GameRefinery’s mobile games report for June is in, and the news isn’t great for Tencent, Level Infinite, and the Western release of Honor of Kings. China’s biggest MOBA came out to the joy of fans worldwide, as evidenced by its debut at number five for downloads and number 98 for grossing ranks. However, this success was short-lived.
As GameRefinery explains in its report, Honor of Kings launched globally on June 22, and while it initially appeared to be having better luck than Arena of Valor – Tencent’s previous attempt at bringing the game to the West – by July, the mobile MOBA dropped out of the top 200 in the US in terms of both downloads and gross rankings. In our Honor of Kings review, we found it to be a “middling mobile MOBA,” and while it’s sure to be a hit with some fans of the genre, we gave it a six out of ten, explaining that “it’s definitely not a game for everyone.”
In a double whammy for Level Infinite, its new MMORPG Tarisland launched on June 21 for both PC and mobile, but it took a mere five days for it to drop out of the top 200 for both downloads and gross rankings in the US. Furthermore, it debuted in sixth place for downloads and 163 for gross rankings, which, in itself, is a slightly rocky start.
Unfortunately for Level Infinite, this doesn’t appear just to be with the Western audience either, as it’s going through a similar story in China. When we went hands-on with Tarisland during the second beta, we found it to be a bit “bare-bones,” stating that “Tarisland isn’t breaking the mold in terms of a fantasy MMORPG.”
In comparison, Scopely continues to go from strength to strength with Monopoly Go, going so far as to create a new event mechanic last month with Monopoly Go Tycoon Racers. It turned out to be a fun time, as you needed to form a team of four to race together and earn flags as you completed laps around the track.
Then, of course, there was an abundance of events in place across various mobile games to celebrate Pride Month; such games included League of Legends: Wild Rift, where you could earn a banner, icon, and chest item centered around Pride. Meanwhile, Marvel Contest of Champions hosted a Pride IS For Everyone event that tasked you with using LGBTQ+ characters, such as Black Cat. Progressing unlocked some exclusive Pride-themed goodies.
So there, you have it. June was a bit of a mixed bag in the mobile games world. Events were all the rage, while Tencent and Level Infinite faced difficulties with Honor of Kings and Tarisland. Still, if you enjoy those games, you should check out our Honor of Kings codes and Tarisland codes guides to get some valuable freebies.