Moonton's Mobile Legends saw significant gains last quarter despite a wider downwards trend for the MOBA genre in the US.

Sensor Tower reports that US revenue for the game grew 33 per cent year-over-year in Q1 2019, hitting $5.8 million. That brings Mobile Legends a rough total gross of $42 million in the country since launching at the end of 2016.

That only accounts for 12 per cent of the game’s total worldwide revenue of $350 million. Malaysia and Indonesia are the biggest hitters for Moonton, combining to make up 35 per cent of Mobile Legends revenue

Downward slope

Mobile Legends is an outlier in a declining genre, however. MOBAs have struggled to gain a foothold in the US despite strong successes elsewhere. Sensor Tower data showed that just one of the top 10 titles in the genre experienced growth in the market.

Arguably the biggest mobile game in the world, Tencent’s Honor of Kings only generated $1.3 million in the US last quarter in the US, where it was released under the name Arena of Valor.

The game has underperformed to such a degree that Tencent has disbanded its marketing teams for the game in Europe and the US.

Even Vainglory, the third most popular genre entry in the region, saw its revenue dive 62 per cent year-over-year to take a mere $420,000 last quarter.

There could be a resurgence for the MOBA in the US however, as Tencent and Riot gear up to release a League of Legends mobile game.