Core Insights - The mobile gaming market remains competitive in September 2025, with various products innovating in gameplay and operational strategies, creating a diverse landscape [1] - "无畏契约：源能行动" has risen 6 places to become the top downloaded game, while "三角洲行动" and "王者荣耀" hold the second and third positions respectively [1] - "发条总动员," developed by ByteDance's Mouton Technology, has emerged as a "dark horse" in the download rankings, reaching the sixth position due to its unique content design and marketing strategies [1][3] Download Rankings - In September, 9 new mobile games entered the download rankings, with "发条总动员" achieving the top position on the iOS free games chart shortly after its public release [1][3] - The download rankings include 6 action games and 5 adventure games, with Tencent having 10 products and NetEase 3 products represented [7][13] Revenue Rankings - "王者荣耀" and "和平精英" continue to dominate the revenue rankings at the top two positions, with "三角洲行动" moving up to third place [10] - Five new games entered the revenue rankings in September, including "我的花园世界" and "崩坏：星穹铁道" [10] Game Features and Strategies - "发条总动员" features a nostalgic animation style and combines light-hearted gameplay with strategic combat, appealing to a broad audience [3] - The game also launched a collaboration with "猫和老鼠," enhancing its appeal through familiar characters and interactive elements [3] - "我是大东家" has successfully integrated cultural elements from the popular series "甄嬛传," enhancing player engagement through immersive gameplay [5][7] Market Trends - The trend of IP collaborations is becoming a core strategy for games to break into new audiences, as seen with "我是大东家" and "甄嬛传" [5] - The mobile gaming market is witnessing a shift towards enhancing game experience quality and content depth, which are key factors for maintaining competitiveness [13]

Core Insights - The latest rankings from Qimai Data reveal the top mobile games for September 2025, highlighting significant movements in both download and revenue charts [1][3] - "Fearless Covenant: Source Action," launched in August, has risen 6 places to claim the top spot in downloads, while "Honor of Kings" and "Delta Action" follow in second and third place respectively [1] - The revenue rankings remain dominated by "Honor of Kings" and "Peace Elite," with "Delta Action" moving up to third place [3] Download Rankings - A total of 9 new mobile games entered the download Top 30 in September, with "Clockwork Mobilization" emerging as a standout at Top 6 due to its unique content design and effective marketing strategy [1] - The action genre leads with 6 entries, followed by adventure games with 5 [3] - Tencent has the most representation with 10 games in the download rankings, while NetEase has 3 [3] Revenue Rankings - The revenue Top 30 features 5 new entries, including "My Garden World" and "Honkai: Star Rail" [3] - The action genre also dominates the revenue rankings with 7 entries, while role-playing and adventure genres each have 4 [3] - Tencent leads the revenue rankings with 11 games, while NetEase has 4 [3]

Group 1 - ByteDance's gaming division, Chaoxi Guangnian, has not shut down its Shanghai studio, nor is there a project named "Project: Babel" [1] - Recent rumors suggested a layoff of approximately 300 employees (40% of the department) due to unmet project progress expectations, with a compensation plan of N+2 [1] - The Shanghai gaming development operations primarily rely on Mutong Technology and ZERO36 studio, with ZERO36 known for titles like "One Piece: Burning Blood" and "Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage" [2] Group 2 - Mutong is working on an ARPG competitive project and a PC action game, along with two card game projects under the codenames "Card-Z" and "Card-W" [2] - ZERO36 is developing a CCG card game based on a space battle IP and is actively recruiting for various positions, including CCG card system planners and casual game planners [2][3][4][5][6][7] - The studio has previously hired Lu Jiaxian, the founder of Muqi Qi, who had announced layoffs in 2022 [2]

Core Insights - The overall revenue of mobile games in China has decreased by 7% month-on-month, impacting both the new game market and the performance of existing titles [1] - The overseas mobile game market is also experiencing a downturn, with a significant drop in new game releases and revenue [1] Domestic Market Summary - In July, three new games were released, but their performance did not show significant growth over an extended period [3] - Notable new releases in August include: - "Ling Beast Adventure" by NetEase, with over 990,000 downloads and estimated revenue of $4.44 million [2] - "Fearless Contract: Source Action" by Tencent, achieving over 12.43 million downloads and estimated revenue of $9.23 million (approximately RMB 65.97 million) within two weeks [11] - "Clockwork Mobilization" by Mutong, which features a retro American art style and has potential for future performance [14] - The game "Ninja Storm: Leaf Master" by Zhongyou and "Mimi Mima" by Tiandi Network have shown a noticeable decline in data despite promotional efforts [5] Overseas Market Summary - The number of new game releases in the overseas market has decreased significantly, with only nine new titles launched last month [18] - Key overseas releases include: - "BRAVE FRONTIER LEGION" by GrandSoft, with over 220,000 downloads and estimated revenue of $2.52 million [19] - "Fate War" by IGG, which has shown promising performance in T1 markets [29] - "Destiny: Rising" by NetEase, which has garnered over 10 million pre-registrations prior to its international launch [31] - The overall performance of overseas new games has declined, with no titles exceeding $1 million in estimated revenue this month [25]