Plants vs Zombies Heroes, launched on 18 October, exceeded 5 million downloads on the iOS App Store and Google Play and is attracting nearly 1 million new users every day, according to Sensor Tower.

The fact that it is a collectible card game sets it apart from earlier iterations, such as Plants vs Zombies and Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare.

Developed by Electronic Arts and its PopCap games unit, it had a soft launch earlier in the year. According to Sensor Tower, the firms used this time “to refine its game design to ensure high user engagement”.

The average daily usage for the game among US iOS users was around 32 minutes, 6 minutes more users spent in Supercell’s Clash Royale, a rival game that launched in March.

Total daily usage of Clash Royale among US iOS users in the past week averaged 19 minutes.

Another title with similar gameplay mechanics, Activision Blizzard’s Hearthstone, saw average daily usage of 42 minutes in the past seven days.

While it remains to be seen if the success is long-term, “all signs point to another successful launch for this mobile gaming mainstay from the user acquisition standpoint,” the report said.