06 - MOBA Mobile Games: Worldwide Overview 15 - Top MOBA Mobile Games Globally 20 - Top MOBA Mobile Games in the U.S. 25 - Intellectual Property in MOBA Mobile Games 30 - Product Overview 34 - Conclusion
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Introduction
This report presents an overview of the MOBA (Multiplayer Online
Battle Arena) sub-genre of mobile games, delving into the current
market landscape, the most popular titles, and growth opportunities.
This analysis leverages Sensor Tower’s Game Taxonomy, Game
Intelligence, and Store Intelligence data.
● Revenue figures represent gross consumer spending (before the
fees taken by Apple or Google).
● Download estimates presented are on a per-user basis, meaning
that only one download per Apple or Google account is counted
towards the total.
● Downloads of the same app by the same user to multiple devices,
app updates, or re-installs of the same app by the same user are
not counted towards the total.
● Android app install estimates represent downloads from the
Google Play Store only. Sensor Tower does not provide download
estimates for third-party Android stores.
3
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Game Intelligence: Taxonomy
CASUAL MID-CORE SPORTS & RACING
Hypercasual Arcade Tabletop RPG Action Sports
Hypercasual - Puzzle Platform / Runner Board Turn-based RPG Action Sandbox Arcade Sports
Hypercasual - Arcade Idler Drawing & Coloring MMORPG Beat ‘em Up Realistic Sports
Hypercasual - Simulation Traditional Shoot ‘em Up Solitaire / Mahjong Survival Fighting Sports Manager
Hypercasual - Traversal Arcade Driving Card Puzzle RPG Hack and Slash
Hypercasual - Action Social Party Idle RPG Open World Adventure
Racing
Hypercasual - .io Other Arcade Squad RPG Move and Shoot
Puzzle Arcade Racing
Hypercasual - Ultracasual Action RPG
Classic Match 3 Realistic Racing
Hypercasual - Sports
Simulation
Other Match 3 Shooter
Hypercasual - Racing
Simulator Puzzle & Decorate Strategy
Hypercasual - Other FPS / 3PS
Driving / Flight Simulator Word CASINO
4X Strategy Sniper
Tycoon / Crafting Hidden Objects Build & Battle Battle Royale
Casino
Lifestyle Adventure Trivia Tower Defense Tactical Shooter
Poker / Cards
Time Management Action Puzzle
Customization Tactical Battler
Slots
Sandbox Bubble Shooter
Interactive Story Card Battler
Bingo
Breeding Tile Blast
Music / Band Empire Simulation
Social Casino
Lifestyle Simulator Merge MOBA
Other Casino
Geolocation AR Other Puzzle
Geolocation AR
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Timeline: The History of MOBA Games
WARCRAFT LEAGUE OF LEGENDS VAINGLORY MOBILE LEGENDS WILD RIFT
Warcraft III’s World Editor Inspired by DotA, Riot Games Vainglory becomes the first Moonton’s Mobile Legends: 11 years after its release on PC,
enables map creation. DotA develops League of Legends MOBA to succeed on mobile, Bang Bang launches globally. It Riot Games launches League of
(Defense of the Ancients) is (LoL) for PC. It becomes one of adapting complex play goes on to become one of the Legends on mobile with a new
among the most popular. the world’s largest eSports. mechanics to the touchscreen. most success MOBAs on mobile. tile in the series, Wild Rift.
1998 2002 2004 2009 2013 2014 2015 2016 2018 2020 2021
STARCRAFT DOTA ALLSTARS DOTA 2 HONOR OF KINGS BRAWL STARS POKÉMON UNITE
Blizzard launches StarCraft, Warcraft’s editor results in many Developed by Valve, DOTA 2 Developed by TiMi, Tencent’s Supercell launches Brawl Stars Tencent’s Pokémon Unite
which features a map editor new maps for the game. DotA debuts on the company’s Steam mobile Honor of Kings launches worldwide, introducing a more launches on mobile. It heads to
called StarEdit. Aeon of Strife, a spawns DotA Allstars, an even platform and becomes one of in China and becomes the most casual approach to the MOBA the top of the download
prelude to DotA, is born. more polished, popular map. the most played games ever. popular MOBA in that market. sub-genre for mobile players. rankings in all major markets.
MOBA Mobile Games: Worldwide Overview — The Current State of the MOBA Sub-Genre on Mobile
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Market Overview: Worldwide Revenue
The Mid-Core class is a collection of genres that
Revenue share by Game Class, Genre, and Sub-Genre between January and August 2021
appeal to a more dedicated gaming audience.
They typically require a significant time
investment by players, have complex
mechanics, and monetize through in-app
Tower Defense purchases. This class accounts for 60 percent of
4%
Tactical Battler
5%
worldwide player spending.
Empire Simulation
5%
Geolocation AR
9%
Card Battler
5% Strategy games rely on the player's decision-
Tabletop
Build & Battle
6% making skills to make strategic choices.
7%
Arcade Typically, they are slower paced and more
6%
MOBA mechanically complex than other genres.
23%
Strategy ranks as the No. 2 genre by player
spending, accounting for 34 percent of the Mid-
Core market. This genre was bigger than
Sports & Racing
5%
Shooter, Action, and Sports & Racing combined.
In MOBA games, players execute real-time team-
Racing based actions with strategic objectives. These
20%
games usually have very limited power
progression and monetize mainly through
cosmetics. This sub-genre accounts for 23
percent of Strategy game player spending.
MOBA Overview 7
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Market Overview: Worldwide Downloads
Downloads by Game Class, Genre, and Sub-Genre between January through August 2021
Even though more than half of player spending
is concentrated in the Mid-Core class, the vast
majority of downloads are from Casual games.
Excluding Hypercasual, this class accounts for 70
percent of downloads. Mid-Core games account
Casino
2% for just 20 percent of worldwide installs.
The Shooter genre ranks as the most popular
Tactical Battler among Mid-Core games. Strategy is the second
14%
Tower Defense
15%
largest by downloads, accounting for 24 percent
MOBA of Mid-Core installs between January and
21% August 2021.
4X Strategy
34%
The MOBA sub-genre generated 208 million
downloads during this period, accounting for 21
percent of overall Strategy game installs.
Note:
Hypercasual titles are excluded from this chart.
MOBA Overview 8
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
MOBA Is One of The Fastest-Growing Strategy Sub-Genres
Quarterly worldwide Strategy genre revenue by sub-genre (indexed to Q1 2019)
4X Strategy Build & Battle Card Battler Empire Simulation MOBA Tactical Battler All Strategy Games
200% Two sub-genres stand out in terms of worldwide
revenue over the past two years: 4X Strategy and
MOBA. They are the fastest growing and highest
175%
4X Strategy grossing sub-genres, accounting for 52 percent
MOBA and 23 percent of overall Strategy genre
All Strategy revenue, respectively.
Games
150%
MOBA revenue increased by 14 percent
quarter-over-quarter during Q2 2021, its
steepest rise over the past year. During the first
125% Empire Simulation
Tactical Battler half of the year, games in this sub-genre
Card Battler
generated approximately $2 billion in player
Build & Battle
spending globally.
100%
75%
Note:
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
21
21
Tower Defense is excluded from the chart due to scale.
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
MOBA Overview 9
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
MOBA Downloads Declined Despite Revenue Growth
Quarterly worldwide Strategy genre downloads by sub-genre (indexed to Q1 2019)
4X Strategy Build & Battle Card Battler Empire Simulation MOBA Tactical Battler All Strategy Games
250%
Although MOBA is one of the fastest growing
strategy sub-genres by worldwide player
spending, downloads decreased by 10 percent
globally during Q2 2021.
200%
Card Battler
With the exception of Card Battler games,
downloads in the overall Strategy genre and
have stagnated or declined during the period
150%
between Q1 2019 and Q2 2021.
4X Strategy
100%
All Strategy
Games
Tactical Battler
MOBA
Build & Battle
Empire Simulation
50%
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
21
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
MOBA Overview 10© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Monthly Spending in Mobile MOBAs Exceeds $300 Million
Worldwide revenue and downloads for MOBA sub-genre
Revenue Average US$339M
$400M
US$298M +14% Y/Y Since the beginning of 2021, the MOBA sub-
+43% Y/Y
genre has held a new baseline in player
$300M US$208M
US$154M +35% Y/Y spending of more than $300 million per month.
$200M +11% Y/Y
US$139M
Lockdowns due to global COVID-19 pandemic
$100M
sparked a surge in revenue in the MOBA sub-
$0 genre, with average monthly player spending
rising by 43 percent year-over-year in 2020.
17
7
7
7
18
8
8
8
19
9
9
9
20
0
0
0
21
1
1
r-1
l-1
t-1
r-1
l-1
t-1
r-1
l-1
t-1
r-2
l-2
t-2
r-2
l-2
n-
n-
n-
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n-
Ju
Ju
Ju
Ju
Ju
Oc
Oc
Oc
Oc
Ap
Ap
Ap
Ap
Ap
Ja
Ja
Ja
Ja
Ja
December 2018: Brawl Stars
Downloads Average launched worldwide
Late 2020 to Early 2021: The MOBA sub-genre has continued to build
League of Legends: Wild Rift
60M
was gradually rolled out upon the gains it made in 2020, with average
across additional markets
50M monthly revenue rising by an additional 14
40M 27.9M 23.1M percent so far in 2021.
25.2M +10.5% Y/Y -17% Y/Y
30M 21.8M 22.5M +12% Y/Y
+3% Y/Y
20M Downloads are driven by big new releases, with
10M
titles such as Brawl Stars and League of Legends:
Wild Rift sparking increased installs in the MOBA
0
market.
17
7
7
7
18
8
8
8
19
9
9
9
20
0
0
0
21
1
1
r-1
l-1
t-1
r-1
l-1
t-1
r-1
l-1
t-1
r-2
l-2
t-2
r-2
l-2
n-
n-
n-
n-
n-
Ju
Ju
Ju
Ju
Ju
Oc
Oc
Oc
Oc
Ap
Ap
Ap
Ap
Ap
Ja
Ja
Ja
Ja
Ja
MOBA Overview 11© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Asia Makes Up Lion’s Share of Mobile MOBA Market
MOBA revenue and download market share by region
Asia North America Europe Latin America Middle East
While its share has decreased since 2018, Asia
93% 3% 3%
accounts for the vast majority of mobile MOBA
1%
18
20
revenue so far in 2021, making up 84 percent of
REVENUE
83% 5% 9% 2% 1%
player spending.
19
20
85% 4% 9% 1% 1%
Europe accounts for 9 percent of global MOBA
20
revenue, almost double that of North America.
20
84% 5% 9% 1% 1%
21
The market share for downloads in Asia has
20
0% 25% 50% 75% 100% dwindled during the past four years. Latin
America has seen the most gains, accounting for
67% 5% 15% 12% 1%
a 20 percent share of installs in 2021. Despite
18
this growth, the region still accounts for a small
20
percentage of global MOBA revenue.
DOWNLOADS
56% 4% 25% 12% 1%
19
20
54% 3% 24% 17% 2%
20
20
Note:
52% 5% 20% 20% 2%
Africa and Oceania are excluded.
21
20
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
MOBA Overview 12© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Mobile Legends Has the Greatest Global Appeal
All-time revenue breakdown by Asia and Rest of World
Honor of Kings #COMPASS Onmyoji Arena Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Some of the biggest MOBA titles worldwide are
0 7% focused largely on one market. #Compass,
available only in Japan, has generated $281
REVENUE
ASIAN
>50%
44% million in player spending to date. Honor of
56% Kings and Onmyoji Arena, meanwhile, have
accumulated most of their revenue in China.
100% 100% 93%
While the overall market generates the majority
Asia Other of revenue in Asia, titles such as Mobile Legends,
League of Legends, and Brawl Stars have been
League of Legends: Wild Rift Vainglory Brawl Stars Heroes Evolved
able to break out into other regions.
Mobile Legends from ByteDance-owned
22%
30% Moonton, which has grossed $1 billion to date,
NON-ASIAN
REVENUE
40%
has the most global appeal with 44 percent of its
>50%
45%
55% revenue emanating from outside Asia.
60%
70%
78%
Note:
Country flag indicates game’s top country by player spending.
MOBA Overview 13© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
MOBAs Find Sizable Audiences in Emerging Markets
Daily Active Users (DAU) by country between January and August 2021
Indonesia Philippines Brazil Other
Even though the United States ranks as the No. 1
country for player spending in Mobile Legends,
Mobile Legends:
Bang Bang
36% 15% 9% 41% Brawl Stars, and League of Legends: Wild Rift,
emerging markets such as Indonesia, Brazil, and
0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Russia were these titles’ leading markets by
daily active users (DAU).
Russia Brazil U.S. Turkey Other
In Mobile Legends, the emerging markets of
Indonesia, the Philippines, and Brazil accounted
Brawl Stars 11% 9% 8% 6% 66% for 60 percent of daily active users between
January and August 2021.
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Brazil stands out as one of the largest
Brazil Vietnam Philippines U.S. Other emerging markets for daily active users,
ranking No. 1 for League of Legends, No. 2 for
League of Legends:
13% 9% 7% 6% 66%
Brawl Stars, and No. 3 for Mobile Legends.
Wild Rif
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
MOBA Overview 14Top MOBA Mobile Games Worldwide — Analysis of Top Titles by Revenue and Downloads
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Honor of Kings Hits $10 Billion Lifetime Player Spending
Top grossing titles by worldwide player spending for January through August 2021
Google Play App Store
Launched in 2015, Honor of Kings has become
Honor of Kings . the highest earning mobile game globally,
surpassing $10 billion in total player spending.
Brawl Stars .
Between January 1 and August 31, 2021 alone,
the title accumulated more than $2 billion.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang .
League of Legends: Wild Rift . Brawl Stars from Supercell ranked as the No. 2
mobile MOBA by player spending, generating
#Compass . more than $320 million in lifetime sales. The
game’s largest market was the United States (16
Onmyoji Arena .
percent) followed by Germany (9.9 percent).
Dream of The Three Kingdoms .
The MOBA market is highly concentrated and
MARVEL Super War .
dominated by industry heavyweights such as
Tencent, Supercell, and ByteDance, making it
Tanks a Lot . challenging for newcomers to enter.
MARVEL Realm of Champions . Note:
Graph resized for scale. Spending totals do not include third-
$100M $200M $300M US$2B
$400M party Android stores.
Top Games Worldwide 16© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Mobile Legends Is The Most Downloaded MOBA of 2021
Top titles by worldwide downloads for January through August 2021
Google Play App Store
Mobile Legends is the world’s top MOBA by
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang . downloads between January and August of this
year, generating 54 million installs. Google Play
Brawl Stars .
accounted for 88.5 percent of all downloads and
accounted for 64.5 percent of revenue.
Honor of Kings .
League of Legends: Wild Rift . Brawl Stars ranks as the No. 2 mobile MOBA by
installs so far in 2021, accumulating nearly 50
MARVEL Super War . million downloads. Google Play also accounted
for the vast majority of Brawl Stars installs.
Tanks a Lot .
League of Legends: Wild Rift launched its North
Onmyoji Arena .
American beta during March 2021, and now
MARVEL Realm of Champions .
ranks as the No. 4 most downloaded title in the
sub-genre.
Heroes Arena .
Heroes of Dawn .
10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M
Top Games Worldwide 17© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
MOBA Is a Winner-Takes-All Market on Mobile
Top grossing MOBA mobile games worldwide
2019 2020 2021 The MOBA sub-genre is defined by its market
leaders–Honor of Kings, Brawl Stars, and Mobile
Legends—which have dominated the space for
1 Honor of Kings 1 Honor of Kings 1 Honor of Kings - years and have essentially made it a winner-
- - Tencent
Tencent Tencent
takes-all market.
Brawl Stars Brawl Stars Brawl Stars
2 Supercell
+2 2 Supercell
- 2 Supercell
- Honor of Kings rules the sub-genre in China, but
has encountered difficulty developing global
appeal. Mobile Legends has managed to
Mobile Legends Mobile Legends Mobile Legends
3 Moonton -1
3 Moonton -
3 Moonton - capitalize on this vacuum to establish itself as a
leader in the rest of the world.
League of
#Compass #Compass Legends NEW
-1 -
4 NHN Corp 4 NHN Corp 4 Riot Games
Onmyoji Arena Onmyoji Arena #Compass
- - NHN Corp
-1
5 NetEase
5 NetEase
5
Note:
The +/- next to game names reflect their change in ranking from
the previous year. “NEW” means that a game is new to the top
five for that year. 2021 includes data from January to August.
Top Games Worldwide 18© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Mobile Legends Passes Brawl Stars for 2021 Downloads
Most downloaded MOBA mobile games worldwide
2019 2020 2021 Mobile Legends, acquired by ByteDance in
March 2021, has generated 54 million installs
worldwide so far this year. That makes it the
1 Brawl Stars 1 Brawl Stars 1 Mobile Legends +1 No. 1 mobile MOBA by global downloads in
+2 - Moonton
Supercell Supercell
2021, surpassing Brawl Stars for the first time.
Mobile Legends Mobile Legends Brawl Stars
2 Moonton
-1 2 Moonton
- 2 Supercell -1 League of Legends: Wild Rift began rolling out in
select countries during October 2020 and
quickly ranked as the No. 4 most installed MOBA
Honor of Kings Honor of Kings Honor of Kings
3 Tencent -1
3 Tencent -
3 Tencent - worldwide for the year. The game has held this
position into 2021 following its release into
League of League of other territories, such as the Americas.
Heroes Arena Legends
+2 Legends NEW -
4 uCool 4 Riot Games 4 Riot Games
MARVEL Super MARVEL Super
Tanks a Lot War -
+3 War NEW
5 Highcore Labs
5 NetEase 5 NetEase
Note:
The +/- next to game names reflect their change in ranking from
the previous year. “NEW” means that a game is new to the top
five for that year. 2021 includes data from January to August.
Top Games Worldwide 19Top MOBA Mobile Games in the U.S. — Analysis of Top Titles by Revenue and Downloads
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Brawl Stars Is the Top Mobile MOBA in the U.S. for 2021
Top grossing titles by player spending in the U.S. for January through August 2021
Google Play App Store
For the third year running, Brawl Stars is the top
Brawl Stars . earning mobile MOBA in the United States,
accumulating $51 million in player spending—75
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang .
percent of which came from the App Store.
Supercell focused on simpler mechanics and a
League of Legends: Wild Rift .
3D cartoon art style to bring the genre to a wider
Arena of Valor (Honor of Kings) . audience, particularly in the U.S. where the
category previously struggled to gain traction.
MARVEL Realm of Champions .
Mobile Legends ranks as the No. 2 title by player
Tanks a Lot .
spending, generating more than $43 million so
far in 2021, up 17.6 percent year-over-year.
Onmyoji Arena .
Heroes Evolved .
League of Legends: Wild Rift, which began its
open beta in the U.S. in March 2021, has quickly
Extraordinary Ones . become the market’s No. 3 earning mobile
MOBA, picking up $16.9 million so far this year.
Legend of Ace . Unlike Brawl Stars, Google Play has accounted
$10M $20M $30M $40M $50M $60M
for the majority of its revenue at 62 percent.
Top Games in the U.S. 21© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Wild Rift Heads Straight to No. 1 for U.S. Installs
Top titles by downloads in the U.S. for January through August 2021
Google Play App Store
League of Legends: Wild Rift is the most
League of Legends: Wild Rift . downloaded mobile MOBA in the United States
so far in 2021, able to capitalize on the well
Brawl Stars .
known IP and generate 3 million installs. The
title marks the third occasion Riot has utilized
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang .
the League of Legends IP in its mobile portfolio,
MARVEL Realm of Champions . following the releases of Teamfight Tactics and
Legends of Runeterra, with Wild Rift already the
King of Crabs . most installed of the three.
Tanks a Lot .
Even though Google Play has accounted for 62
percent of Wild Rift’s U.S. revenue, the App Store
Arena of Valor (Honor of Kings) .
represents 56 percent of the installs. This bucks
Onmyoji Arena .
the typical trend, where Google Play generally
sees a greater number of mobile game
Extraordinary Ones . downloads, while the App Store accounts for a
larger share of player spending.
Vainglory .
500K 1.0M 1.5M 2.0M 2.5M 3.0M 3.5M
Top Games in the U.S. 22© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Brawl Stars Dominates the U.S. MOBA Market on Mobile
Top grossing MOBA mobile games in the United States
2019 2020 2021 Since its release in December 2018, Brawl Stars
has consistently been the No. 1 ranked mobile
MOBA in the United States by player spending.
1 Brawl Stars 1 Brawl Stars 1 Brawl Stars -
+1 - Supercell
Supercell Supercell
League of Legends: Wild Rift entered the charts
at No. 3 in 2021 following the launch of its U.S.
Mobile Legends Mobile Legends Mobile Legends
2 Moonton
-1 2 Moonton
- 2 Moonton
- open beta in March.
League of While Arena of Valor is wildly popular in China
Arena of Valor Arena of Valor
3 Tencent -
3 Tencent -
3 Legends NEW and has seen player spending rise over the past
Riot Games
year, the title has not been able to replicate that
level of success in the U.S.
Vainglory Tanks a lot Arena of Valor
+1 +3 -1
4 Super Evil Megacorp 4 Highcore Labs 4 Tencent
Marvel Realm of
Onmyoji Arena NEW Onmyoji Arena - Champions NEW
5 NetEase
5 NetEase
5 Kabam
Note:
The +/- next to game names reflect their change in ranking from
the previous year. “NEW” means that a game is new to the top
five for that year. 2021 includes data from January to August.
Top Games in the U.S. 23© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
League of Legends Takes No. 1 for U.S. Downloads
Most downloaded MOBA mobile games in the United States
2019 2020 2021 League of Legends: Wild Rift has gone directly to
the top spot for mobile MOBA downloads in the
League of United States following the start of its open beta
1 Brawl Stars 1 Brawl Stars - 1 Legends NEW in March 2021, usurping previous incumbent
Supercell Supercell
Riot Games
Brawl Stars which had dominated since 2019.
Mobile Legends Mobile Legends Brawl Stars
2 Moonton
- 2 Moonton
- 2 Supercell
-1 The world’s most popular MOBA, Honor of Kings
(known as Arena of Valor in the West), has
Marvel Realm of moved out of the top five by U.S. downloads
King of Crabs Mobile Legends
3 Robot Squid NEW
3 Champions NEW
3 Moonton -1 with the success of Wild Rift.
Kabam
Marvel Realm of
Arena of Valor -1
King of Crabs -1 Champions -1
4 Tencent 4 Robot Squid 4 Kabam
Tanks a Lot NEW
Arena of Valor -1
King of Crabs -1
Tencent Robot Squid
5 Highcore Labs
5 5
Note:
The +/- next to game names reflect their change in ranking from
the previous year. “NEW” means that a game is new to the top
five for that year. 2021 includes data from January to August.
Top Games in the U.S. 24Intellectual Property Insights — Analysis of Licensed IP in MOBA Mobile Games
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
IP-Based MOBAs Make Up Nearly Half of U.S. Installs
Approximately 43 percent of U.S. mobile MOBA
Share of mobile MOBA downloads by IP in the U.S. from January through August 2021
downloads during the first eight months of 2021
were for games that utilized a licensed IP.
While the majority of installs (57 percent) came
from non-IP games, titles such as Mobile
Legends and Arena of Valor (Honor of Kings)
have historically used licenses to appeal to a
wider audience by adding new playable heroes.
MOBILE LEGENDS + TRANSFORMERS
IP Insights 26© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Overview:
Pokémon
Unite APP INTELLIGENCE
Worldwide
STORE INTELLIGENCE
Release Date:
Sep. 22, 2021
First Day Downloads: 1.8 million
INSTALL SHARE
First Week Downloads: 31 million
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
42%
Licensed IP: Pokémon
IP Operator: The Pokémon Company
Corporate Parents: Nintendo,
Game Freak, Creatures
IP Type: Videogame
58%
IP Insights© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Pokémon Unite Surpasses 15 Million Downloads in 2 Days
Worldwide cumulative downloads for top mobile MOBAs during launch period
Pokémon Unite Brawl Stars League of Legends: Wild Rif
40M
Pokémon Unite is the biggest MOBA launch ever
on mobile, surpassing 15 million downloads
within just two days following its release on
September 22, 2021. It took Brawl Stars seven
30M days to reach this same milestone.
One the day of its release, Pokemon Unite
ranked as the No. 1 most downloaded iPhone
game on the App Store in 59 countries. In its first
20M
week, the title accumulated more than 30
million downloads worldwide.
League of Legends: Wild Rift has had a staggered
10M global rollout, starting in Asia in October 2020
before launching in the Americas in 2021.
Note: League of Legends: Wild Rift downloads
are from its initial rollout in Asia in October 2020
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Days Since Launch
IP Insights 28© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Pokémon Doubles Down on The Strategy Genre
Pokémon GO found massive success in the
Global download share of games with Pokémon license by genre between 2017 and 2021
Geolocation AR genre, consistently generating
the vast majority Pokémon-related IP
downloads since its launch in July 2016. The
Geolocation AR RPG Lifestyle Puzzle Arcade Strategy RPG genre, which the franchise is built upon,
ranks No. 2 for downloads, thanks to titles such
100%
as Pokémon Masters and Pokémon Quest.
Diversifying its offerings on mobile, The
75%
Pokémon Company is now eyeing the Strategy
genre with the launch of Pokémon Unite and
upcoming of Pokémon Trading Card Game Live.
50%
POKÉMON MOBILE STRATEGY GAMES
25%
Pokémon Unite Pokémon Trading Card
Moba Game Live
0%
Released Card Battler
17
17
17
17
18
18
18
18
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
21
21
Announced
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
IP Insights 29Product Overview — Deep Dive into the Most Successful MOBA Mobile Games
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Product Overview
Complex: Complex: Innovative: Innovative:
1 2 3 4
Innovative Game Experiences: More casual for broader appeal
Innovative Game Experiences: More casual for broader appeal
Classic MOBAs (Lines, Jungles, Roles)
Classic MOBAs (Lines, Jungles, Roles)
Competitive MOBA Paid Advantage Paid Advantage Less Core
- Skins are only cosmetic and don’t - Skins can be acquired with hard - Skins are only cosmetic - Skins are only cosmetic
affect stats currency and modify the stats of
heroes. This provides players with a - Items are acquired with soft - No items
- Items are acquired in-game and competitive advantage if they currency and can be upgraded with
only last during that session spend money in the game Aeos Gems (hard currency). - Large variety of game modes (PvP
Upgraded items modify Pokémon and PvE) appeal to broader
- Competitive focus can lead to - Items are acquired in-game and stats, creating a paid competitive audiences. Game modes include:
potential for eSports only last during that session advantage. 3v3, Showdown (Battle Royale),
Siege, Heist, Boss Fight, and Robo
- Complex mechanics (more than six - More than 100 heroes - Fewer than 30 heroes but 100+ to Rumble (PvE), Big Game.
action buttons) be added with new seasons
- Complex mechanics (more than six - More than 60 heroes
- More than 70 heroes action buttons) - Simplified game mechanics
- Simplified game mechanics (two
- Include 5v5, 3v3, and 1v1 modes - Innovative gameplay experience: action buttons).
Jungle creeps drop Pokéballs
which are used to score
Product Overview 31© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Brawl Stars Has Market-Leading Engagement
All-time retention and all time daily time spent on iOS
Mobile Legends Mobile Legends
League of Legends League of Legends
Brawl Stars Brawl Stars
Among the analyzed MOBAs, Brawl Stars has the
highest Day 60 retention rate of its peers at 20
60% 20
percent, placing it among some of the best
mobile games in the industry by this metric.
50%
Brawl Stars, a more casual MOBA, has half the
15
average daily time spent of more traditional-
Session Duration (Minutes)
40% style titles in the genre, such as Mobile Legends
and League of Legends.
Retention
30% 10
20%
5
10%
0% 0
D1 D7 D30 D60 Time Spent
Days
Product Overview 32© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Paid Advantage Boosts RPD but Risks Retention Impact
U.S. key performance indicators among top MOBA titles for January through August 2021
Some MOBA mobile games incorporate paid
advantage mechanics, enabling players to
purchase upgrades that can positively impact
their chances of winning. These games can
achieve higher RPD, but the mechanics can
potentially lead to lower long-term retention.
While this monetization model is popular in
some Asia countries, it is not particularly
successful in Western markets.
Brawl Stars' more casual approach to gameplay
and shorter sessions provides the game with
broader audience appeal, and as a result it ranks
No. 1 for U.S. daily active users.
Product Overview 33Conclusion
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved Conclusion ● MOBA is one of the fastest growing Strategy sub-genres. Revenue increased by 14 percent quarter-over-quarter during Q2 2021, its steepest rise over the past year. During the first half of 2021, titles in this sub-genres generated approximately $2 billion in player spending globally. ● Asia accounts for the vast majority of MOBA revenue so far in 2021, making up 84 percent of player spending. ● MOBA games find sizable audiences in emerging markets. Brazil stands out as one of the largest markets for active users, ranking No. 1 for DAUs in League of Legends, No. 2 for Brawl Stars, and No. 3 for Mobile Legends. ● First launched in 2015, Honor of Kings (Arena of Valor in Western markets) has become the highest revenue generating mobile game globally across the App Store and Google Play, generating $10 billion in player spending. ● IP-Based MOBAs make up nearly half of U.S. installs. Games that don’t own an IP, such as Mobile Legends and Arena of Valor, have historically used licenses to appeal to a wider audience. ● Pokémon Unite is the biggest MOBA launch ever on mobile, surpassing 15 million downloads in just two days following its release on September 22, 2021. ● Some MOBAs incorporate paid advantage mechanics with purchasable upgrades that can impact chances of success. These games can achieve higher revenue per download, but might see lower long-term retention. Conclusion 35
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