Com2uS's new massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) "Zeus: God of hubris" is extending its early momentum. It reached No. 1 in revenue on Korea's two major app marketplaces 18 hours after launch, overtaking this year's hit Netmarble "Sol: Enchant" to the top faster. If Zeus keeps up its run, it is expected to help improve Com2uS's earnings, which have been declining recently. However, analysts said long-term success remains to be seen because the initial mobile user base is smaller than past hits and rival MMORPGs will begin launching one after another starting next month.
According to Mobile Index on the 31st, Zeus, which officially launched at 12 p.m. on the 26th, rose to No. 1 in revenue on Apple's App Store on launch day and then topped Google Play at 6 a.m. the next day. It hit No. 1 on both app markets 18 hours after launch. It has continued to hold the top spot on both app markets through the 30th.
The industry is noting that Zeus climbed to the top of both app markets faster than Sol: Enchant. Sol: Enchant, released on June 18, took about 22 hours to reach No. 1 revenue on both app markets, while Zeus was roughly four hours faster. In particular, Sol: Enchant held the No. 1 spot on Google Play for about two months until Zeus arrived, so Zeus's early performance is also being viewed positively.
Zeus's early popularity is also positive for Com2uS, which needs a new revenue source. Com2uS's second-quarter consolidation revenue was 157 billion won, down 15% from a year earlier. The main title "Summoners War" showed a year-over-year revenue decline, which had a large impact. If Zeus establishes itself as a long-term hit, it could become a new revenue source to offset declines in existing games.
Still, it is too soon to be optimistic about long-term success. The initial mobile user base did not reach that of previous big hits. According to Mobile Index, Zeus's average daily active users (DAU) over the first three days after launch were 78,273. By the same measure, Sol: Enchant had 108,287, and Netmarble's "Vampir," released last year, had 141,324. Zeus's DAU is about 72% of Sol: Enchant's and 55% of Vampir's. While it quickly rose to the top of the app market revenue rankings, its mobile user base is relatively small. However, Zeus offers a PC–mobile play environment, so there are likely additional PC users not captured in the statistics.
Competition will intensify starting next month. In September, Smilegate's "Eclipse: The Awakening," and in October, Kakao Games' "World of Dokkaebi," among other rival MMORPGs, are slated to launch in succession. As the early new-release effect fades and user choices expand, acquiring new users could become harder, and existing users may move to competing titles.
There are cases where an early rise to the top in revenue did not lead to long-term success. Wemade's "Legend of Ymir" climbed to No. 1 on Google Play revenue five days after its release in February last year but fell to No. 10 about 45 days later. Ultimately, for Zeus as well, the outlook for long-term success will hinge on how much it can expand and retain its user base while maintaining its current high revenue ranking.
Com2uS is also moving to sustain momentum by reflecting user feedback in operations and bolstering content. It held two developer livestreams on the 28th and 30th to hear user opinions and share improvement plans, and it plans to add a new server group, "Demeter," on the 2nd of next month. A Com2uS official said, "While we do not know the exact criteria of external data aggregation, actual DAU is considerably higher than the estimates," and added, "We will do our best to continue delivering high-quality content and stable service in close cooperation with developer Aiverton."