According to the India Mobile Gaming Report 2022 published by the gaming platform Mobile Premier League (MPL), Uttar Pradesh (UP) has emerged as the top destination for mobile gamers, followed by Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar, and West Bengal.
The most famous games for the players included Ludo Dice, Snakes and Ladders, Carrom, Fruit Dart, Block Puzzle and Poker, among the top played games.
The report claimed that Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Allahabad in UP consisted a total of 36% of the total games in the state. 2022 was the second year with Lucknow being one of the top city and also outpacing all metros.
A report from Lumika reveals that India became the world’s largest consumer of mobile games last year. With over 15 billion downloads, the gaming market in India had a value of $2.6 billion in the fiscal year 2022, and with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27%, it would expand to $8.6 billion by 2027.
“Tier 2 and 3 cities, which witnessed explosive growth in mobile gaming, among other internet leisure activities, have rapidly ascended to the top, unseating gaming hubs such as the metro cities like Mumbai and Bangalore. Unlike last year, which saw Delhi take the pole position in user growth, metros don’t occupy any spot in the top 10 gaming cities. This growth is a testament to the extensive popularity of mobile gaming beyond the big cities,” the report said.
The second sport for video game growth is taken by Maharashtra, with Pune as the top city, followed by Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur and Nashik. Third place to Rajasthan, with Jaipur leading the charge over Jodhpur by 200% more gamers.
Bihar saw massive growth in gaming in Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur due to the popularity of mobile gaming in recent years. Kolkata, Midnapore, Murshidabad, Howrah and Darjeeling secured fifth place for West Bengal in the gaming population.
The states where mobile gaming increased the most in 2022 over 2021 were Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Himachal Pradesh. Odisha saw a 55% growth, followed by Punjab, which 53, Tamil Nadu at 42, Puducherry at 38, and Himachal Pradesh at 23 on a year-over-year basis.
Country Head for MPL India, Namratha Swamy, said, “Players from across the length and breadth of the country are taking to online mobile gaming with gusto. Enhanced internet penetration and the availability of safe e-sports and gaming platforms have worked wonders to contribute to this rise. As a responsible gaming platform, we will continue to enhance the quality of games that we offer and introduce more player-first initiatives to create a safe community of mobile gamers.”