SensorTower Southeast Asian Mobile Gaming Market Report 2025
The mobile gaming market in Southeast Asia (SEA) continues to surge in 2025, cementing its position as one of the most promising regions for game developers and publishers. This report, based on SensorTower data, explores App Store and Google Play performance across SEA, including top-performing genres, market-specific trends, and leading games by downloads and revenue.
- 🌏 SEA is a mobile gaming powerhouse, ranking #2 globally for downloads (1.93B in Q1 2025) with $625M in IAP revenue (ranked #7).
- 🇮🇩 Indonesia leads SEA in downloads (870M in Q1 2025), while Thailand tops IAP revenue ($162M).
- 🎮 Arcade & Simulation subgenres dominate downloads, while Strategy, RPGs & Shooters lead IAP revenue. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang remains the top earner.
- 🔎 Subgenre deep dives are included for Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
- 💼 A special case study on Mobile Legends: Bang Bang explores how hyper-localization drives success with culturally relevant content, community events, and regional IP collaborations.
- 🌐 SEA-based publishers collectively led the world in mobile game production with over 5.8 billion downloads in 2024, driven by overseas markets. Notably, Vietnamese publishers powered Q1 2025 global growth with viral survival-themed hits.
SEA Mobile Gaming: Explosive Growth & Untapped Potential
In Q1 2025, Southeast Asia became the second-largest region globally for mobile game downloads, reaching 1.93 billion installs, up 3% from the previous quarter. While in-app purchase (IAP) revenue ranked 7th globally at $625M, the region shows immense monetization potential due to factors like rising smartphone usage, improved digital payments, and a large, engaged gaming audience.
Key Insight: SEA’s booming mobile gaming scene is driven by growth in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand, with strong momentum expected through 2025.
Country-Specific Insights: Downloads vs. Revenue Leaders
- Indonesia leads the region in downloads with 870 million installs in Q1 2025, marking a 9% quarter-over-quarter increase.
- Thailand leads in revenue, generating $162 million in IAPs, thanks to mature payment systems and higher user spend.
- Philippines and Vietnam follow closely in total downloads, highlighting rising engagement across the region.
Genre Trends: Casual Games Dominate Installs, Strategy & RPGs Lead Revenue
- Arcade and Simulation games top download charts due to easy gameplay and wide appeal.
- Strategy, Shooter, and RPG games generate the bulk of IAP revenue, driven by long-term engagement and competitive features.
- Puzzle games continue gaining traction, with viral formats and low entry barriers.
SEA Game Developers Go Global
Southeast Asia’s game studios are thriving on the global stage:
- In 2024, SEA-based publishers recorded 5.8 billion global installs, ranking #1 worldwide for downloads.
- Vietnam stood out with three publishers in the global top 15.
- Games like Garena Free Fire (Singapore) and IKame’s Car Race (Vietnam) topped global charts in Q1 2025.
Global Takeaway: SEA studios are not only dominating local markets but also exporting successful titles globally.
Hyper-Localization Drives Player Loyalty
Games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang show that culturally tailored content and local community initiatives are key to long-term success. Regional campaigns, folklore-inspired characters, and country-specific tournaments (e.g., during Ramadan in Indonesia or Philippines mall activations) have created deep player engagement.
Outlook: Why Southeast Asia Is the Next Big Thing in Mobile Gaming
With its expanding user base, rising revenue potential, and successful local studios, Southeast Asia is a high-growth frontier for mobile gaming in 2025 and beyond.
To succeed, developers must focus on:
- Deep localization strategies
- Community and influencer engagement
- Data-driven monetization
- Optimized mobile-first experiences
As mobile-first behaviors grow, SEA offers unmatched opportunities for innovation, user acquisition, and market leadership.
Source: SensorTower
