Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the top destination for mobile gamers, trailed by Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar, and West Bengal, as per the India Mobile Gaming Report 2022 released on Sunday by gaming platform Mobile Premier League.

Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Himachal Pradesh have seen the highest number of mobile gamers in 2022 compared with 2021.

As far as games go, Ludo Dice, Snakes and Ladders, Carrom, Fruit Dart, Block Puzzle, and Poker were some of the top games played by gamers across various cities in India.

Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, and Allahabad have the most gamers.

“Thirty-six percent of the total gamers in UP hail from these cities.” “This is the second year in a row that Lucknow has earned recognition for its gaming prowess; last year’s IMGR revealed that growth in Lucknow outpaced all metros,” the report said.

Last year, India turned into the biggest consumer of mobile games on the planet, recording over 15 billion downloads, according to a report by Lumikai, a gaming-focused venture capital fund.

India’s gaming market was worth USD 2.6 billion in 2022, and it will reach USD 8.6 billion by 2027 with a CAGR of 27 percent.

“Tier 2 and 3 cities, which witnessed explosive growth in mobile gaming among other internet leisure activities, have rapidly ascended to the top, unseating gaming hubs such as the metropolises of Mumbai and Bangalore.” Unlike last year, which saw Delhi take the pole position in terms of user growth, metros don’t occupy any spots in the top 10 gaming cities on the list. “This growth is a testament to the extensive popularity of mobile gaming beyond the big cities,” the report said.

Maharashtra, in the subsequent spot, considers Pune the main gaming city. Pune enrolled 20% more gamers than Mumbai, which was in second place. Thane, Nagpur, and Nashik are additionally in the top five, the report said.

In Rajasthan, the capital city, Jaipur, leads the way, with over 200% more gamers than Jodhpur, which is the second highest in the state. They are joined by cities like Udaipur, Alwar, and Kota.

Bihar’s gigantic development in the number of gamers is powered by mobile gaming’s prevalence in its capital city Patna, as well as in Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Darbhanga, and Bhagalpur. The number of gamers in the capital city is beyond two times that in the other four top cities.

The five-spot is West Bengal. Kolkata, Midnapore, Murshidabad, Howrah, and Darjeeling are the greatest gaming cities in the state. Through and through, they control more than 30% of the state’s total mobile gaming population, as indicated by IMGR 2022.

With 55% development among mobile gamers, Odisha topped the state in development. It was trailed by Punjab, which recorded 53% development in the state, followed by Tamil Nadu (42%), Puducherry (38%), and Himachal Pradesh (23%).

Odisha’s Bhubaneswar recorded a 1,652% jump in the number of mobile gamers. Punjab, positioned second among states that saw the most elevated expansion in gamers, is home to Mohali, which is the best-performing city in India, enlisting an incredible development of 7,130 percent in 2022 compared with 2021.

As per the report, the administrative and commercial hubs are joined by Malerkotla, Fazilka, Dinanagar, Beas, Shahkot, and Samrala to record impressive development in the number of mobile gamers in 2022, according to the report.

“Players from across the length and breadth of the country are taking to mobile gaming online with gusto. Enhanced internet penetration and the availability of safe e-sports and gaming platforms have worked wonders to contribute to this rise. “As a responsible gaming platform, we will continue to enhance the quality of games that we offer and introduce more player-first initiatives to create a safe community of mobile gamers,” MPL Country Head for India Namratha Swamy said.

Credit: Outlook