SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 4 — European gamers already know that news of a second lockdown means more time to devote to their passion for video games.
While many of them succumbed to the spell of Animal Crossing: New Horizon last spring, it is quite possible that some may decide to try their hand at Honour of Kings.
And with good reason: Tencent’s mobile game, known locally as the Arena of Valour, has just passed the 100 million daily active users mark.
In addition to attracting a record number of gamers, Honour of Kings also ranks among the most profitable video games in the industry.
According to the American firm Sensor Tower, mobile gaming users spent nearly US$240 million on it in September. That’s an 87 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2019.
Almost all of the Honour of Kings revenues (96 per cent) came from China, the home country of giant Tencent, followed by Taiwan (1.5 per cent) and Thailand (1.2 per cent).
Since its launch in 2015 under the name Kings of Glory, Honour of Kings has helped popularize multiplayer fighting games in China. This success is largely down to its format and theme.
Designed for mobile gaming from the outset, it offers simpler controls, smaller maps and shorter sessions than the ultra-popular League of Legends. In addition, Honour of Kings features heroes from Chinese folklore and mythology.
All of these features seem to appeal to a female gaming audience, since nearly one out of every two Honour of Kings players is, in fact, a woman according to TechCrunch data.
The phenomenon is such that a team of professional female Honour of Kings players, named Fire Leopard, was created in October.
Despite these successes, Honour of Kings is struggling to make a name for itself beyond China’s borders.
Launched in August 2017 in the West under the name Arena of Valour, the mobile game’s performance is comparably lacklustre in a market dominated by titles such as Mobile Legends or Heroes Arena.
Competition is likely to become even fiercer with the launch of the mobile version of League of Legends, League of Legends: Wild Rift, in Europe in December. — AFP-Relaxnews
