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Upstream: the mobile games streaming and esports digest – September 20 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 – September 20 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.

Mobile Legends Bang Bang was the most watched mobile game of the month, with viewers watching a combined 49.1 million hours of streamed content – a 202 percent month-on-month increase. PUBG Mobile maintained its place as the second most viewed game, with 44.9 million hours of content being watched – an increase of 143 percent.

Viewership of last month’s most viewed title, Garena Free Fire, fell 11.1 percent to 35.5 million.

In total, viewership of mobile games increased 56 percent in August to 198 million. The month also saw two new entries in the top ten most viewed mobile games – Arena of Valor in fourth place and Standoff 2 in tenth place.

YouTube remained the dominant platform for mobile streaming, with a total of 81.7 million cumulative hours viewed – 46 percent of the total However, this does represent a 6 percent decrease compared to the previous month. Facebook Gaming almost doubled its hours watched, coming in second place at 41.6 percent. Twitch continues to lag behind at 12.4 percent – 22.1 million hours viewed.

In August, viewers watched 46.3 million hours of esports – a 105 percent year-on-year increase. Esports saw particular success in Southeast Asia, wish a total of 2 million hours viewed. Eastern Asia came in second place, with 18.3 million hours. In total, the regions accounted for 85 percent of the total hours of esports viewed.

In terms of esports viewed on streaming services, YouTube once again pulled ahead with 82 percent of the total. This was followed by 17 percent on Facebook Gaming, 1.1 percent on Loco, and less than 1 percent on Twitch, Booyah, and Rooter.

Mobile Legends Bang Bang’s MPL Indonesia Season 10 was the month’s most successful esports event, with a total of 12.2 million views, and a peak concurrent viewership of 1.37 million. Arena of Valor’s 2022 Arena of Glory Winter event came in second place, with 8.9 million viewers, and a peak of 327 thousand concurrent viewers.

Despite only coming in second place in terms of events, Arena of Valor pulled ahead when comparing esports events vs. general viewership, with 58 percent. In contrast, Mobile Legends Bang Bang’s esports viewership accounted for just 47 percent of the total hours watched.

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.