Tencent Holdings Ltd’s (0700.HK) newly launched game, “Dungeon & Fighter” (DnF Mobile), has made a powerful debut, dominating top-grossing charts on Apple’s (AAPL.O) iOS platform in China for nearly a month, according to industry data. Released in the world’s largest gaming market on May 21, the game surpassed $100 million in revenue within just 10 days, as reported by data analytics firm Sensor Tower this week.
In May, DnF Mobile also led the global mobile game revenue growth chart and ranked 8th in overall revenue. During its first 10 days, DnF Mobile’s earnings in China’s iOS market exceeded the combined revenues of Tencent’s other popular titles, “Honor of Kings” and “PUBG Mobile,” according to another Sensor Tower report dated June 17.
This impressive performance contributed to a 12% increase in Tencent’s mobile game revenue in May, as noted by Sensor Tower. DnF Mobile, based on a popular PC franchise, had been available internationally for years, but its launch in China was delayed due to Beijing’s temporary freeze on new game approvals.
The early success of DnF Mobile occurs amid ongoing disputes between Tencent and smartphone vendors over gaming revenue sharing. Earlier this month, Tencent removed the game from select Android app stores, citing contract expiries. Game developers in China have long faced challenges with distributors over revenue sharing issues, as mobile games gain popularity in the broader market. The standard 50% revenue split has often been a contentious issue.
