In a recent announcement by Bilibili Game, it was revealed that the mobile adaptation of Dead Cells in Simplified Chinese has surpassed the 5 million copies mark in sales. This exceptional achievement signifies the sustained popularity of the game, which has endured since its launch two years ago. Notably, it maintained a dominant presence on the Top Paid Games list in mainland China’s App Store for 19 days in August this year.
Dead Cells Mobile conquers China with the sale of 5 million copies
Dead Cells, recognized as a highly acclaimed RogueVania action-platformer, secured prestigious awards including The Games Award (TGA) in 2018 for Best Action Game and the 2018 Golden Joystick Awards for Best Indie Game. bilibili Game introduced the mobile version of Dead Cells to the Chinese market in February 2021, and within the initial five months of its release, more than 2 million copies were sold. In 2022, the sales figure doubled to 4 million copies, and as of August 2023, the game’s sales volume has surpassed the remarkable milestone of 5 million copies.
The success of Dead Cells boosts bilibili’s reputation among gamers
The success of Dead Cells has earned bilibili acclaim from gamers. Founded in 2009, bilibili is the prominent video community in mainland China, renowned for its distinctive danmu (bullet curtain) commenting system. By the second quarter of 2023, the number of monthly active users on bilibili has surged to 324 million.
After more than a decade of growth, bilibili embarked on a journey to broaden its audience beyond its initial focus on creating and sharing videos related to animation, comics, and games (ACG). The company has been dedicated to building an ecosystem that consistently produces top-notch content, with a strong emphasis on user and creator involvement.
Bilibili Game has its roots in the unique game community culture of bilibili and has emerged as a major game brand in China. Its business activities encompass an exclusive agency responsible for publishing, channel cooperation, and game product operation both in China and internationally, in addition to independent game development.
Dead Cells adds to the rise of Chinese game publishing
Dead Cells has emerged as an exceptional independent Roguelike game and a prime illustration of the successful integration of foreign independent games into the Chinese market. The remarkable sales performance of Dead Cells over the past two years mirrors the continuous advancement of bilibili Game as a Chinese game publisher in the field of game introduction and publishing.
Subsequently, another bilibili Game exclusive, the action game F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch, was unveiled in 2021, earning an impressive 80/100 rating on Metacritic and an 8/10 score from IGN. Additionally, the game secured a spot within the top ten rankings of domestic single-player game sales for the year 2021.
Following the triumphant debut of F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch, the year 2022 witnessed the launch of the roguelite game Warm Snow. Its PC version swiftly claimed the number one position on the global best-selling list of Steam and also became the best-selling domestically produced single-player game in China for that year. By May 2023, the cumulative sales of both the PC and mobile versions had surpassed 2 million copies.
Bilibili’s rise in the anime game market
In addition to achieving success in the realm of hardcore console and PC games, bilibili, initially known for its ACG content, has also solidified its position in the popular anime game market in East Asia. In August 2023, the mobile game Uma Musume Pretty Derby, created by the renowned Japanese video game development studio Cygames, made its debut in mainland China and was exclusively published by bilibili Game. It swiftly claimed the top spot in the App Store’s list of most popular free games.
A prominent release from bilibili Game, Fate/Grand Order, has maintained a steady presence for seven years since its Chinese version was first introduced in September 2016. It achieved the highest-grossing game ranking in the App Store on multiple occasions and consistently remained among the Top 10 highest-grossing titles.
A similar trajectory unfolded for Cygames’ Princess Connect! Re: Dive, which, when bilibili Game published its Chinese version in 2020, quickly ascended to the second position in the App Store’s highest-grossing ranking. The game remains a popular and enduring favorite to this day.
Additionally, the much-anticipated 3D real-time battle RPG mobile game known as Higan: Eruthyll, which was self-developed and published by bilibili Game, saw its overseas launch in the first half of the current year. It quickly surged to the top spot in the Top Free Games category in the App Store of several regions, including the United States, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and others during its first week of release.
Furthermore, it managed to secure a place among the Top 10 best-selling games in five different countries/regions and secured a position in the Top 100 best-selling games in numerous other countries/regions, effectively cementing the game’s reputation among international anime enthusiasts.
Since its inception in the gaming industry in 2014, bilibili Game has achieved notable success both as an agency and in game publishing. Looking ahead, bilibili Game is committed to prioritizing game quality and will continue to offer players high-quality gaming services, all while introducing additional game products of exceptional quality.
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