Sensor Tower: Tencent (00700)'s “Wang Zhe Rongyao” continued to top the global mobile game revenue list in September

The Zhitong Finance App learned that on October 13, Sensor Tower released the top 10 global mobile game revenue and download rankings for September 2026. “Wang Zhe Rongyao” continued to be at the top of the global mobile game revenue list in September 2026. ROBLOX, Gossip Harbor, Candy Crush Saga, and MONOPOLY GO! Following that, they joined the top 5 in the global revenue list.

According to Sensor Tower application performance insight data, “Wang Zhe Rongyao” continued its strong revenue momentum in September, mainly due to the support of the Chinese core market. The “Moonlight Chang'an” season is live, and a new hero, Wang Wei, has appeared. The game also added the season-limited summoner skill “Fog Travels Through a Thousand Mountains” and launched a “Travel Diary” themed battle skin. Game downloads and player spending both increased slightly during this update, reflecting the new gameplay and season-themed look that helped reignite players' interest and drive commercialization.

“ROBLOX” had a strong performance in September, during which time many new game content and online events were launched one after another. “Showdown” focuses on fast-paced anime-style battles, and “GOAT Football League” adds a relaxed and witty element to competitive soccer gameplay. This month's key event, “The Hunt: Roblox 20,” revolves around the platform's 20th anniversary. Players can complete missions and earn exclusive rewards in several classic “ROBLOX” games. “Brookhaven RP” joined forces with “Jurassic World” to add dinosaurs and new vehicles; “Dungeon Heroes” launched the “Dragon Festival (Dragon Festival)” battle order, bringing new pets, skills, and appearance content. These updates have provided a new impetus for players to return and pay; in the same period, ROBLOX's revenue momentum has further increased.

Other top grossing games maintained player activity in September by continuing to launch themed events. “Candy Crush Saga” launches a “Music Season (Music Season)” where players can create exclusive music works and collect rewards; at the same time, the game also collaborates with two internationally renowned musicians, Shania Twain and Zedd, to add star effects to the event and provide an opportunity to win prizes. “Pokémon GO” launched the “GO Fest 2026: Mega Finale” event at the beginning of the month, focusing on team battles between Super Dream X and Super Dream Y. Afterwards, the “Pokémon Horizon: Series” joint event launched, and special costume Pokémon and themed rewards were launched. The “Harvest Festival (Harvest Festival)”, which launched at the end of the month, launched Flash Fruit Gobble, bringing players new collection goals and continuing the popularity of the event until October.

In September 2026, global players' mobile game spending on the App Store and Google Play reached US$6.13 billion, down 7% from the previous month. In terms of market share, the US ranked first with 28.7% of total revenue; China (iOS only) followed with 15.7%; and Japan ranked 3rd with 12.4%.

In the global mobile game revenue growth list, “ROBLOX” also topped the list in September. The US, UK, and Canada are the top three markets in terms of iOS revenue, with the US seeing the biggest increase in monthly revenue. Meanwhile, “Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle” once again encouraged players to pay during the “Global Dokkan Campaign 2026” campaign. Players can use in-game currency to draw current featured characters, including Frieza and Super Saiyan Son Goku, followed by Super Saiyan Son Gohan and Perfect Sharu. Game revenue spikes when every character goes live. “Zeus: The God of Arrogance”, which launched on August 26, continued its strong initial momentum until September. As initial download popularity declined, game revenue remained steady. On September 16, the game also opened a new server group to provide players with a fresh start and more room to grow.

“Eclipse: The Awakening” is a fantasy-themed MMORPG owned by Smilegate Holdings. It ranked 5th in the global mobile game revenue growth list in September, and Korea is the market with the most outstanding revenue performance. The game allows characters to continue to grow while the player is offline, and supports cross-platform play on PC and mobile, providing more flexibility for character growth. Players can combine abilities and combine the two skills to explore new ways to fight, and participate in 20 vs 20 team battles of 10 minutes each. The launch event also offers a premium reward guarantee to help new players get started faster.

Tencent's “Honor of Kings Chess (Honor of Kings Chess)” ranked 7th in the global mobile game revenue growth list, and its performance was mainly driven by the Chinese market. This self-propelled chess game allows 6 players to each select “Wang Zhe Rongyao” heroes to form a lineup and face off through multiple rounds of automatic battles. Auction mechanics, special skills, and effect cards add variables to every game, and may even change the game. Familiar heroes have lowered the entry threshold for “Wang Zhe Rongyao” players, and diverse lineup combinations have also brought different strategic choices to the game.

Overall, the September list shows that mature products and new games maintain player payments through different methods. Season updates, anniversaries, co-op events, and the launch of new characters provide a reason for players to return; new games are gradually gaining popularity with familiar IPs, strategic gameplay, and a flexible growth system. Welcome to Sensor Tower's Playliner Operations Insights Platform to learn more about the operational strategies that impact game commercialization and player engagement.

Top 10 global mobile game downloads in September 2026

“ROBLOX” topped the global mobile game download list in September 2026, and “Free Fire” ranked 2nd. “Block Blast!” , Subway Surfers, and Bus Fever Party! It was followed by a joint ranking in the top 5 downloads worldwide.

“ROBLOX” once again topped the global mobile game download list in September. The rich content created by the creators on the platform provides players with many types of gaming experiences, and social features allow friends to discover and play together. Diverse content, friend-sharing experiences, and a steady stream of new content help “ROBLOX” maintain its broad appeal and attract new users.

“Free Fire” continued to rank 2nd in the global mobile game download list in September. On September 16, the game once again launched a joint event with the popular ninja-themed animation “Naruto SHIPPUDEN (Naruto SHIPPUDEN)”. Players can explore the animated Konoha Village and complete quests to get free Hinata or Jiraiya-themed outfits. Familiar scenes and collectible rewards give anime fans a new reason to return to the game.

“Bus Fever Party!” In September, it rose to 5th place in the global download ranking and ranked 1st in the download growth list. The bus classification puzzle game is published by Lumi Games and has accumulated over 21 million downloads since its launch in June 2025. India, Brazil, the United States, Mexico, and Indonesia are its main markets. Players guide traffic by moving buses and matching passengers with corresponding vehicles. The combination of simple operation, colorful graphics, and gradually increasing levels of difficulty not only lowers the entry threshold, but also preserves a certain level of strategy for the game, which helps it attract players in different markets.

In September 2026, the number of global mobile game downloads reached 3.56 billion, a decrease of 5.2% over the previous month. India ranked first with 576 million downloads (16.2%); the US (7.2%) and Brazil (6%) followed, ranking 2nd and 3rd respectively.

“Wang Zhe Wanxiang Chess” was first released in September and ranked 2nd in the global mobile game download growth list. The number of downloads mainly comes from the Chinese market. This launch expands the “Wang Zhe Rongyao” IP to new game categories, providing a new way for its existing player base to experience this IP. The work's performance shows that mature IP can provide a strong starting point for new product launches.

“Brain Puzzle 3: Crazy Mind” entered the global mobile game download growth list in September, and rose 16 places to 7th place in the overall global download list. Published by Smallstep Technology, the game combines humorous cartoon scenarios with puzzles to encourage players to find unexpected solutions. Simple click and drag operations, plus thoughtful tips, make the game easy to play; varied plot twists keep the gameplay fresh. Indonesia, the Philippines, Brazil, Russia, and Mexico are its main markets.

“MiniMuse” ranked 8th in the global mobile game download growth list after its launch in September. The main markets include the US and Brazil. Players can design characters, match costumes, and create scenes to tell their own stories. These features make the gaming experience more than just dress-up, but also provide players with more ways to explore fashion and show off their creativity. Meanwhile, “Keyboard Escape: +1 Speed ASMR,” “Color Block: Combo Blast,” and “Bulldozer Master” by Supercent ranked 4th, 6th, and 10th in the download growth charts, respectively. Each of the three games uses obstacle breaking, puzzle solving, and placement and mining as the core gameplay, providing clear growth goals based on familiar gameplay.

Overall, the September download list showed the enduring appeal of mature and popular products, as well as the development potential of new products. Social gameplay and well-known IPs help keep leading products popular, while easy to use puzzle gameplay, creative custom content, and familiar game themes provide new players with a variety of entry options. These performances show that both content-rich games and products with clear gameplay can attract a large number of players in the global market.