Honkai: Star Rail races to $500 million in worldwide sales | Pocket Gamer.biz

Mobile Games

Honkai: Star Rail Surpasses $500 Million in Sales

The latest release from miHoYo, Honkai: Star Rail, has reached an impressive milestone, surpassing $500 million in cumulative sales. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that the turn-based RPG was initially only available on mobile and PC, with a PS5 release planned for Q4 2023.

A Lucrative Market in China

China has emerged as a highly profitable market for Honkai: Star Rail, accounting for a significant 41.1% of the game’s revenue. Japan follows closely behind with 23.9%, while the USA and South Korea contribute 12% and 7% respectively.

Download Commissions by Region

In terms of revenue from download commissions (RPD), Japan leads the pack with $60, followed by China with $41. South Korea and the USA also contribute to the game’s revenue, with $37 and $17 respectively.

Success in Major Asian Markets

Honkai: Star Rail has achieved considerable success in key Asian markets. It ranked third in sales in China and Japan, and fourth in South Korea, with sales reaching $34 million. Notably, the game stands out among Korea’s top five mobile games as the only one that isn’t an MMORPG. According to Sensor Tower’s analysis, players appreciate the game’s engaging storyline, compelling characters, and localized content.

Factors Driving Early Success in Korea

Sensor Tower highlights several factors that contributed to Honkai: Star Rail’s early success in Korea. The Galaxy Train Global Tour event held in Seoul on April 29 played a significant role in attracting players. Additionally, the game’s online advertising efforts had a high share of voice (SOV), ranking first on AppLovin’s ad network and second on YouTube.

Updates and Boost in Sales Performance

The introduction of new characters and fields on July 19 resulted in a substantial boost in sales performance for Honkai: Star Rail. As a result, the game claimed the number one spot in revenue rankings in South Korea and China, as well as second place in Japan and fifth place in the USA.

miHoYo’s Rise in Global Game Publisher Sales Rankings

The success of Honkai: Star Rail has propelled miHoYo to second place in the global game publisher sales rankings, climbing up from fifth place.

Stay tuned for our upcoming list of the top 50 mobile game makers of 2023, which we will reveal at Gamescom in August 2022.