FoxData Weekly Report | iOS Dark Horse Soars 50 Spots as Google Play Casual Games Bounce Back

Produced by: FoxData Global Mobile Data Research Center

Chart Type: Weekly Gaming Chart

Data Period: September 12 – September 18, 2025

Data Source: App Store & Google Play

Data Scope: Global

Apple App Store | Downloads Top 10 Highlights

This week, the iOS download chart reflects a familiar dynamic: lightweight casual titles remain stable while mid-core and hardcore newcomers push for share.

• Valorant: Genesis Ops held firmly at the top with 9M downloads, as Tencent’s FPS continues to dominate the younger audience segment.

• Clash Royale by Supercell followed closely with 86M downloads, boosted by tournament-driven updates.
• KingShot climbed to No.3, overtaking Clash of Clans—a clear sign of the rising trend for hybrid strategy + shooter gameplay.

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• New Entry: The Three Kingdoms-themed SLG “Three Kingdoms War” broke into the Top 10, indicating strong long-term potential for regional historical IPs and niche genres.
• Indie success “Mr. Please Step Forward” continued its steady rise (+2 spots), now placing in the Top 10.

📌 FoxData Insight:

The chart continues to be anchored by legacy IPs and low-barrier casual experiences, yet the presence of new entrants underscores a key pathway forward: differentiated themes plus social-driven engagement may be the next engine of user acquisition.

Apple App Store | Revenue Top 10 Highlights

The iOS revenue chart this week signals relative stability at the top but explosive shifts in the mid-tier.

• Honor of Kings (Tencent) maintained its crown with impressive revenues of $19.6M, remaining nearly unshakable.
• Last War: Survival (FUNFLY) secured the No.2 spot with $13.4M, reaffirming the long-tail resilience of the SLG genre in global markets.
• Royal Match (Dream Games) climbed back into the Top 3, continuing to monetize strongly across multiple regions.
• 📈 Breakout Dark Horse: Tencent’s Delta Force surged 50 places to land at No.9, fueled by high-fidelity combat and distinct tactical shooter dynamics that fill an unmet demand among iOS core FPS players.

At the same time, classic IPs staged a strong comeback:

• Monster Strike jumped 11 spots to No.8.
• Dragon Quest Walk skyrocketed 111 spots, re-entering the Top 10—a surge clearly driven by anniversary events combined with Japan’s domestic IP loyalty.

📌 FoxData Insight:

On iOS, spending volatility is increasingly tied to major updates and local seasonal events. The dramatic leaps in ranking showcase the outsized commercial impact of well-timed content windows.

Google Play | Downloads Top 10 Highlights

On Google Play, the global breadth of user behavior reflects a dual structure: mass-market casual evergreens paired with regional breakout titles.

• Subway Surfers continues at No.1 with 81M downloads, solidifying its position as a “super evergreen” product.
• Prison Escape Journey followed closely (80M downloads), proving that simulation genres still resonate with mass audiences.
• Roblox remained robust, particularly across the U.S. and Southeast Asia.
• 📈 Major highlight: My Talking Tom 2 from Outfit7 soared 15 places to No.7, underscoring that classic virtual pet gameplay still commands attention in short bursts.
• Puzzle-matching titles such as Block Blast! and Tile Club stayed on the list, reinforcing the global universality of casual puzzle engagement.

📌 FoxData Insight:

Google Play users continue to show a strong preference for light-touch, high-frequency “daily companion” gaming experiences, standing in sharp contrast to the mid-core and high-spend orientation of iOS.

Google Play | Revenue Top 10 Highlights

Revenue momentum on Google Play remains a blend of top-heavy giants with breakthrough mid-tier climbers.

• Netmarble’s BTS: Vampire RPG dominated the chart, surpassing $25M in weekly revenue, a textbook case of KPOP-driven narrative power meeting mobile monetization.

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• Coin Master ($19.9M) and Last War: Survival ($18.7M) followed, with SLGs maintaining their global monetization strength.
• Whiteout Survival (Century Games) dipped slightly to No.4 but still achieved a strong $17M.
• 📈 Puzzle genre resilience continued: Royal Match and Candy Crush Saga both climbed steadily, reinforcing the stickiness of classic casuals.
• 📈 Rising contenders: Gossip Harbor (merge puzzle) and KingShot (tactical shooter hybrid) both entered the Top 10, validating strong demand for narrative-driven puzzle mechanics and genre fusion.

📌 FoxData Insight:

Google Play revenue trends underscore how regional culture and genre preferences shape spending intent:

• Korean RPGs and Japanese anime IPs → highly lucrative within East Asia.
• North America & Europe → card, puzzle, and stress-relief titles remain consistently strong.
• Southeast Asia & India → simulation and SLG titles are scaling rapidly.

Deeper Market Takeaways

Tracking both platforms this week points to three clear trends:

1. Event-driven revenue spikesiOS saw massive uplifts from Delta Force and Dragon Quest Walk, proving that anniversary events and version launches create concentrated surges in spending. Future success may lie less in frequency of events, and more in strategically timed windows.
2. Enduring power of casual “light play”Google Play’s top titles remain Subway Surfers, Roblox, and Talking Tom, showing that easy entry and viral-friendly gameplay loops remain central pillars of growth.
3. Sustained value of mid-core and hardcore titlesiOS revenue continues to be anchored by MOBA and SLG heavyweights like Honor of Kings and Last War. Success is tied to premium production values, long-term content pipelines, and sticky social ecosystems.

Looking ahead, publishers—both newcomers and incumbents—will face a sharper divide: navigating between long-term “premium live ops” strategies versus rapid-hit casual phenomena. This polarization of the market is set to intensify further.

💡 Recommended Read of the Week

👉 FoxData’s “H1 2025 East Asia Anime-Style Mobile Game Market Report” is now live!

Highlights include:

• Case dissections of blockbuster hits: ad strategies and revenue models.
• Shifting user preferences: opportunities led by Gen Z taste upgrades.
• Localization playbook: from text to cultural adaptation.