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STORE INTELLIGENCE · CRAIG CHAPPLE · JANUARY 2021

Call of Duty: Mobile Shoots Past $14 Million in First Week in China

Call of Duty: Mobile was the No. 4 revenue-generating game on China’s App Store during its launch week, Sensor Tower data shows.

Call of Duty: Mobile Shoots Past $14 Million in First Week in China main image feature

Call of Duty: Mobile from Activision, in partnership with Tencent’s Timi Studios, generated more than $14 million in player spending during its first week in China, Sensor Tower Store Intelligence estimates show.

The long-awaited China localization officially launched on the country’s App Store on Christmas Day, and in its first week the title was the No. 4 revenue-generating game in China, ranking behind Honor of Kings from Tencent, PUBG Mobile, localized as Game for Peace in the country and also from Tencent, and Fantasy Westward Journey from NetEase. Globally, the title accumulated over $25 million across the App Store and Google Play during this period, ranking as the No. 9 revenue-generating mobile game worldwide.

Top Grossing Mobile Games in China Between December 25 and 31, 2020

For comparison, another big Western game launched in China in 2020 in the shape of Brawl Stars from Supercell—which also has ties to Tencent. The title was released in the country on June 9, and generated more than $20 million in its first week on the country’s App Store.

Blockbuster Spending

As of December 31, lifetime revenue for Call of Duty: Mobile has reached close to $644 million. The United States has proven to be the No. 1 country for player spending, racking up approximately $287 million. Japan, meanwhile, ranks No. 2 for player spending, and Germany ranks No. 3.

The majority of Call of Duty: Mobile’s revenue has come from the App Store, where it sees 61 percent of all player spending. On Google Play, meanwhile, Call of Duty: Mobile has picked up 39 percent of its revenue.

Global lifetime downloads have exceeded 300 million, with the U.S. once again ranking No. 1 with more than 54 million downloads. It’s followed by Brazil at No. 2, and India at No. 3.

Global Success Stories

Call of Duty: Mobile’s big launch in China is significant—it’s a huge Western IP that’s hitting the top of the charts and finding a large audience in the country, rather than the other way around. Titles such as Genshin Impact from miHoYo have heralded China’s increasing influence on the international mobile market, but now we’re seeing the reverse, albeit with Tencent as the key partner in Call of Duty: Mobile’s release. With titles Brawl Stars already launching in China, and another on the horizon in the shape of Diablo Immortal from Blizzard and NetEase, some of the world’s biggest mobile games are becoming truly global—though they still hold that key Chinese connection.


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Craig Chapple

Written by: Craig Chapple, Mobile Insights Strategist, EMEA

Date: January 2021