SensorTower Store Intelligence Platform has released its data report for December 2023, and among the many standout performers, PUBG Mobile (the international version of Peaceful Elite) has become the champion of the overseas handheld game download chart due to its 10% YoY boost in downloads in December 2023, which exceeded 10 million times. As of December 2023, the game's revenue in India, the United States and other markets grew rapidly, with overseas revenue increasing by 27% YoY in December 2023, and total overseas revenue approaching US$4.5 billion, or approximately RMB32.22 billion, which demonstrated its great success and popularity around the world.
PUBG Mobile originated from the concept of battle royale, inspired by Japanese manga and American television series, with modules developed by Brendan Greene and evolving into the standalone game PUBG. Its success led PUBG Corp. to partner with Tencent to develop a mobile version of PUBG Mobile, which needed to adapt its mechanics to the mobile platform, but still offered a full battle royale experience to appeal to a wider audience. The game quickly took the world by storm, forming a strong community and spawning a mobile esports scene.In 2018, PUBG Mobile was released globally, becoming a major player in the mobile gaming market and marking a significant expansion of the PUBG series, offering players around the globe a similar experience on mobile platforms.
In addition, several other Chinese handheld games also showed bright results. Whiteout Survival, a 4X strategy handbook launched by DotNet Interactive, saw its revenue in overseas markets grow by 12% again in December, holding the runner-up position in the revenue chart. Since its launch in February 2023, Whiteout Survival's revenue has continued to grow steadily, and its ranking has jumped from more than 500 in February to No. 2 in December, quickly becoming a dark horse for Chinese handheld games in the overseas market in 2023. Crackdown 3rd: Star Dome Railroad, launched by Miha Tour, saw its overseas revenues jump 46% YoY after its new version was launched in late December, ranking No. 5 on the revenue list and No. 4 on the growth list. The daily average water flow of "Three Kingdoms - Strategy Edition" produced by Linghuo Hublot Entertainment rose rapidly in the Japanese market, and its overseas revenue soared nearly 170% YoY in December, climbing to No. 6 on the growth list. This overseas report card delivered by China's handheld games shows that the influence of Chinese games is expanding globally, and also indicates the strong position of China's handheld game products in the global market.
This latest data is a positive signal for China's handheld game industry. Despite fierce competition in overseas game markets, Chinese handheld game products are still showing strong resilience and global appeal. With the continuous expansion and internationalization of the digital entertainment market, the overseas journey of Chinese handheld games has also moved from the growth period to the maturity period. In the future, more excellent Chinese handheld game products are expected to continue to succeed in the international market and provide wonderful gaming experiences for global players.