Crystal of Atlan (CoA), the new action role-playing game developed by ByteDance’s video game company Nuverse, was the eighth best-selling mobile game on iOS in China in July, according to local media outlet GameLook, despite only launching on July 14.
Why it matters: The new game has the potential to be a breakout hit for ByteDance, which has been aiming to develop its own successful mobile title in the wake of HoYoverse’s global success with Genshin Impact. In the second half of July, Crystal of Atlan’s revenue only ranked behind Tencent’s Honor of Kings, NetEase’s Justice Online, and Tencent’s PUBG Mobile, GameLook reported. Fueled by the success of the new game, Nuverse’s July revenue saw a remarkable 109% month-on-month increase.
Details: Based on data from Sensor Tower, CoA’s iOS revenue surpassed RMB 210 million ($29 million) in July. GameLook predicted that the revenue across all platforms amounted to RMB 600 million ($83 million) for the same month.
- Crystal of Atlan is an action role-playing DNF (Dungeon ’n’ Fighter) game that uses 3D graphics and open-world scenarios. Its anime style resembles Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, both of which were launched by HoYoverse.
- In May, according to CoA’s official Weibo account, the number of pre-registered players reached 8 million.
- ByteDance is actively promoting the game on its short-video platform Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), using internal advertising resources to enhance the game’s visibility. A large number of gaming KOLs introduced the gameplay via videos and broadcasts on Douyin to attract domestic players.
- As of August 8, the hashtags #CoA and #CrystalofAtlant have collectively reached more than 3.5 billion views on Douyin, according to a report by 36Kr. Additionally, ByteDance also recruited KOLs on Chinese broadcast platforms Huya and Betta, to increase publicity for the game. Given the outlay on marketing, some analysts have suggested that maintaining the title’s high profile may prove a challenge in the months ahead.
Context: ByteDance established Nuverse in 2019, announcing its entry into the gaming sector. In 2021, ByteDance acquired game studio Moonton and C4games for RMB 10 billion and equity worth RMB 15 billion, according to 36Kr.
- On July 13, Moonton launched the fantasy role-playing card game Watcher of Realms in the global market. The revenue of this game reached approximately RMB 70 million ($9.6 million) in the first month, according to GameLook.
- In 2023, NetEase’s Justice Online and HoYoverse’s Honkai: Star Rail are the two most prominent new titles in China’s mobile game market.
- In July, Justice Online, the martial arts role-playing game launched by NetEase on June 30, ranked seventh with a revenue of $63.3 million.
- In May, Hoyoverse’s new hit game Honkai: Star Rail earned approximately RMB 1.2 billion ($168 million) in the first month since its global launch on April 26.