Tencent's Honor of Kings the world's top grossing mobile game in May 2017

Tencent's mobile MOBA Honor of Kings was the top grossing mobile game in the world in May 2017.

According to data from App Annie, as reported by Tencent's social network QQ, the hit title has become the first Chinese mobile game to top both the App Store and Google Play monthly grossing charts worldwide.

Due to China's fragmented Android stores, Chinese games have not traditionally performed well on Google Play, making Honor of Kings' achievement particularly interesting.

Mixi's Monster Strike took second place in the combined grossing ranks, while Fate/Grand Order came third. Clash Royale and Fantasy Westward Journey rounded off the top five.

Spreading the word

Clash of Clans, Mobile Strike, Game of War, Candy Crush Saga and Lineage 2 Revolution completed the top 10 of the combined grossing ranks.

Tencent is beginning to push out Honor of Kings around the world, including a soft launch in Europe under the name Strike of Kings. It already looks set to be the next big mobile eSport.

It is worth remembering that App Annie does not track the various Android app stores in China, which is why it has taken so long for Honor of Kings to top its combined charts. Tencent is certainly happy with the game's performance, pointing to it as a key driver of revenue in its Q4 FY16 financials.