How 'Dungeon & Fighter: Origins' Soared to the Top 1 After Its Release?

Dungeon & Fighter: Origins, the mobile game version of DNF, emerged as the biggest winner among new games on the App Store in May.

Since its official release on May 21st, it quickly climbed to the top of both the iOS Free and Grossing charts in China.

 
It even held the top spot on the Free chart for 6 consecutive days, highlighting the game's immense popularity.

In just 10 days, it surged into the top 10 of the global revenue charts for May.

👉Click here to see the top 10 revenue charts for May.

Why was "Dungeon & Fighter: Origins" able to rocket into the top 10 of the global revenue charts for May in such a short period?

Let's uncover the secrets behind its rapid success and massive revenue generation.

IP Influence - A Solid User Base

Dungeon & Fighter (DNF) has evolved from a game product into a super IP within the entertainment industry. Created by Neople, a subsidiary of the Korean gaming giant Nexon, DNF has been adapted into Japanese anime and manga.

DNF is one of the most played and highest-grossing video games of all time. As of June 2022, it has amassed over 850 million global players and generated more than $22 billion in total revenue, making it one of the highest-grossing entertainment media products ever.

This extensive user base significantly benefits the mobile version of DNF, attracting both long-time fans of the DNF IP and new users drawn by its reputation.

The design of the mobile game itself also plays a crucial role, leveraging Tencent Games' classic IP while inheriting the standout action elements of the PC version. It has been optimized for mobile devices, taking into account the operational characteristics and habits of current users.

For example, "Dungeon & Fighter: Origins" has introduced some auxiliary skills and adapted existing skills to be more mobile-friendly, making them easier to use. While preserving the core battle experience of skill release and combination, the game offers various convenient operation schemes to match mobile device controls.

These adaptations ensure that the action elements of DNF remain intact, allowing players to enjoy combo experiences similar to the PC version on their phones. This also enables new-generation players to appreciate the charm of the DNF IP.

 

Unique Features of the Game

Innovative Combat Experience

The game achieves an unparalleled sense of combat satisfaction through excellent hit feedback and top-notch skill animations, making it difficult for competitors to surpass.

In terms of hit feedback design, beyond the common techniques like frame skipping, screen shaking, camera zooming, and sound effects, "Dungeon & Fighter: Origins" incorporates various hit reactions such as stagger, float, knockback, and knockdown to convey the impact of different skill actions.

Originating from arcade action games, DNF integrates many core elements of 2D action games. For example, in its combat mode, the game employs a 2.5D design that includes X, Y, and Z axes, challenging players to understand movement and skill range effectively.

DNF's skill animations are the top-tier in the 2D gaming realm.

Exquisite Game Graphics

The mobile version inherits the classic pixel art style of the beloved 60th version, bringing back iconic NPCs like Seria and Kiri. Classic maps such as Screaming Cave and King's Relic have also been faithfully recreated in the mobile game.

While maintaining the overall framework similar to the PC version, "Dungeon & Fighter: Origins" has made several detailed enhancements and modern adjustments to meet contemporary gaming standards.

The mobile game not only includes many beautifully crafted cutscenes and CGs in its main storyline but also integrates significant narrative battles at key moments. For instance, when players create a new character, they immediately step into the role of Roxy, fighting alongside Blacksmith Linus and the Four Sword Saints against the Apostle Sirocco.

Comprehensive Game Promotion

Beyond the game's excellent quality, the success of "Dungeon & Fighter: Origins" can also be attributed to Tencent Games' powerful marketing capabilities.

Pre-Launch Hype

Before the game's release, Tencent conducted extensive promotional campaigns across major social platforms in China. This included intensive message pushes on QQ and WeChat, as well as collaborative incentive programs with communities like Bilibili and Weibo, which drew significant attention from potential players.

Post-Launch Activities

After the game's launch, Tencent kept the momentum going by organizing various online events and offering limited-time discounts, further stimulating players' spending enthusiasm.

Paid Advertising Strategy

Achieving such remarkable promotional results undoubtedly involved paid advertising.

Let's briefly analyze the paid advertising strategy from a marketing perspective.

Ad Volume

Around the time the product's official announcement was made in April, "Dungeon & Fighter: Origins" began its pre-launch ad campaigns. The number of video and image ads surged significantly on the announcement day, with over 2,300 pieces of pre-launch content being released in a single day. This strong ad push continued, with an average daily ad volume exceeding 2,000 pieces.

On the day before the game's release (May 20th), the ad volume skyrocketed, with over 22,000 pieces of video and image content being released in a single day. The ad volume continued to increase on the launch day.

Specifically, on the first day of launch, "Dungeon & Fighter: Origins" released over 16,000 pieces of promotional content. Compared to other similar products in the market, Dungeon & Fighter: Origins's first-day ad push was relatively strong, with a larger investment.

Creative Content

From a creative standpoint, the pre-launch promotional content for "Dungeon & Fighter: Origins" can be categorized into five main types: showcasing classic DNF game settings, announcing the mobile game's release date, highlighting equipment-related features, promoting launch-day benefits, and featuring high-quality CG animations. Among these, "classic DNF game settings" were the most prominent, emphasizing the continuity of PC game elements in the mobile version, such as character classes, game art style, and arena gameplay.

In terms of creative format, the pre-launch content for "Dungeon & Fighter: Origins" was relatively diverse, but primarily focused on "voice-over explanations," which accounted for about 50%. Influencer-led video content made up over 25%, ranking second. This type of content mainly featured influencers playing the game and narrating its features.

👉Click here to see more of the advertising materials used for this game you are interested in.

In summary, Dungeon & Fighter: Origins's pre-launch promotional content was extensive but somewhat traditional and conservative in its creative approach. This marketing strategy reflects the project team's cautious approach to marketing, aiming for a stable conversion of the PC game's user base to the mobile platform.

👉Read More Effective Paid Advertising Strategies here.

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