Zenless Zone Zero slashes across the globe, hacking through downloads and revenue charts

The Sensor Tower mobile gaming pulse highlights the top-performing iOS App Store and Google Play games each month. Our analysis covers trends and movement in the top charts among the leading games across countries. It is the industry standard for professionals looking to compare the latest market shifts of leading games and publishers and prepare for the months ahead. All lifetime downloads and revenue estimates are inclusive up to the time of the original publication on August 8th, 2024.

Zenless Zone Zero, a hack-and-slash game, took the #2 spot for top games by worldwide download growth, quickly climbing the ranks to become the #9 most downloaded games in July 2024. Published by miHoYo, the same publisher behind billion-dollar hits Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, this game has quickly become another global sensation. It hit #1 in downloads in 27 markets during its launch week, including China, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Brazil. Additionally, it secured the #1 download spot for the month in Japan and South Korea.

Zenless Zone Zero stands out with its focus on a more intense and fast-paced combat system, setting it apart from miHoYo's well-known RPG and story-driven titles. The game features a third-person camera perspective within an adventure-themed sci-fi setting. Its 3D anime art style appeals to the mid-core audience, immersing players in a dynamic and engaging experience.

The Action Hack-and-Slash subgenre, though relatively modest in terms of download share, remains one of the most effective in monetization, generating between $40 to $50 million in gross revenue monthly. Zenless Zone Zero's and Solo Leveling:Arise entry into the market has propelled this subgenre to its highest level in years, with gross revenue surpassing $112 million in July alone—almost three times the monthly average over the past four years.

With recent entrants and the ongoing success of existing titles such as Honkai Impact 3, it's an exciting time for players, offering a wealth of choices in the action hack and slash genre.

Top games by downloads in July 2024: Which mobile games topped downloads charts and which games were the breakout stars of the month?

While Zenless Zone Zero emerged as a standout title, the July 2024 breakout rankings also showcased the diverse and evolving tastes of gamers, with no two games from the same subgenre making it into the top rankings. Let's dive deeper into these trends and explore what makes these genres so captivating for players worldwide.

We took a look at which games saw the most significant growth in July 2024 in our Breakout Games by Downloads charts.

• Offline Games - No Wifi Games, published by independent developer JindoBlu, has taken the #1 spot for worldwide downloads growth and absolute downloads in July. With around 72 million downloads to date, the game offers a variety of simple arcade games across casual genres like puzzles, card games, word, number, and classic board games, all playable offline. This makes it especially appealing to users with limited or unreliable internet access, such as during travel, commuting, or in areas with poor connectivity, driving its popularity in top markets like India, Brazil, and Indonesia. The game monetizes through ads with an option to remove them for a fee.

• My Talking Hank: Islands, published by Outfit7, took the #3 spot for top games by worldwide downloads growth and also ranked #11 in absolute downloads. Originally launched as My Talking Hank in November 2016, the game has been downloaded over 200 million times prior to the relaunch. The game was refreshed in July 2024 with new island exploration and game modes, bringing the total downloads to 233 million. The top markets by downloads include India, Brazil, Russia, the United States, and Indonesia. The game features a side camera perspective within an pet-themed cartoon fantasy setting. Its 2D cartoon art style appeals to both fans of the original Talking Tom series and new players, providing a dynamic and engaging experience.

Most popular mobile games by downloads in July 2024

While the rising stars offer the best view into high-growth sectors, top charts showcase current consumer demand.

In July, Offline Games - No Wifi Games overtook the Battle Royale hit Free Fire for the top spot in worldwide downloads, a status Free Fire held from the previous period. Free Fire, currently celebrating its 7th anniversary, has amassed 1.69 billion downloads globally since its September 2017 launch, with its primary markets being India, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Mexico. Manage Supermarket Simulator, which took the #1 breakout downloads spot last month, remained in the top 10 at #6, with over 43 million downloads to date.

Top games by app store consumer spend in July 2024: Which mobile games topped spend charts and which games were the breakout stars of the month?

Similarly to downloads, we took a look at which games saw the greatest growth in July 2024. How did successful launches, monetization mechanics and timely re-engagement campaigns shape our Breakout Games by Consumer Spend charts? 

• New hit title Zenless Zone Zero  took the #1 spot for top games by worldwide revenue growth and is currently ranked #13 by absolute revenue. Leading markets contributing to consumer spend include China, Japan, the United States, and South Korea. Zenless Zone Zero's monetization success is attributed to its gacha system, diverse in-game currencies, attractive bundle offers, and a subscription-based membership that provided consistent player incentives and revenue streams.

• Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle, a puzzle RPG game, took the #3 spot for top games by worldwide revenue growth and is currently ranked #19 by absolute revenue, up 71 positions from the prior period. Published by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, the game has been available globally since January 2015 and has been downloaded around 95.4 million times to date. The game has also excelled in monetization, surpassing $4.32 billion in lifetime consumer spend globally. Leading markets contributing to consumer spend include Japan, the United States, France, Germany, and Hong Kong. In July 2024, Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle experienced a significant revenue spike driven by its 9th Anniversary celebrations. Key factors included the introduction of highly anticipated characters featured in events and summons. The campaign also offered special missions, login bonuses, exclusive rewards, and limited-time multi-summon discounts, boosting player engagement and spending.

• The July 2024 breakout revenue rankings featured two notable new releases: 

  • Lord Nine (로드나인), an MMORPG game by Smilegate, took the #6 spot for top games by worldwide revenue growth. The game has surpassed $21.8 million in gross revenue in its home market South Korea. The game employs a top-down camera perspective, which is somewhat unique in modern MMORPGs. Coupled with its 3D realistic art style, it provides an immersive and visually appealing experience that attracts mid-core MMORPG players.

  • NARAKA: BLADEPOINT (永劫无间), a battle royale game published by NetEase for the mainland China market, took the #7 spot for top games by worldwide revenue growth. The game features a third-person camera perspective within a combat arena-themed high fantasy setting. Its 3D realistic art style appeals to the mid-core audience, and the game stands out in the battle royale genre due to its unique blend of melee-focused combat, intricate movement mechanics, and high-fantasy setting.

Most popular mobile games by app store consumer spend in July 2024

Consumer spending top charts are more stable than breakout charts, with player loyalty being crucial for the longevity of leading games. 

Dungeon & Fighter Mobile and MONOPOLY GO! maintained their #1 and #2 ranks in consumer spend. Following its global rollout last month, the MOBA game Honor of Kings climbed two positions to secure the #3 spot for top games by worldwide revenue. Whiteout Survival, a 4X strategy game, rose to the #9 spot, also climbing one position from the previous period. Notably, it recently surpassed $1 billion in all-time gross revenue, making it the third fastest game from 2023 to achieve this milestone.

Top in-app events in July 2024

Each month, we compile a list of the top two In-App Events with the highest impact in select markets, based on the total iOS revenue generated within the first three days. These events are ranked by their revenue lift growth in each market. In the latest rankings Epic Seven events topped the list for growth in numerous markets, driven by the introduction of the highly anticipated Moon Luna character and story arc, significantly boosting player spending. Events for Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle were the leading growth drive in the United Kingdom, also contributing to the game’s global revenue spike this month.

Understanding the effectiveness of these events and learning how your competitors successfully run in-app events to boost user engagement and retention is crucial for achieving long-term success.