China's NPPA approved 1,771 video games in 2025
China’s National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) issued licenses for 1,771 games in 2025, including 1,676 domestic titles and 95 imported games. This is an increase of 25.07% YoY (1,416), with 2026 set to surpass more than 2,000 approvals according to Niko Partners forecast. On average, around 147 games were approved per month, with the single-month peak reaching 184 titles and the final batch being issued on December 25. Imported game approvals were lower than last year, but are being approved more frequently, with monthly issuance normalized since October 2024 at roughly nine to ten titles per month.
Why this matters: The increase in game licenses for 2025 is a positive sign for game developers and publishers looking to acquire approvals for release in 2026. We are optimistic that monthly approvals will continue, and that batch sizes may exceed 200 this year. We also expect to see an increase in multi-platform approvals this year, which totaled 139 in 2025. However, we note that poor geopolitical relations with Japan remain a risk for Japanese game developers having their titles approved, while relations with South Korea have improved notably.
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Japanese indie roguelike RPG Elin sold 350,000 copies on Steam
Japanese indie developer noa revealed that his roguelike RPG title Elin has sold approximately 350,000 copies on Steam. The game is set as a prequel of noa’s first game Elona, and is currently available in early access. The setting of this game is 30 years before Elona and it combines a traditional roguelike system with crafting and housing elements. Elin began early access on Steam in November 2024, and as of January 2025 has received approximately 7,400 user reviews, 93% of which are positive. The breakdown of the game’s cumulative sales to date is 35% in Japan, 24% in the US, and 16% in China. Meanwhile, looking at sales figures for the most recent month, the US is at 33%, China at 16%, and Japan at 15%.
Why this matters: This shows how Japanese indie games can also garner success by targeting western and Chinese audience. With the Japanese major studios seeing fresh titles and focusing on evergreen and franchise titles, Japanese indie games have been able to find success in certain niches.
Link to original article (Japanese) →
Game community drives the popularity of TheoTown in Indonesia
Indie city-building simulation game, TheoTown, has recently gained traction in Indonesia. It appears on various social media, gaming forums, and video platforms. The growing popularity of TheoTown in Indonesia seemed to be driven solely by the community without marketing campaigns or major celebrity endorsements. Players were informed about the game through discussions on various gaming community channels such as on Facebook and Instagram. On Facebook, the TheoTown Community Indonesia so far has gained more than 209.5k members. The popularity of TheoTown has also resulted in popular game streamer Windah Basudara to livestream the game on January 11. On Google Play, TheoTown now has more than 1 million downloads and a rating of 4.8.
Why this matters: The simple graphics and lightweight system requirements have made the game accessible to low and mid-range PC and mobile gamers in Indonesia. Moreover, its popularity has also surged due to community-made plugins that enable players to customize buildings and items based on Indonesian setting. This showcases how a game’s popularity can rise through organic channels such as game communities and non-sponsored streaming.
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The official Palworld card game will be released on July 30 by Bushiroad
On January 12, Bushiroad announced that the official trading card game for Pocket Pair’s game Palworld, titled Palworld Official Card Game, will be released on July 30. This announcement also revealed some of the card types used in the game while detailed rules will be announced in the future. Additionally, nationwide workshops will be held starting in the Spring of 2026, and advance sales and workshops will be held prior to the July 30 release. Official launch events will be held in Tokyo on June 27 and in Osaka on June 28, and a world tournament is also planned for Fall 2026.
Why this matters: Palworld, launched in January 2024, became an instant success, but was hit with allegations of plagiarism due to its similarity to the Pokémon franchise. The game, however, reached more than 30 million in sales and still has around 60,000 daily concurrent players by January 2026. With the upcoming release of the trading card game, this shows how games from smaller studios could find success and diversify to other forms of entertainment, following the increasing transmedia trend that have been seen for the past few years.
Link to original article (Japanese) →
Social media firms now subject to Malaysian laws especially concerning online safety and child protection
Starting in 2026, as regulated by the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA), internet messaging and social media platforms with at least eight million Malaysian users will be automatically deemed registered as Applications Service Provider Class licensees. This indicates that they will bear full legal responsibility under Malaysian law, especially concerning online safety, detrimental content, and child protection. The licensing framework is designed to enhance legal governance and ensure that service providers are accountable for adhering to Malaysian regulations aimed at protecting users, particularly minors.
Why this matters: While not directly related to the games industry right now, the introduction of more online safety and child protection policies by governments across Asia and the Middle East are expected to trickle down to online games. Prior cases such as having Roblox to upheld better child protection policy as well as the banning of certain games that are deemed harmful could continue over the year. Notably, the nine harmful content categories listed in ONSA include threatening, abusive, insulting words that may cause harassment, distress, fear or alarm; as well as content that may promote ill-will or hostile feelings among the public (such as hate speech). Parallel to this, Malaysia is also intending to restrict social media access for children under 16, in efforts to reduce digital harm among youths.
Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare maintains the gaming addiction label amid controversy
Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare is continuing with its policy of labeling online games as a category of addiction in its Addiction Management Integrated Support Center, sparking controversy in the country. Despite the South Korean president’s public declaration that games are not addictive, the label continues to be applied, prompting strong protests from the Korea Game Users Association. The association is currently reviewing follow-up measures, centered around the Gaming Disorder Disease Response Task Force, and plans to take legal and institutional measures to protect game users’ rights.
Why this matters: Controversies amid the status of games as addiction have been seen in Korea in the past few years, with the Ministry of Health and Welfare being adamant to add the label while the games industry, gamer association, and some politicians, including the country’s president, have been against it. The addiction label could hamper the industry’s growth among youth as it would reinforce that video games could play a negative role in the eyes of parents.
Link to original article (Korean) →
Goose Goose Duck reaches 5 million players in China, but servers crash
Goose Goose Duck, the social deduction game originally released for PC in 2021, had its official release in mainland China on January 7, 2026. The F2P title first went viral in 2023, with Chinese streamers picking up the game. It achieved a peak of 700,000 concurrent players on Steam, but its success did not last through 2024. In 2025, Chinese publisher Kingsoft and live streaming platform Huya announced they had obtained the rights from Canadian developer Gaggle Studio to release an official version of the game for PC and mobile in China, with the title obtaining a license in June 2025. The game debuted at #1 on the iOS game download chart on its first day, with over 5 million downloads across all platforms.
Why this matters: The high downloads on day 1 shows how a legal release in China can revive and repopularize a game that initially gained popularity via an unlicensed release. The title debuted at #22 on our China Games & Livestreaming Tracker, with 630,000 viewers on its first day. However, players reported server issues, disconnections and difficulties logging in, which led the publishers to issue a statement on January 8 apologizing for the disruptions. “Goose Goose Duck servers down” was one of the top trending topics on Weibo at the time. The publishers also promised that all players would be compensated with in-game virtual coins and items.
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Parliamentary Calls to Regulate Roblox and Address Digital Risks in Egypt
Egypt’s Senate’s Committee on Higher Education, Communications, and Information Technology is set to open discussions on electronic gaming platforms, with particular focus on Roblox. This will take place during a dedicated meeting to review a proposal submitted by Walaa Hermas, calling for restrictions on the platform’s use to protect children and adolescents. In the same context, Mahmoud Essam warned of security, financial, and psychological risks, including children communicating with strangers, unmonitored in-game purchases, and the collection of personal data without sufficient awareness.
Why this matters: Roblox had a tough 2025 after multiple governments vowed to take action over child safety concerns. The game has already been banned in several MENA countries, including Oman, Qatar, Iraq, and Algeria. Others, such as Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia imposed temporary restrictions on Roblox impacting text and voice chat features. The local governments have been working with Roblox to implement stricter Arabic moderation controls and to ensure that they have a regulatory framework in place to protect players. While Egypt has yet to announce any restriction, this open discussion shows it is taking the issue as seriously as other countries.
Link to original article (Arabic) →
Chinese domestic GPU companies go public in self reliance push
China’s domestic GPU and AI chip sector has entered a new phase, with multiple companies completing IPOs or moving rapidly toward public listings, driven by strong investor demand and state-level support for semiconductor self-sufficiency. Regulatory approvals have been notably fast-tracked, reflecting policy urgency around reducing reliance on US-controlled chip supply chains. MetaX and Moore Threads went public in mainland China, while Biren Technology listed on the HKSE, highlighting Hong Kong’s growing role as an alternative fundraising venue for Chinese semiconductor firms.
Why this matters: Enflame, Lisuan Technology, and Kunlunxin (Baidu-backed) are widely expected to pursue IPOs in either Shanghai or Hong Kong. While local chips still lag Nvidia and AMD at the high end, sustained funding, state backing, and expanding deployment in AI infrastructure suggest a medium-term shift that could reshape hardware availability, pricing, and platform strategies across China’s digital economy. Nvidia and AMD will continue to dominate the consumer GPU market for the foreseeable future, but this does highlight how Chinese GPU manufacturers are beginning to catch up and could play a larger role in the future.
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The Roblox situation in MENA is getting messy fr. I actualy didn't realize how many countries banned it outright - Oman, Qatar, Iraq, Algeria plus restrictions in Jordan and Kuwait is wild. The unmonitored in-game purchases and stranger communication risks are real tho, parents probly should've been more aware of these issues way earlier.