Is it really a trading card game if you can’t swap with your friends? That question is precisely why there was so much anticipation surrounding the long-awaited introduction of trading mechanics to Pokémon TCG Pocket. But now that it’s finally live, the feature has left many disappointed due to various restrictions that limit what players are allowed to trade—most likely to preserve the game’s economy.
That situation aside, there was plenty more for players to be positive about during January, particularly where collaborations were concerned. There was a surprisingly laid-back appearance from hot-headed celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay in Supercell’s Hay Day, as well as a crossover with the anime Demon Slayer in Summoner’s War that caused tremendous revenue spikes in both the US and Japan.
Elsewhere, we saw some trends usually prominent in the midcore market make their way over to casual games, and vice versa. Top-up events had a resurgence in the casual market, cropping up in both Zen Match and Candy Crush Saga, while League of Legends: Wild Rift was inspired by the likes of Monopoly GO! as it released its first album of seasonal collectibles. Our most recent analyst bulletin, which can be found below, has a lot more information about these games and updates, as well as games like Love and Deepspace,
Where Winds Meet, and Call of Duty: Mobile. January’s casual game updates
While top-up events, where players are encouraged to make in-game purchases to gain access to other features and rewards, are popular among midcore games, they have traditionally been more of a rarity in the casual side of the market. If January is any indication, however, two casual titles are introducing top-up events for the first time in a long time, suggesting that all of that may soon change. First up was Zen Match and its Stamp Card, the first top-up event the game has launched since its Black Friday Spree in 2023. As the name suggests, the event revolved around filling up a stamp card—the first stamp of which was free. Players could earn additional stamps by making in-game purchases anywhere in the game. They received boosters and soft currency as rewards once they crossed certain thresholds. The second title was Candy Crush Saga and its Rewards Lounge, which marks the game’s first top-up event with time-limited tiers. As players spent premium currency anywhere in the game, they would progress through tiers in the lounge. Once players made enough progress to reach the end of a tier, they would receive its rewards and move on to a new, better tier. The catch was that if players didn’t progress onto the next tier within the allotted time, they’d fall through the tiers instead.
Elsewhere on the casual side of the market, Hay Day launched its first-ever collaboration event with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Most will recognize Ramsay for his fearsome outbursts in shows like Hell’s Kitchen, which, at face value, makes him seem like a strange fit for a relaxing farming sim like Hay Day. But Supercell cleverly used that juxtaposition to its advantage with an expansive advertising campaign that shows Ramsay finally finding his inner peace through the game.
That same focus on relaxation forms the basis of the event, Zen & Harmony, which ran from the 15 to 23 January and is broken down into four separate parts:
Gordon’s Zen & Harmony Calendar – Players could head to Gordon Ramsay’s farm every day to look for a hidden gift.
Zen County Fair – A task event where players could unlock rewards by delivering certain products. As a part of the event, there was also a Russian roulette-style minigame that could be played daily for extra rewards.
Collection Season: Zen & Harmony – Hay Day’s Collection Seasons are seasonal collectible albums where players must obtain specific decorations to unlock a reward. The prize for Ramsey’s event was a Puppy Yoga Decoration.
Zen Deliveries – A task event where players needed to complete truck orders to reach their personal goals for rewards. After reaching a certain milestone, players could team up with other farmers to reach the global goal and earn rewards together.
