The Southeast Asian mobile gaming market remained strong in Q1 2025, reflecting ongoing growth in both downloads and revenue across the region. According to Sensor Tower, Southeast Asia ranked second globally by downloads in Q1 2025, with a total of 1.93 billion installs (almost 2 billion). This represented a 3% quarter-over-quarter increase.

The region’s revenue from in-app purchases stood at $625 million, up 1% quarter-over-quarter, making it the seventh-largest market by revenue. It is worth noting that these figures compare a whole region to individual countries, which can sometimes be a bit misleading. Furthermore, direct-to-consumer payments — a significant revenue stream in Southeast Asia — are not represented in these numbers.

Southeast Asian Mobile Game Market Insights 2025

Downloads vs Revenue Q1 2025

Indonesia remained the largest market by downloads in Q1 2025, with 870 million installs, marking a 9% quarter-over-quarter growth. The Philippines followed with 366 million installs, reflecting a 1% drop from the previous quarter, while Vietnam came in third with 329 million installs, a 2% rise quarter-over-quarter.

In terms of revenue, Thailand led with $162 million, although this was a 6% drop from Q4 2024. Indonesia followed at $118 million, reflecting a 1% quarter-over-quarter rise, while Malaysia came in at $103 million, up 7% quarter-over-quarter.

Southeast Asian Mobile Game Market Insights 2025

Top Genres in Southeast Asia

Platformers and runners were the leading genres by downloads in Q1 2025, growing 16% quarter-over-quarter. Simulators remained nearly flat, up just 0.1% quarter-over-quarter, while arcade games saw a 12.2% rise in downloads.

For revenue, 4X strategy games performed strongly, growing 17.6% quarter-over-quarter. MOBA titles followed with 20.1% growth, while MMORPG revenue fell by 17.1%. The data highlights a clear split between the genres that are popular by downloads and those that drive revenue.

Southeast Asian Mobile Game Market Insights 2025

Regional Highlights

Indonesia

Indonesia remained a key market in Q1 2025. Simulators were the most downloaded genre, growing 4.9% quarter-over-quarter. Platformers and runners jumped 38.2% quarter-over-quarter, and arcade games were up 18%.

For revenue, MOBA titles grew 32.7% quarter-over-quarter, 4X strategy games were up 21.1% quarter-over-quarter, while sports fell by 22.6%. The battle royale genre saw significant growth, up 50%. Magic Chess: Go Go entered the download charts in Q1 2025, while Ragnarok M: Classic led in revenue.

Thailand

In Q1 2025, simulators were the most downloaded in Thailand, although their popularity fell by 14.1%. Platformers and runners fell by 18.6% and sandbox games fell by 17.5%.

For revenue, realistic sports titles fell by 7.8% quarter-over-quarter, MMORPG fell by 27.4% and 4X strategies fell by 5.6%. Go Go Samkok and Papa Restaurant entered the charts in Q1 2025, while Ragnarok M: Classic and Dragoon Academy were strong contributors to revenue.

Southeast Asian Mobile Game Market Insights 2025

Vietnam

Platformers were the most downloaded in Vietnam, growing by 3.2%. Simulators fell by 6.7% and arcade titles grew by 9.1%.

For revenue, 4X strategies jumped by 51.5% quarter-over-quarter, MMORPG titles were up by 8.2% and Squad RPG fell by 1.8%. Roblox remained popular in Vietnam, and a local casual game called Trò Vẽ Vui Tuổi Thơ also performed well in Q1 2025. Last War: Survival and Big Bang Thời Không were strong contributors to revenue.

Philippines

Platformers and runners grew by 6.8% quarter-over-quarter in the Philippines. Simulators remained nearly flat with a 0.7% rise, while arcade games were up by 9.6%.

For revenue, MMORPG fell by 19.7% quarter-over-quarter, 4X strategies grew by 18.7% and MOBA titles were up by 19%. The market was more dynamic here, with Magic Chess: Go Go, I Am Security, Good Coffee, Great Coffee, Color Game, and two Ragnarok titles entering the charts in Q1 2025.

Success of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang remained a key title in Southeast Asia in Q1 2025. The game maintained its place in the top 5 by both revenue and downloads. The success of the title can be largely explained by its strong localization strategies and ongoing engagement with the community. The developer, Moonton, has physical offices in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines and collaborates with local influencers to keep players engaged. The game frequently adds content tailored to Southeast Asia’s preferences and regularly holds tournaments in the region.

Southeast Asian Mobile Game Market Insights 2025

Southeast Asian Publishers’ Rising Presence

Publishers from Southeast Asia downloaded a total of 5.8 billion games in 2024, outperforming companies from China, Cyprus, and the USA. Vietnam performed particularly well, with 3 of the top 15 publishers in Q1 2025 originating from Vietnam. Vietnamese companies were able to respond quickly to trends and produce games that appealed to a large base of players. The game 456 Run Challenge: Clash entered the overall top 10 in Q1 2025, while Survival Escape: Prison Game and Prison Survival: Tap Challenge were experiencing strong growth in downloads.

Final Thoughts

Southeast Asia's Q1 2025 mobile gaming market highlights the growing role of the region in the industry. The strong performance of local publishers, the ongoing success of titles tailored to regional preferences, and the adaptability of companies to changing trends all reflect a robust and increasingly important market. Vietnam and Singapore emerge as key contributors to this growth, while Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand remain strong contributors in their own right. The data underscores Southeast Asia’s unique blend of strong local companies, culturally tailored content, and growing revenue opportunities.