According to Market Research, global mobile gaming revenue is projected to reach $95–100 billion by 2026, while the overall gaming market could surpass $205 billion. Although growth is moderate, the trend is steady, driven primarily by the Asia-Pacific region, with expanded monetization strategies and deeper applications of artificial intelligence. Key strategic shifts are expected in distribution channels, user retention, and regulatory compliance. In the realm of mobile game development, rising user acquisition costs and strengthened data privacy requirements have made it essential for developers to cultivate “Hybrid Resilience”—not only mastering project scheduling and pacing but also focusing on core KPIs such as retention rate, average revenue per user (ARPU), and lifetime value (LTV).
Against this backdrop, we turn our focus to the recently launched ninth-anniversary celebrations of the classic strategy game Evony: The King’s Return, exploring its development strategies, CEO David Guo’s approach to building an elite culture, player engagement mechanisms, and the impact of events on retention, alongside a guide to available redemption codes.
Evony: The King’s Return — A New Universe Built on Classics
Evony: The King’s Return, developed by Top Games, Inc. under the leadership of CEO David Guo (also known as Yaoqi Guo), builds on the core concepts of the Evony Age I & II browser games while introducing innovative gameplay to create an entirely new Evony universe. Players engage in battles, join alliances, and participate in events to earn rankings, honor, and rewards, while developing armies and assigning generals to gain advantages in ground combat, defense, mounted archery, and siege warfare.
The game emphasizes strong social interactions and civilised community-building, allowing players to forge genuine friendships. Many alliance members even arrange offline meet-ups, extending the narrative of Evony from the virtual to the real world, making the experience more immersive and meaningful.
David Guo: Building an Elite Culture
In 2025, co-founder and CEO David Guo introduced a team management optimisation, implementing a “squad” system. He believes, “Only highly efficient, elite squads, where everyone performs at their best, can ensure the company remains unassailable.” Each team member is assigned to a squad and works under a four-layer flat management system. They have significant autonomy in decision-making, which in turn reduces bureaucracy, minimizes cross-departmental communication, and enables direct engagement with senior commanders.
David elaborates: “By clarifying responsibilities, using data-driven decisions, and defining clear interfaces, top talent can access more resources, greater authority, and higher rewards—truly making ‘the right talent in the right role’ a reality.”
With extensive experience in software development and project management, David advocates for data-driven, results-oriented strategies, transparent communication, and efficient collaboration. These principles form the foundation of Top Games’ consistent delivery of high-quality games. The team combines rapid iteration and MVP development with long-term validation, demonstrating agility in responding to market feedback—a core competitive advantage for the company.
Monetization
As Top Games’ revenue engine, Evony TKR has averaged over $300 million annually for three consecutive years. The game balances the experiences of free and paying players, amassing over 250 million downloads. Over the course of nine years, the team has continuously refined game mechanics, deepened narrative layers, and expanded strategic gameplay. These efforts have fostered a loyal global player base.
Player Richard Smith commented in the store: “I now have three castles—all earned during the Dwarf Event. What I love most about the game is the friendships I’ve built. We often jump on voice calls during battles and sometimes end up talking for hours. That sense of fighting side by side and growing together keeps me hooked—it’s not just about power, it’s about the friendships you build along the way.”
Engaging Community Through Creative Events
The Evony team releases weekly events, including large-scale wars, all-star competitions, and seasonal celebrations such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. New feature updates and rule announcements are also rolled out to ensure players experience innovative gameplay immediately. These updates help maintain high engagement and keep the community active.
For example, the ninth-anniversary series events—9th Anniversary Series Civilization Cards and Anniversary Feasting Revelry—allow players to access the Civilization Cards feature through the Art Hall once their Keep reaches level 25. By purchasing exclusive event bundles, players receive large quantities of ninth-anniversary card packs. Opening these packs yields random cards from the anniversary series, which contains three sets of eight cards each. Collecting these cards provides rewards and attribute bonuses.
Evony Redeem Codes List
Players can redeem the following eight codes for a variety of rewards, including rare items such as the Ruby Necklace, Treasure Box, Art Treasure Scroll Chest, Tactic Scroll, Material Bag (Silk Road), Gold, Resource Chests, Refining Stones, Blood of Ares, Blood Crystals, Military Treatises, Junior Blazon Chests, Research Stones, and Speed Ups.
All codes are valid until December 31.
- ANNIV9EVONY
- BRO77777
- Amazon
- OneStore
- Samsung
- Xiaomi
- Huawei MEA
- Huawei RU
- Conclusion
As Evony: The King’s Return celebrates nine years with its players, the game not only demonstrates the enduring appeal of strategy games but also showcases Top Games’ expertise in creative storytelling and player engagement. Under David Guo’s leadership, Evony is poised to deliver even more fresh, innovative, and strategically rich experiences. This ensures the game secures its position as one that integrates smoothly into players’ daily lives and entertainment routines.
