In China, Arena of Valor is a hit. The amazing thing: More women than men play it.
In China, the mobile MOBA “Arena of Valor” (known there as Honour of Kings) is a massive hit. The government even imposed restrictions due to concerns for the well-being of Chinese children. Honour of Kings was threatening to overwhelm them.
The amazing thing: More than half of the massive player base of the MOBA consists of women.
Bloomberg reported in July that Arena of Valor has 108 million female players in China. That’s more than the population of Canada and Argentina combined.
Arena of Valor is Linked to Messenger Service in China
If you know local MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2, you might wonder: How did the Chinese manage to entice so many women into their game?
The trick is likely that the Chinese giant Tencent linked the MOBA to its social platform WeChat, the most popular messaging app in China – similar to what WhatsApp is for us.
This linkage allows players to find other players nearby and start a match.
Moreover, Arena of Valor is so accessible that absolutely anyone can play it. A LoL pro said on a US morning show: “This is the only MOBA I would even play with my mother.“
Tencent Wants to Conquer the USA with the Mobile Game
In Europe, Arena of Valor is already available on iOS and Android. Currently, Tencent is planning the major launch of the game in the USA and is pushing hard for it. They have incorporated DC Comics superheroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman into the game to delight Western fans. The hero setup of Arena of Valor actually consists of figures from Chinese mythology.
Tencent dreams of creating the first global mobile hit that is also taken seriously as a “real game”. While mobile gaming dominates in China and has become the primary gaming platform, the situation in the USA and Europe is still different: Here, mobile gaming is associated with games like Candy Crush and is seen as casual.
Tencent aims to reach core gamers here with Arena of Valor. A key factor is likely the port of Arena of Valor to the Nintendo Switch. Experts believe that if Arena of Valor can establish itself here, it could shake up the market.
More about Arena of Valor:
Arena of Valor Preview Test– A Mobile MOBA for the In-Between?
