- Tencent expects to face competition from MiHoYo’s Zenless Zone Zero
After clinching the number one spot as the highest-grossing iOS game in China for four consecutive weeks, Tencent’s DnF: Origin’s first-month revenue now exceeds $500 million.
That’s according to new data from Nexon and Sensor Tower which reveals that when including estimates from third-party Android stores, the game’s first-month revenue soars to over $500 million.
We knew DnF: Origin was performing well with its $233.5 million in revenue from the App Store alone in June thanks to some aggressive and original promotion techniques from Tencent to practically guarantee the game’s financial success.
Competition is imminent
Chinese actor Dilraba Dilmurat is the brand ambassador for DnF: Origin appearing in advertising across multiple platforms and players can earn cash prizes by inviting their WeChat contacts to join the game. Tencent also paid to have animated ads inserted into WeChat conversations that mentioned the game or used related terms such as “warrior.”
While DnF: Origin is now expected to gross over $2 billion in 2024, Tencent expects to face competition from new launches such as MiHoYo’s Zenless Zone Zero and will need consistent high-quality content updates – in the manner of their rivals – in order to maintain player interest and avoid the drop-off that’s common in the genre after the first couple of months.
Based on Nexon’s Dungeon & Fighter PC game, DnF: Origins was published by Tencent in China in May and has gone on to become one of the most successful new mobile game launches ever, amassing a revenue that’s twice that of Honor of Kings.
