On November 16, 2024, the finals of Tencent’s Honor of Kings mobile game held in Beijing attracted a record 33,000 fans.
CNBC | Evelyn Cheng
BEIJING—Chinese gaming giant Tencent Its mobile game “Honor of Kings,” which launched in the United States and other countries in June, expects a global increase in the number of female players.
The match has already caused a stir in China, with a record 33,000 fans turning out to the Beijing Stadium on Saturday to watch the two teams compete for a $3 million grand prize.
Surprisingly, many in the crowd were young women, reflecting how interest in mobile gaming has expanded beyond the stereotypical male gamers of the console and PC gaming era.
Launched in China in November 2015, the game’s appeal lies in its easy learning curve and relatively short gameplay time of around 15 minutes. Anyone with a smartphone can play the game for free anytime, anywhere.
“‘Honor of Kings’ has become an important way for me to socialize,” Gao Tianyun said, according to CNBC’s Mandarin translation. She started playing the game as a sophomore in college in 2017, and a year later became a professional commentator for its tournaments.
Gao, an English major from Shanghai, has hosted “Honor of Kings” competitions in two languages, including an international event in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh in August. She said she would like to see esports become as mainstream as traditional sports, noting that one of her inspirations is Chinese football commentators.
Tencent has stepped up its global expansion plans for “Honor of Kings” this year, with its subsidiary Level Infinite announcing in February a $15 million investment in developing a global championship for the game.
International versions of the game have been available since 2016 under different names such as Arena of Valor, but the latest global rollout of Honor of Kings begins in 2022. Launched only this year. June North America, Europe and Japan.
Less than a month later, the game had been downloaded more than 50 million times outside of China, according to the company.
Mostly mobile-centric
Much of the growth of women’s gaming stems from their preference to play games on smartphones, rather than investing in consoles and other technology.
“Nearly half of female gamers only play games on mobile platforms, so we have a huge target audience,” said Jackie Huang, head of the global e-sports department of Tencent Games TiMi L1 Studio Honor of Kings. “But we want to see it.” Keep growing.
He said that 45% of the world’s gamers are women, and the gender composition of “Honor of Kings” users is “relatively balanced. We strive to provide users with a high-quality gaming experience, no matter how they identify.”
Games are Tencent’s largest source of revenue, of which international games account for Accounting for approximately 28% of the overall gaming business in the third quarter.
The company also owns Riot Games, the developer of the PC version of League of Legends, which has become one of the most popular games in global esports with its own annual tournament. “Honor of Kings” claims to have 100 million players every day and uses a similar format, divided into two teams of five players each.
Zeng Xiaofeng, vice president of China-based gaming research firm Niko Partners, said such multiplayer games are the second most popular game category among female gamers, after puzzle games. His analysis found that 95% of women prefer mobile games.
Zeng said that if “Honor of Kings” can maintain the number one ranking in China and achieve this status overseas, half of Tencent’s revenue will come from the international market. He said that the game’s largest overseas markets in terms of revenue are the United States, India, Malaysia and Indonesia.
In the key market of Southeast Asia, Zeng said that due to the low base, the growth rate of female players is two to three times that of male players. The new brand “Glory of Kings” global championship was held in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, last month, with the participation of the Malaysian team Black Shrew Esports. Won first prize of $300,000.
early stage
Currently, no matter how popular Honor of Kings is among women, the competition is still dominated by men. Both teams competing in Beijing on Saturday are made up of male players.
Huang noted that this year’s global championship features female players from France’s Vitality team, which is also managed and coached by women.
He attributes Honor of Kings’ popularity among women to the fact that the playable characters in the game are also female. Many characters have different powers and are based on Chinese historical or mythological figures.
In 2021, the organizer of the Honor of Kings China event also launched an event for female players. This year’s women’s final is scheduled to be held in December, The prize is approximately US$41,000 for the winning team.
Chirag Ambwani, senior vice president of games and entertainment at SensorTower, which focuses on mobile games, said: “The epidemic has greatly accelerated the pace of women entering the gaming field, and we continue to see an increase in the participation of female players.”
Reasons include professional and accessible content, he said, adding that game engagement has grown overall.
As for Honor of Kings’ global expansion, Ambwani said SensorTower research shows “healthy growth,” with average revenue per user exceeding $5 in the United States and Canada.
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