Buzz
Tencent's recent actions to replace Liên Quân Mobile are no coincidence.
In July 2023, Tencent's Honor of Kings continued to dominate the global mobile gaming revenue charts, securing the top spot. PUBG Mobile, in partnership with Peace Elite, claimed the second position. Notably, the revenue includes Liên Quân Mobile's presence in international markets outside China.
According to Sensor Tower, in July 2023, Tencent's Honor of Kings generated $220 million on the global App Store and Google Play, leading the charts as the best-selling mobile game worldwide. The game achieved the highest revenue in the month with the introduction of two limited edition costumes, new characters, and content updates, solidifying its position at the top of the global highest-grossing games list.
Tencent's PUBG Mobile, combined with Peace Elite revenue, regained the second position on the list with $172 million in revenue. Of this, 62.8% came from the Chinese iOS market, 8% from the U.S., and 3.5% from India.
Liên Quân Mobile had to shut down in markets like South KoreaGiven the immense revenue from Honor of Kings, it's not surprising that Tencent is taking actions like closing down Liên Quân in certain markets to replace it with Honor of Kings. Last year, the Liên Quân server in South Korea was shut down, citing neglect from NetMarble in Korea. This could potentially pave the way for Tencent to launch Honor of Kings, a move to take this game globally and not miss out on major markets like this country.
The global-scale synchronization of Honor of Kings holds the promise of generating significantly higher revenue for Tencent. Hence, the industry giant is likely to stick with its 'golden egg-laying hen' without giving it up easily.
