China's NPPA approves 133 video games in March 2026
The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), mainland China’s regulator in charge of game approvals, issued ISBNs for 130 domestic games and import games on March 25, 2026. This is the second batch of games approved in 2026 and takes total approvals to 453 domestic games and 14 import games The domestic batch included 127 mobile games, 2 PC games and 1 console / VR game, while the import games list included 2 mobile games games and 1 cross platform games. The most notable game on the list is Tencent’s Animula Nook, a cozy life simulation game that has been inspired by Nintendo’s Animal Crossing franchise. The game had its first major test on March 19, 2026. A total of 4 games were included on the updated ISBN list where publishers can request a name change, publisher change, or additional platform for an existing ISBN. We expect more than 2,300 video games to be approved this year, with over 100 of them being import games.
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SoftBank and Line Yahoo! expand into video games as the largest shareholder of Kakao Games
Japan’s SoftBank Group, which has expanded ties with Korean companies through investments in Coupang, Yanolja, and LINE Yahoo!, is moving into video games to strengthen weaker areas of its business portfolio. On March 25, 2026, LINE Yahoo! became the largest shareholder of Kakao Games through an investment purpose entity. The investment was supported by capital raised through PayPay’s US IPO, with PayPay jointly owned (66%) by SoftBank Group and LINE Yahoo!, and Kakao Games representing its first major deployment.
Why this matters: SoftBank’s move into gaming via Kakao Games signals a renewed push to pair scalable content with AI and platform services, positioning games as a monetization layer for messaging and fintech ecosystems in Japan and Asia. Publishers and platform holders should watch how Line Yahoo! integrates game IP with messaging, payments, and AI agents, as this could reshape regional distribution and user acquisition strategies.
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NetEase sees backlash to AI generated promotional materials overseas
NetEase owned Starry Studio has faced significant backlash after releasing an AI-generated promotional video for Once Human. The game had strong initial performance following its 2024 launch, where it reached 231,000 peak concurrent users on Steam, but has since seen its player base decline. Criticism was particularly intense on Western platforms, with users highlighting inaccuracies in the AI-generated content and questioning quality control, with some stating the trailer misrepresented in-game environments.
Why this matters: While players remain more accepting of AI when it enhances workflows or enables new features, final shipped content is expected to meet traditional creative standards. There is less backlash overall in China, where casual mobile gaming dominates and AI-driven UGC tools are increasingly integrated into live-service titles, but there is still a vocal contingent of core gamers opposed to it. By contrast, PC and console audiences in Western markets, which skew toward core gamers, exhibit stronger resistance to visible AI-generated content.
Riot activates Riyadh and Mumbai servers as Valorant Middle East infrastructure remains offline
Riot Games enabled Riyadh and Mumbai servers for Valorant‘s Middle East region on March 26, 2026, following prolonged outages affecting the primary Bahrain and Dubai servers. The disruption began in early March 2026 after damage to Amazon Web Services data centre infrastructure in the UAE, which supports regional services including in Bahrain. During the outage, Middle East players were rerouted to EU servers, resulting in over 100ms latency, packet loss, and unstable matches, with Riot Support formally acknowledging the issue on March 10, 2026 without providing a resolution timeline.
Why this matters: Players can now manually select Riyadh or Mumbai servers for improved connectivity, with Riyadh better suited for Gulf players and Mumbai for South Asia and the eastern Middle East, and access has also been extended to European players. Riot stated that these servers are an emergency continuity measure, with no confirmed plans or timeline for permanently replacing the Bahrain and Dubai infrastructure. It’s worth noting that amazon cloud services was disabled in the UAE after a drone strike on March 2nd.
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NetEase’s Justice Online Mobile to add AI driven UGC story mode tool
NetEase has announced a new AI-powered gameplay system for Justice Online Mobile, with the “Dream Mode” set to launch on April 3, 2026. The feature introduces an AI-driven infinite narrative system, enabling players to create and experience dynamically generated storylines across a wide range of genres, including fantasy, suspense, and romance. At its core, the mode is built around user generated content (UGC) enhanced by AI. However, due to the high computational cost of AI generation, usage is currently capped at five free sessions per player per day, indicating that scalability and monetization models may evolve over time.
Why this matters: Gameplay examples include branching storylines such as competitive events, escape scenarios, or relationship-driven narratives, with the ability to introduce unexpected elements such as summoning creatures or altering outcomes mid-story. For MMOs in particular, this could address long-standing challenges around content cadence and retention, reducing reliance on developer-created updates. More broadly, NetEase’s approach signals a shift toward AI-driven UGC as a core engagement pillar.
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Battlegrounds Mobile India Series 2026 closes in Chennai with Team Soul’s win, record over 600,000 peak viewership
Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS) 2026, organized by KRAFTON and Tesseract Esports, ran from March 12 to 29 at Sandhya Convention Center (Semi Finals & Survival Stage) and Chennai Trade Centre (Grand Finals), where Team Soul won $105,505 (INR 10 million) from a total $422,020 (INR 40 million) prize pool. The championship day peaked above 600,000 concurrent viewers after Day 2 had already passed 550,000.
Why this matters: Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) continues to remain one of the top mobile games in India and is continuing to build up its esports scene. The Chennai result shows publishers and organizers can still build mass attention around one mobile title, if they pair live finals with strong creator and language coverage. The bigger risk is concentration, because India’s esports business remains heavily tied to less than a handful of top titles, leaving teams, investors, and sponsors exposed to platform or policy shocks.
Tencent introduces pay in installments for Honor of Kings character skins
Tencent is introducing a new monetization model in Honor of Kings with its Season 43 update, allowing players to acquire high-tier cosmetic skins through installment-based payments. Under the new “pay-to-enjoy first” system, players can access premium legend skins by paying approximately 300 star coins upfront, instead of the traditional ~3,000 star coin full purchase cost. Players gain temporary access (one month) to the skin, with cumulative payments contributing toward eventual permanent ownership if the full amount is paid over time.
Why this matters: This lowers the initial barrier to entry while maintaining long-term monetization potential. Tencent is effectively testing financialization of in-game assets, introducing concepts similar to installment payments seen in fintech and e-commerce. Importantly, the legend skins are not standalone products but enhancements tied to existing base skins, meaning users must already own the original item. The installment system therefore serves as a layered monetization mechanism, targeting high-spending users while also expanding accessibility to mid-tier spenders.
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Chinese language users on Steam reach 50% in February 2026
The February 2026 Steam survey, run by Valve, shows that 54.6% of Steam users had their language set to Simplified Chinese, up from 24% last month. The increase comes as a result of the Chinese New Year period, which led to increased engagement among Chinese users during the holiday. We note that Simplified Chinese was the #1 language used on Steam in 2024, at 33.7% of users. Steam recently set a record of 42 million concurrent users online in January, with the latest record of 42.3 million set on March 22.
Why this matters: While the percentage declined last year, we note that major game launches and holidays typically provide a temporary boost to the figures. Likewise, we expect the percentage of Simplified Chinese users to see a similar drop in March. Notable games at the top of the Steam International charts for China included Slay the Spire 2, Crimson Desert, Death Stranding 2, The Legend of Yong Lin, Climber Animals: Together, and Mewgenics alongside mainstays like PUBG, CounterStrike 2, Apex Legends, Delta Force, and Naraka Bladepoint.
Roblox plans offline-only access for under-13 users due to Indonesia’s PP Tunas regulation
Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, stated that Roblox has informed the government that it is planning feature adjustments that could limit users under 13 to offline-only play as part of compliance with Government Regulation No. 17/2025 on Child Protection in Electronic Systems (PP Tunas), which officially took effect on March 28, 2026. The ministry considers Roblox partially cooperative, noting that the company has not yet confirmed when the changes will be implemented, and that discussions are still ongoing.
Why this matters: Indonesia’s PP Tunas signals a shift toward stricter child protection enforcement that directly affects online multiplayer and social features, setting a precedent that could increase compliance costs and design constraints for global game platforms operating in Southeast Asia.
Link to original article (Indonesian) →
VNG Chairman Le Hong Minh wins seat on Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council
Ho Chi Minh City’s Election Committee announced that Le Hong Minh, founder and chairman of VNG Group, won a seat as a deputy on the city People’s Council for 2026–2031. The result comes as the city is expanding state-backed venture funding and innovation programs for technology startups and high-skill workforce development.
Why this matters: The important point from this is not solely symbolism, but that a leading game founder now has direct visibility into local policy discussions. That could modestly improve dialogue around talent, startup support, and digital business conditions in Vietnam’s main game and internet hub, though no immediate policy shift is guaranteed.
Link to original article (Vietnamese) →
Events
India Gaming Show
April 17-19, 2026
Chennai, India
Attendee: Narinder Kapur
Vietnam GameVerse 2026
May 8-9, 2026
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Attendees: Linh Diep, Hung Tang
GamesBeat Summit
May 18-19, 2026
Los Angeles, USA
Speaker: Lisa Hanson