{"id":17989,"date":"2025-08-07T11:04:37","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T08:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gamerefinery.com\/?p=17989"},"modified":"2025-08-07T11:04:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T08:04:37","slug":"how-nexters-hero-wars-stayed-on-top-with-a-winning-events-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gamerefinery.com\/how-nexters-hero-wars-stayed-on-top-with-a-winning-events-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"How Nexters\u2019 Hero Wars Stayed on Top with a Winning Events Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hero Wars<\/a> is a popular RPG game that launched in 2016 to steady success. Since 2019, Hero Wars has consistently held a top 100 grossing position on US iOS<\/strong>, a testament to its exceptional long-term success in the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a mature mobile game, Hero Wars achieved its success through a dynamic and expanding live event strategy, continuous iteration on core features, and the introduction of diverse monetization events and strategic collaborations to keep players engaged and spending.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Hero<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Although Hero Wars is technically a mature game, the developers have found a way to increase revenue and DAU over successive periods. For example, we can see a spike in DAU from August 2024 to June 2025, making it a game we can learn from.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Hero<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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\u201cGameRefinery\u2019s Live Event Tracker has become a cornerstone of how we approach LiveOps and event design. Beyond just monitoring competitor activity, it\u2019s enabled our teams to identify and implement event and competition formats that are highly relevant to our product\u2014with a measurable positive impact on key product metrics. Thanks to this level of actionable insight, we\u2019ve been able to align with emerging trends early, making sure we don\u2019t miss out on critical market shifts. More importantly, the tool has been instrumental in helping us shape a long-term LiveOps strategy grounded in competitive data rather than assumptions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aleksandr Sveikovskii
LiveOps Product Owner, Nexters<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Hacking the Live Event Calendar for Growth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A key strategic initiative behind the success of Hero Wars is the expansion of its live event calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Hero<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Looking closely, we see that the overall event calendar expanded across various categories, but the key driver of growth is a significant increase in monetization-focused events.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Hero<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Monetization category in the Live Events Calendar also lists many more different IAP bundles and offers for players to purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Battle Pass Feature Is a Top Revenue Driver<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In particular, the Battle Pass feature has been crucial for Hero Wars. Battle Pass is a season-based monetization mechanic in which players can obtain rewards by progressing through different thresholds in the plan. They proved particularly effective during the event\u2019s concluding days, driving revenue spikes as players strived to reap final rewards.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Hero<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The game\u2019s Battle Pass feature has also evolved through three iterations\u00a0<\/strong>(Hero\u2019s Way<\/a>,\u00a0Hero\u2019s Way 2.0<\/a>\u00a0&\u00a0Hero\u2019s Way 3.0<\/a>), underscoring the critical role of continuous improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Hero<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Finally, Hero Wars expanded its Battle Pass offerings in September 2024 by introducing the \u2018Season Pass<\/a>\u2019 alongside Hero\u2019s Way 3.0. This \u2018Season Pass\u2019 repurposes the Hero\u2019s Way 2.0 framework, doubling the active Battle Pass opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Lara Croft to Titan Power: Hero Wars\u2019s Expanding Event Horizon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The collaboration with Lara Croft in May 2024<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

IP collaborations are increasingly popular within the gaming industry, making thematic cohesion even more crucial. Strategic partnerships with recognizable IPs can help build structured events and streamline content delivery. This, in turn, can lead to significant reductions in player acquisition costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In May 2024, Hero Wars brought its first-ever collaboration event featuring the famous adventurer Lara Croft<\/a>. This unique crossover created an adventure-themed \u201dTomb Raider\u201d atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Hero<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\"Hero<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Lara Croft-led event, The Mystery of Dominion<\/strong>,  featured different events and offers that made varied use of the theme:<\/p>\n\n\n\n