Hot Five: Infinity Nikki goes global, Royal Kingdom beats Royal Match, and Pokémon TCG Pocket makes $200m in first month
To help get you primed and ready for another week in mobile gaming, we’ve curated the biggest stories you need to know from the last seven days.
1) Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket skyrockets to $200m in first month
Mobile card game sensation Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has surpassed $200 million in gross revenue in its first month since global release, according to AppMagic estimates, averaging $6.5 million in daily player spending over the period.
Its most lucrative day was on November 22nd when players spent $8.4 million in-game, coinciding with the start of the Fire Pokémon Mass Outbreak event.
2) Infinity Nikki launches today as series’ first cross-platform game
With the release of Infinity Nikki on December 5th, developer Infold Games officially marked its fifth entry in the stylist adventure series and transformed it from a once-mobile exclusive into a multiplatform open-world RPG.
The first new entry in half a decade, Infinity Nikki follows in the footsteps of $285 million maker Love Nikki - Dress Up Queen and $400 million maker Shining Nikki.
3) NetEase's Onmyoji accuses HoYoVerse of plagiarism over trailer similarities
NetEase’s official Weibo account for RPG Onmyoji has indirectly accused HoYoVerse’s Honkai: Star Rail of plagiarism in its recent trailer, with similar light scenes and a CG shot resembling the game itself.
While NetEase did not directly name HoYoverse in its accusation, the post did use characters from Honkai: Star Rail's Chinese title.
4) Royal Kingdom makes $2.4m in 14 days, quadrupling Royal Match’s early earnings
Royal Kingdom generated $2.4 million in its first two weeks, nearly four times Royal Match’s $618k during the same period.
This stronger launch period can be largely attributed to US players, who have spent approximately $1.1 million since global release, according to AppMagic. Players in the UK have contributed a further $600,000.
With $200 million already behind it, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is well on its way to becoming the Pokémon franchise’s second-biggest mobile game and one of 2024’s most lucrative new launches as a whole.
In fact, it’s managed to match 91% of Pokémon Go’s launch month revenue, marking the closest return to Pokémania since. This is thanks in no small part to 90s nostalgia and an all-important helping of playground rumours.
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