{"id":17748,"date":"2025-02-13T13:50:38","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T11:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gamerefinery.com\/?p=17748"},"modified":"2025-02-13T13:50:38","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T11:50:38","slug":"mobile-game-market-review-january-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gamerefinery.com\/mobile-game-market-review-january-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Analyst Bulletin: Mobile Game Market Review January 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Is it really a trading card game if you can\u2019t swap with your friends? That question is precisely why there was so much anticipation surrounding the long-awaited introduction of trading mechanics to Pok\u00e9mon TCG Pocket<\/a>. But now that it\u2019s finally live, the feature has left many disappointed due to various restrictions that limit what players are allowed to trade\u2014most likely to preserve the game\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That situation aside, there was plenty more for players to be positive about during January, particularly where collaborations were concerned. There was a surprisingly laid-back appearance from hot-headed celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay in Supercell\u2019s Hay Day<\/a>, as well as a crossover with the anime Demon Slayer in Summoner\u2019s War<\/a> that caused tremendous revenue spikes in both the US and Japan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsewhere, we saw some trends usually prominent in the midcore market make their way over to casual games, and vice versa. Top-up events had a resurgence in the casual market, cropping up in both Zen Match<\/a> and Candy Crush Saga<\/a>, while League of Legends: Wild Rift<\/a> was inspired by the likes of Monopoly GO! as it launched its first-ever seasonal collectibles album. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s much more about these games and updates, as well as the likes of Love and Deepspace<\/a>, Where Winds Meet<\/a>, and Call of Duty: Mobile<\/a>, in our latest analyst bulletin below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

January\u2019s casual game updates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While top-up events, where players are encouraged to make in-game purchases to gain access to other features and rewards, are popular among midcore games, they have traditionally been more of a rarity in the casual side of the market. However, if January is anything to go by, that might be all about to change\u2014with two casual titles implementing top-up events for the first time in a long while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First up was Zen Match and its Stamp Card<\/a>, the first top-up event the game has launched since its Black Friday Spree in 2023. As the name suggests, the event revolved around filling up a stamp card\u2014the first stamp of which was free. Players could earn additional stamps by making in-game purchases anywhere in the game. Once they reached certain thresholds, they earned rewards like boosters and soft currency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second title was Candy Crush Saga and its Rewards Lounge<\/a>, which marks the game\u2019s first top-up event with time-limited tiers. As players spent premium currency anywhere in the game, they would progress through tiers in the lounge. Once players made enough progress to reach the end of a tier, they would receive its rewards and move on to a new, better tier. The catch was that if players didn\u2019t progress onto the next tier within the allotted time, they\u2019d fall through the tiers instead.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Two
Two top-up events came to the casual side of the market in January: Zen Match\u2019s Stamp Card (left) and Candy Crush Saga\u2019s Rewards Lounge (right)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Elsewhere on the casual side of the market, Hay Day launched its first-ever collaboration event with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Most will recognize Ramsay for his fearsome outbursts in shows like Hell\u2019s Kitchen, which, at face value, makes him seem like a strange fit for a relaxing farming sim like Hay Day. But Supercell cleverly used that juxtaposition to its advantage with an expansive advertising campaign that shows Ramsay finally finding his inner peace<\/a> through the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That same focus on relaxation forms the basis of the event, Zen & Harmony<\/a>, which ran from the 15 to 23 January and is broken down into four separate parts: <\/p>\n\n\n\n