It's been about four months since the release of Wuthering Waves. How has the game been performing? Remember its impressive achievement in the first week of launch: Wuthering Waves amassed over $6.8 million in revenue on mobile platforms alone, with $4.17 million generated from the App Store and $2.63 million from Google Play.
A Look Back at the Stunning Performance of Wuthering Waves：👉 How Did "Wuthering Waves" Manage to Surpass $6.8 Million in Its First Week on Mobile Alone?
Just recently, on September 9th, during Apple's iPhone 16 series launch event, Wuthering Waves was showcased to highlight the capabilities of Apple's A18 chip. This demonstrates the significant impact of this game.
Let's first take a look at its performance over the past few days, focusing on two key metrics (data provided by FoxData) : 1. Downloads; 2. Estimated Revenue.
The game's early performance was indeed strong, though there has been a noticeable decline in both download volume and estimated revenue recently. There are still several noteworthy aspects to analyze. Let's dive into the marketing strategies of Wuthering Waves.
It’s reported that within six months following the first beta test of Wuthering Waves, the development team rewrote nearly 90% of the original story. The game designers stated, "During the beta test in April last year, we received extensive feedback from players regarding IP-related elements, including character design and the storyline. This feedback led us to make significant changes to the story," adding, "Compared to the previous version, the new story reduces the emphasis on the post-apocalyptic atmosphere and focuses more on the protagonist, the Drifter, allowing players to immerse themselves more easily in the game."
It's important to note that it wasn't easy for the game development team to make such a significant decision after spending 2-3 years on the project. Consequently, by the time of the 2nd beta test, the story of Wuthering Waves had been completely overhauled. The results showed that this decision was indeed effective.
Wuthering Waves embraced a global launch strategy, emphasizing regions with high player engagement potential. The game's developers recognized the importance of tapping into markets that have shown a penchant for action RPGs. By launching simultaneously on multiple platforms—PC, iOS, and Android—the game ensured maximum exposure and accessibility to its target audience.
The pre-launch phase was a pivotal component of the marketing strategy. By initiating a pre-download phase, the developers not only created anticipation but also engaged players who were eager to dive into the game as soon as it became available. This strategy effectively converted excitement into downloads, allowing the game to climb the charts quickly.
Consistent updates added new content, characters, and features to engage existing players and attract new ones. These updates refreshed the gameplay and created community events and challenges. By incorporating player feedback, developers kept the content relevant and fostered community loyalty.
According to Kuro Game, the company behind Wuthering Waves, the game's unique selling points are its "exhilarating combat experience" and "Echo Collecting" (an equipment system). The game offers a console-like experience on mobile, which is key to its ability to stand out.
Stylistically, Wuthering Waves continues the dark, post-apocalyptic tone of "Punishing: Gray Raven" with an ink-wash art style. The character models and architectural structures are highly detailed, with each character possessing unique strengths and abilities. Combined with the open-world setting, the overall art style is clear, detailed, and immersive, offering players a captivating gaming experience.
In terms of gameplay, Wuthering Waves incorporates high-mobility movement and aerial combo mechanisms from open-world games, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in exploring large maps and engaging in combat. Players can easily execute stunning combos and challenge powerful enemies.
The combat system also includes mechanics like precise dodging and parrying, enabling skilled players to achieve feats such as "flawless victories" and "aerial kills," making the combat process smooth, exciting, and satisfying. This meets players' needs for exploration, combat, and growth.
Wuthering Waves gives a fast-paced experience, with both map exploration and combat being quick-paced. Despite the large maps, players rarely feel the need to pause and admire the scenery, as the gameplay is action-packed, embodying the essence of an action game.
Another standout feature of "Wuthering Waves" is the "Echo Ability," where players can collect specific abilities from defeated enemies and equip them for use in combat. This, combined with the ability to switch characters within a team, allows for flashy yet practical combat effects.
While the concept of using defeated enemies as playable characters is not new, in an open-world setting, this mechanic aligns well with the game's emphasis on freedom and enhances gameplay diversity.
Art is crucial for anime-themed products, and it has become a point of intense competition in recent years. Likewise, the art style has been a focal point of debate among Wuthering Waves players.
Unlike many anime games with "grimdark" narratives and "picturesque" visuals, "Wuthering Waves" stays true to its post-apocalyptic theme with a genuinely cold color palette, as seen in its concept art—a stark, minimalist aesthetic. Except for a few scenes, most of the game's visuals are relatively "plain": grass is yellowish-green instead of vibrant green, rocks and soil are unremarkable, and even the sky is often gray and overcast.
Overall, Wuthering Waves intentionally leans towards a realistic art style, aiming to depict a world that feels like a natural outcome of its tragic backstory.
From a personal aesthetic standpoint, the cold-toned art style adds a sense of sophistication or, more accurately, texture that is rare in anime mobile games. The game's environments feel less artificially crafted and more grounded in reality. The visuals in Wuthering Waves resemble sketches of real locations rather than purely imaginative creations.
Similarly, the buildings and objects in the game often have a tangible weight to them—metal structures feel heavy, and the vast, empty valleys convey a strong sense of the player's smallness within the natural world. These subtle details significantly impact the player's experience.
In 2023, Kuro Game made an appearance at Gamescom, showcasing Wuthering Waves at a 100-square-meter booth, where they featured the game's antagonist, "The Crownless." Anime-themed games can easily achieve visual recognition, laying a solid foundation for popularity.
Besides, Wuthering Waves employed a robust offline promotional strategy to create a buzz. Major cities like New York, Tokyo, and Seoul were targeted for high-impact advertising. For instance, billboards in Times Square showcased the game, while promotions in Akihabara and Shibuya reached the heart of ACG culture in Japan. Such strategic placements ensured that the game captured the attention of potential players in key demographics.
Innovative marketing tactics included hiring cosplayers to embody the game’s characters, which not only enhanced visibility but also connected with fans on a personal level. This immersive approach allowed the brand to engage with its audience creatively, fostering a deeper connection to the game's universe.
We see that, with its dark post-apocalyptic style, anime open-world setting, flashy gameplay, and strategic brand marketing, Wuthering Waves has attracted a significant number of worldwide players who downloaded and experienced the game.
The success of Wuthering Waves highlights the impact that thoughtful, well-executed marketing strategies can have on an app's performance. From its strategic launch to sustained community engagement, every aspect was carefully planned to ensure maximum impact. This is the kind of approach that FoxAdvert specializes in.
At FoxAdvert, we focus on developing data-driven marketing strategies that are tailored to your app's unique needs. Whether you're gearing up for a major launch or looking to strengthen your user base, our team is here to guide you through every step. We combine industry insights with creativity to help your app stand out in a competitive market.
Your app has the potential to achieve great things, and we're here to help you realize that potential. Reach out to FoxAdvert for a free consultation or an online meeting and see how we can work together to craft a marketing plan that delivers real results. Let's take your app to the next level, starting today.
