Supercell's popular farming simulator, Hay Day, has made a comeback on China’s Apple App Store after a four-year absence. The game was initially removed from the marketplace due to an ISBN crackdown by the country’s mobile gaming regulator.

A localized version of Hay Day, published by Supercell’s parent company Tencent, was relaunched on May 15th, according to AppMagic.

Removal and Regulatory Crackdown

Previously, Hay Day was one of over 2,500 mobile games removed from China’s App Store in July 2020. This mass removal occurred as a result of the National Press and Publication Administration's crackdown on unlicensed titles. Developers were given until July 31st, 2020, to obtain and enter their approval numbers in App Store Connect to comply with the new regulations.

Sensor Tower data at the time indicated that more than 2,500 titles were removed in the first week of July 2020. This number was significantly higher than the removals in the preceding months. Alongside Hay Day, other notable games such as Zynga’s Solitaire, Crazy Labs’ ASMR Slicing, and Flaregames’ Nonstop Chuck Norris were also removed. Collectively, these games had generated $34.7 million in lifetime revenue and 133.4 million downloads in China.

Hay Day's Performance and History

Between January 2015 and July 2020, Hay Day accumulated 7.8 million installs and $20.3 million in revenue on China’s App Store, as per AppMagic data. The game was initially released prior to 2015 and has been a cornerstone of Supercell's portfolio since its launch in 2012, just before Clash of Clans.

Despite a significant boost in revenue with the introduction of a Farm Pass in December 2020, Hay Day has experienced a slow decline in sales over the past couple of years. However, its return to China’s App Store marks a new chapter for the game in one of the world’s largest mobile gaming markets.

Supercell's Future Outlook

As Supercell prepares for its sixth global launch, Squad Busters, on May 29th, the performance of its existing portfolio, including Hay Day, remains a key focus. Hay Day's comeback in China is expected to bolster its user base and revenue, revitalizing the game's presence in the competitive mobile gaming landscape.

Source: adapted from an article by Craig Chapple, Head of Content for Pocketgamer.biz.