Thanks to loyal fans, a strong player base, and a steady stream of content, MiHoYo’s free-to-play mobile title, Genshin Impact took home the largest prize during Steel Media’s fourth annual Pocket Gamer Mobile Awards 2021 show.
When it comes to head-turning graphics, buttery-smooth gameplay, beautiful animated and illustrated characters, along with a unique sense of exploration – Genshin Impact stood out from the rest. Those very elements led the action-RPG title to win Game of the Year. Audio/Visual Accomplishment, Tencent and TiMi Studio Group to secure Best Publisher and Best Developer, in their respective fields.
Niantic also went home big once more with Pokémon Go for their ingenious, but rather accessible changes, to the game for fans who wanted to play during the 2020 lockdowns. In turn, Clash Royal went home with Best Live Ops trophy. Not a bad year for mobile gaming.
The People’s Choice Award, surprisingly enough, went to SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off, while the Rising Star Award went to both Jana and Sham Al Bdour of Sakura Games.
“We believe the MGAs have a vital role to play in recognizing the efforts and achievements of the entire ecosystem that makes mobile gaming the best industry in the world,” said Steel Media CEO, Chris James.
His statement will undoubtedly ring true for many gamers as mobile gaming continues to be on the rise with top-tier titles such as Pokémon Go and Mobile Legends continue to grow their user bases, “This is doubly important considering the forced disconnects of the last 16 months and also the incredible role that the mobile games industry has paid not just in contributing to the economy and keeping people in jobs, but moreover in keeping billions of citizens feeling a little more connected and engaged,” continues James.
It’s also a surprising industry as pointed out by James. The industry for mobile gaming is estimated to be worth around $90 billion a year and it only seems to continue growing for mobile gamers as it becomes more accessible and games learn to better adapt their platform of choice.
About the Writer(s):
Dustin is our native video game reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the borders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook today.