CookieRun's New York City pop-up shops draw in whopping 10,000+ visitors

• CookieRun's massive NYC pop-up store was a big hit with fans this weekend
• 10,000+ visitors made the trip for exclusive merch
• Wait times exceeded three hours, with fans queuing up from 6 am

Over the weekend, those of you lucky enough to be visiting NYC probably saw some amazing sights. The Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, that guy who asks people their mundane opinions on the subway- ahem. But you also might have spotted the massive CookieRun pop-up store!

Now, I'll admit the reason we cover Cookie Run so much is that it's so popular. Hence, why even little (I mean, relative to us) news such as this makes the cut. But don't let that fool you, because at a whopping 10,000+ visitors, the CookieRun NYC pop-up proved to be very popular with fans.

Not only that, it's emblematic of a broader shift in consumer trends. It feels as if mobile, and gaming more broadly is now on the same level as major fashion drops and other quirky events. We see it here in the UK and overseas in America, and it's been a trend across Asia for many years.

Run cookie, run

Fans were certainly eager to get in the store and reportedly began lining up as early as 6 am. With wait times exceeding three hours at its highest point, you'd hope there was plenty worth the wait. And with 130+ pieces of totally exclusive and New York-themed merchandise, Devsisters certainly didn't shirk on it.

CookieRun's continued prominence and popularity are something to consider. Especially with their recent collaboration featuring the cast of KPop Demon Hunters making a splash. If this latest real-life event has proven so popular, it makes you wonder what might be next.

But like always, CookieRun is only one small part of the massive world of mobile gaming. And there are always new releases threatening to take the spotlight. And Catherine dove into one of those with her preview of Petit Planet, MiHoYo's upcoming pitch into the life-sim genre.