Key Points :
- PUBG Mobile has hit a downward spiral of upto seven places putting it right in the tenth spot in Q3 this year in terms of overall game downloads compared to the previous quarter.
- Among Us is leading in both the stores, i.e., Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.
- The game has received a great number of downloads and has overtaken Fall Guys as the most streamed game in 2020.
The coronavirus pandemic has shortlisted the possible methods to stay entertained. While staying at home, the internet is one of the only sources of entertainment for most people globally. Many were turning to mobile games like PUBG Mobile and Freefire to keep themselves engaged.However, the smartphone gamers received a on 2nd September when the Indian government banned PUBG Mobile, PUBG Mobile Lite, and 116 other apps under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The ban was bought into action amidst the rising tensions between India- China . The decision was made pertaining to the claim which hinted data piracy and other personal data theft issues which was putting the national interest in jeopardy.
India was undoubtedly one of the largest markets of the PUBG Mobile version and after the ban the gaming company suffered huge losses.This ban’s after-effects are now coming into light, as PUBG Mobile has hit a downward spiral of upto seven places putting it right in the tenth spot in Q3 this year in terms of overall game downloads compared to the previous quarter.Sensor Tower had earlier released a report in which they stated that India constitutes 185.5 million, or 24%, of PUBG Mobile’s total downloads, the highest in the world. According to Sensor Tower, installation of mobile games grew nearly 28 percent year on year last quarter to 14.2 billion in Q3 across both the app stores. The majority of installs came from Google Play Store, which grew 36.8 percent from 8.7 billion in the third quarter of 2019 to 11.9 billion this Q3.The App Store saw game installs decline slightly year on year, decreasing 4.2 percent from 2.4 billion in the previous year to 2.3 billion in the third quarter of 2020. This decline came from China, as in the rest of the world, installs grew slightly.
The viral online multiplayer game, Among Us, by Innersloth, has topped the charts in downloads for the third quarter.
The title, which has taken the gaming industry by storm recently, saw installs that were more than 13 times what it experienced in the third quarter of the preceeding year.The title has recorded over 85 million downloads in the August-September period on mobile devices. Among Us is leading in both the stores, i.e. Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.The game takes place in a space-themed setting where players each take on one of two roles, most being Crewmates, and a predetermined number being Impostors.The goal for the Crewmates is to identify the Impostors, eliminate them, and complete tasks around the map; the Impostors’ goal is to covertly sabotage and kill the Crewmates before they complete all their tasks.
Through a plurality vote, players believed to be Impostors may be removed from the game. If all Impostors are eliminated or all tasks are completed, the Crewmates win; if there are an equal number of Impostors and Crewmates, or if a critical sabotage goes unresolved, the Impostors win.Scribble Rider from Voodoo and My Talking Tom Friends by Outfit 7 Limited, both launched earlier this year, took the No 2 and 3 spots, respectively, for overall downloads.Garena’s Free Fire is the only battle royale game that made it to the top five list, but its installs declined five percent year on year. Among Us has received a great number of downloads and has overtaken Fall Guys as most streamed game in 2020.
