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Upstream: the mobile games streaming and esports digest – August 15 2022

PocketGamer.biz and Stream Hatchet break down the monthly stats on mobile games making waves on streaming platforms and esports events

Upstream: the mobile games streaming and esports digest – August 15 2022

Each month, PocketGamer.biz and Stream Hatchet break down the impact of mobile games and esports on streaming platforms; the ebb and flow of the most popular titles including Free Fire, PUBG Mobile, and Clash Royale, and pioneering newcomers; and how they’re reaching their audience.

This month’s top ten most streamed mobile games is largely unchanged from last month, seeing only one new entry: Monster Strike, which edged into ninth place, bumping Standoff 2 out of the top ten.

Mobile game streaming is down 35 per cent compared to June, and only three games in the top ten saw an increase in viewership – Free Fire (6.1 per cent), Mahjong Soul (7 per cent) and the month’s fastest growing title, Monster Strike (230 per cent).

The month’s most streamed title was Free Fire, with 39.9 million total hours viewed. Last month’s most viewed title, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, fell by 73.6 per cent to 16.3 million views. This can be attributed in part to the lack of esports events in July. Only 0.7 per cent of the watchtime during this period was from esports, with half of that coming from events held in June. The esports events in June were partly responsible for the title’s number one spot in June.

PUBG Mobile maintained second place in the rankings but also saw a decline in viewership, with a 55.8 per cent fall to 18.5 million hours.

YouTube remains the dominant platform for mobile streaming, accounting for 66.2 million hours viewed – 52.1 per cent of the total. Facebook Gaming came in second, with 30.1 per cent, while Twitch trailed at 17.8 per cent.

Free Fire, the month’s top streamed mobile game, did particularly well on Facebook Gaming and YouTube, where it picked up 20 million and 17.2 million hours, respectively.

In contrast, the top game on Twitch – League of Legends: Wild Rift – was only viewed for three million hours on the platform.

Staff Writer

Lewis Rees is a journalist, author, and escape room enthusiast based in South Wales. He got his degree in Film and Video from the University of Glamorgan. He's been a gamer all his life.