East Asia remains a global gaming powerhouse despite ongoing economic challenges. Japan and South Korea, the world’s third- and fourth-largest video game markets, continue to have a positive outlook.
In Japan, strong Nintendo Switch 2 performance and rising PC gaming spending are expected to support market recovery despite broader economic pressures. In South Korea, an improving economy, a growing console market, and higher mobile game ARPU are creating new opportunities for growth. Learn more about it and download the key takeaways here.
Niko Partners is GamingCon Bharat 2026 Knowledge Partner
Niko Partners is the official Knowledge Partner of GamingCon Bharat 2026, taking place October 17–18 at NESCO, Mumbai. Our Senior Analyst, Narinder Kapur, will also moderate the opening-day session, “India’s Gaming Moment: From Players to Global Powerhouse.” As one of the fastest-growing gaming markets we track, India continues to present significant opportunities for the global games industry. We look forward to bringing our latest market insights to the event and connecting with industry leaders in Mumbai.
Love and Deepspace rebounds after new update
Papergames’ romance dating simulation title Love and Deepspace recorded a sharp revenue ranking increase following the September 22, 2026 launch of its limited five star Memory banner. According to Qimai, the title climbed to #2 on China’s iOS game revenue chart, #4 in Japan and #15 in South Korea. Community reception to the new character artwork was particularly positive. The performance comes after a challenging period for Papergames that was mired in controversy and led to a sharp drop in revenue and engagement.
Why this matters: In late June, the company announced Valko as a sixth romanceable male character, triggering significant backlash from existing players concerned about his characterization and the potential dilution of development resources for the five established leads. Papergames subsequently cancelled the character’s planned introduction, but this was also met with backlash from players that wanted the new character. The immediate chart performance after this new update suggests that there are still core users remain highly engaged and willing to spend when content centered on established characters resonates with them.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
PUBG: Battlegrounds faces backlash in Vietnam after KRAFTON permanently bans local esports players Himass, TanVuu
The incident began when South Korean streamer Soopi accused Vietnamese esports players Himass and TanVuu of using her livestream to obtain in-game information during PUBG Asia Stars 2026, prompting their removal from the tournament. KRAFTON subsequently permanently banned Himass and TanVuu from PUBG: Battlegrounds and all of its official esports competitions after an investigation concluded they had used external information and stream sniping. Vietnamese netizens later circulated screenshots and other footage that they said showed Soopi also viewing tournament livestream content during the event, intensifying disputes over whether the rules had been applied consistently.
Why this matters: KRAFTON also acknowledged operational shortcomings, including delayed communication and insufficient explanation during the investigation. The decision triggered substantial backlash in Vietnam, with streamers, gaming centers, teams, and players publicly distancing themselves from PUBG: Battlegrounds, while PUBG Vietnam Series 2026 Phase 2 was reportedly postponed indefinitely and Vietnamese PUBG: Battlegrounds channels became unavailable. The incident highlights how hasty disciplinary decisions, tournament governance, and inconsistent communication can affect not only individual players but also the wider commercial ecosystem supporting a competitive game.
Link to original article (Vietnamese) →
Philippines reverses temporary ban on Reddit and Discord
The Department of Information and Communications Technology announced on September 23 that it had given Reddit and Discord 24 hours to establish a physical office in the Philippines and provide detailed explanations of their safety protocols after a series of school shootings had raised concerns about online child safety. Reddit was given an extension to comply, but Discord was banned after failing to meet the deadline. While Reddit and Discord did eventually agree to establish offices, the outage caused disruption to both gamers, businesses and government entities that relied on Discord. The ban was reversed the following day.
Why this matters: The move led to widespread public backlash given both platforms are widely used by Filipino gaming communities, with Reddit serving as a hub for game discussions and news, while Discord supports gaming groups, guilds, and esports teams through communication and coordination tools. Both are also used by non-gamers, including for business and public entities. Both companies are also expected to submit safety plans, including age-verification measures, which could affect how gaming communities use the platforms in the Philippines.
Tencent’s Monster Hunter Outlanders to release on October 29
Tencent’s TiMi Studio Group will launch Monster Hunter Outlanders globally on October 29, 2026, bringing Capcom’s flagship hunting franchise to mobile through a new survival action game. Pre-registration is underway across the App Store and Google Play and has already surpassed 5 million registrations. A separate mainland China release is planned from 2027 onwards. Licensed by Capcom and developed by TiMi, Monster Hunter Outlanders combines the franchise’s core monster hunting combat with crafting, exploration and survival elements.
Why this matters: The project is notable for attempting to translate the traditional Monster Hunter experience more directly to smartphones, rather than adapting the IP around a fundamentally different mobile genre. Previous mobile adaptations have produced mixed commercial results. Match 3 title Monster Hunter Puzzles has generated approximately $8.2 million in gross mobile revenue according to AppMagic estimates, compared with approximately $341 million for location-based Monster Hunter Now. Outlanders performance will provide a useful test of whether established premium action IP can be translated into a large scale mobile live service without sacrificing the gameplay identity that built the original franchise.
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G-STAR 2026 lineup sees participation of game companies from Japan, China, Europe, and more
The G-STAR Organizing Committee unveiled the exhibition and event lineup for G-STAR 2026, which will be held in Busan this November. BEXCO Exhibition Hall 1 will feature major exhibitors including main sponsor Krafton, Webzen, Google Play, Team42, and Hoyoverse. Major Chinese and Japanese studios such as NetEase’s Joker Studio, Century Games, and Bandai Namco will showcase their booths on Hall 1 while Exhibition Hall 2 will host an additional international lineup alongside the debut of the G-STAR Global Game Showcase and a dedicated stage program. Niko’s Korea analyst Shin Young Kim will attend the event.
Why this matters: G-STAR 2026’s growing international participation highlights South Korea’s continued importance as a regional hub for game marketing, community engagement, and industry networking, particularly after the Tokyo Game Show 2026 saw reduced Chinese company participation following the political issues between China and Japan. The event will also feature G-CON speakers from the gaming and entertainment industries, the OWCS Asia Stage 3 Grand Final, an online showcase called G-STAR Premier on November 18, and a Steam partnership that will promote participating titles through a dedicated event page and discount campaign.
Link to original article (Korean) →
Indonesia selected to host IESF World Esports Championship 2026
Indonesia has been selected by the International Esports Federation (IESF) to host the IESF World Esports Championship 2026 from December 15-20, marking the third time the country has hosted the event after Jakarta in 2016 and Bali in 2022. IESF cited Indonesia’s successful hosting of the 2022 championship in Bali as a key factor behind the decision and expressed confidence in the country’s ability to deliver another major international esports tournament. 5 titles have been announced for the 2026 championship: Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, eFootball, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and PUBG Mobile, with athletes competing under their national teams rather than professional organizations.
Why this matters: Indonesia securing its third IESF World Esports Championship highlights the country’s continued importance as a major esports hub in Southeast Asia. The IESF expects more than 500 esports athletes from 110 national federations, with participants required to qualify before competing in Indonesia, although details on the host city, venue, competition schedule, qualification system, categories, and prize pool have not yet been announced. Indonesia achieved strong results at the 2022 championship in Bali, winning gold medals in Dota 2, eFootball, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, a bronze medal in the women’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive division, and the overall championship title.
Link to original article (Indonesian) →
Related: Indonesia promotes esports as a strategic national asset ahead of the 2026 Asian Games
Indonesian officials stated that esports should be viewed not only as part of the video games industry but also as a strategic instrument for national achievement, diplomacy, the digital economy, and global soft power. The position was highlighted during the departure of Indonesia’s national esports team to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where the country is competing in eight categories and targeting one gold, three silver, and four bronze medals.
Why this matters: Indonesian Communications Agency (Bakom RI) Deputy Ulta Levenia compared esports to historically significant competitions such as the 1972 Fischer-Spassky chess match, arguing that competitive arenas can serve as platforms for international influence and rivalry. Indonesia’s continued positioning of esports as a national development and soft-power tool highlights the growing institutionalization of competitive gaming across Asia.
Link to original article (Indonesian) →
iQOO 16 targets high-end mobile gamers
Chinese smartphone brand iQOO unveiled new gaming technologies for the iQOO 16 and iQOO Pad Ultra on September 23, 2026, strengthening its positioning around high-performance mobile gaming and esports. Both devices will use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 alongside iQOO’s self-developed Q4 gaming chip. The Q4 enables 2K resolution and 165fps super resolution and frame generation to operate concurrently, targeting higher visual fidelity and smoother gameplay. iQOO is also introducing Q Flex control technology, which integrates deeper into the game engine to reduce end-to-end input latency, alongside its next generation Monster Super Core engine and proprietary scheduler designed to maintain high frame rates under sustained workloads.
Why this matters: The company is expanding beyond device performance into gaming adjacent use cases through its 3+2 gaming technology strategy, comprising graphics, controls and performance optimization alongside cross-device gaming and livestreaming. Its Game Live Assistant supports native 165fps output for multiple major mobile games, high-quality encoding, automated recording, highlight generation and template-based editing. The devices will also have a proprietary PC game emulator, designed to allow players to access supported games from their Steam libraries. The emulator currently supports nearly 100 PC games, providing another example of the growing convergence between PC and mobile gaming hardware in China.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
Events
GamingCon Bharat
October 17-18, 2026
Mumbai, India
Speaker: Narinder Kapur
gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show
October 29 - November 1, 2026
Mumbai, India
Attendees: Niko Partners Senior Leadership Team
Montréal International Game Summit (MIGS)
November 10-11, 2026
Montreal, Canada
Speaker: Alexander Champlin