Phantom Blade Zero Surpasses China in Global Revenue

Phantom Blade Zero, a game developed in China, has achieved significant global success beyond its home market. According to Elliott, markets outside of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan now account for 55% of the game's revenue across Steam and PlayStation.

Elliott noted that while China accounted for nearly 70% of revenue during pre-orders on Steam in August, the gap between China and other regions closed as the game approached launch.

The game's positive reviews, which earned it one of the best Metacritic scores of the year, significantly boosted its revenue. US daily revenue increased from $106K on October 25 to $230K after the embargo lifted, with the game amassing nearly 8.5x more revenue in four days.

On launch day, the US and the rest of the world combined out-earned China for the first time in the game's pre-order history. While Chinese sales remained strong, other regions showed up later, without the 'hometown-hero effect' that typically boosts early sales.

Elliott acknowledged that sales in one region are still sales, but emphasized that Phantom Blade Zero has quickly become one of this year's highest-grossing premium games regardless of regional performance.