Escape from Duckov sells over 2 million copies
Chinese indie game Escape from Duckov, developed by five-person studio Team Soda and published by Bilibili, has emerged as one of the most successful local PC releases of 2025. Launching on October 16, the top-down PvE extraction shooter sold over 2 million copies in its first two weeks and recorded a peak of more than 250,000 concurrent players on Steam, while maintaining an impressive 96% positive user rating. The game is priced at RMB 58 ($8), with a launch discount of 12% running until October 30.
Why this matters: Escape from Duckov is a lighthearted parody of hardcore extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov, combining survival RPG mechanics with humorous world-building and anthropomorphic duck characters. The game’s momentum also reflects the rise of “search, fight, extract” mechanics in China, with multiple new titles releasing in this extraction shooter genre. The title also debuted as the #25 most viewed PC game on our China Games & Livestreaming Tracker in its first week.
Sony to launch PlayStation 5 Pro in China on October 29
Sony has announced it will release the PlayStation 5 Pro (PS5 Pro) in mainland China on October 29, 2025, priced at RMB 5,599 ($785). The legal launch comes one year after the global launch in November 2024, with the console currently priced at $749 in the US. Sony also confirmed that Astro Bot (Sony) and Split Fiction (EA) had received licenses and would receive an official launch in the country. Sony is also running its Gaming Immersive Journey campaign which allows gamers to try out the PS5 Pro across different cities in China.
Why this matters: The launch of the PS5 Pro comes 4 years after the official launch of the original PS5 in China. Chinese gamers had previously imported the console via Hong Kong and other markets, although we note that the Pro is primarily aimed at hardcore gamers, with the original PS5 priced at a (much) more affordable RMB 2,599 ($365) for the digital version. Sony has set a special pre-order price offer of RMB 5,099, with the first batch of units already selling-out according to online e-commerce retailers.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show had over 206,000 attendees
The first-ever gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show took place in October in Bangkok, drawing 206,159 attendees and 294 exhibitors and country pavilions (a record number compared with gamescom asia without Thailand Game Show in past years). The show’s business area hosted 5,590 industry professionals from 81 countries, highlighting Bangkok’s growing position as a regional hub for gaming. According to Thailand’s Minister of Commerce, Ms. Suphajee Suthumpun, the event facilitated over THB 1.22 billion ($37.3 million) in business negotiations and trade activity. Niko Partners was the exclusive Knowledge Partner for the event, our fifth year in a row holding that honor for gamescom asia.
Why this matters: gamescom asia was originally established in 2021, with events through 2024 being held in Singapore. 2025’s event combined gamescom asia’s international business orientation with the Thailand Game Show’s strong consumer presence. This year, Niko Partners put together a panel titled “Breaking Barriers: Expanding Global Game Profit Through Innovative Partnerships”. Our write up of the event can be found here.
Genshin Impact was most discussed game on X (Twitter)
Aaron Kobes, the head of gaming at X (Twitter), spoke at the gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show 2025 and shared insights into how the platform has become a key hub for video game discussion. According to the report, miHoYo’s Genshin Impact was the most popular gaming hashtag of 2024, followed by Monster Strike (Mixi), Honkai: Star Rail (miHoYo), Arcane (Riot Games) and the Nintendo Switch 2. Additional data was also disclosed at the event including the top countries for gaming related posts.
Why this matters: We note that the entirety of the top 10 was dominated by games and hardware owned by Chinese or Japanese game companies, which is notable given X is blocked in China. Gaming is now the #2 topic on X with 905 billion impressions, just behind Sports at 1.15 trillion. Japan is the #1 market for gaming discussion with 1.8 billion posts, followed by the US at 1.1 billion. South Korea (#3) had 458 million impressions, followed by Thailand (#4) at 405 million, with Indonesia (#6) reaching 274 million ahead of India (#7) at 271 million. The Philippines ranked 10th with 165 million gaming related posts.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
Vietnam positions games as a cultural export amid policy momentum, global partnerships
Vietnamese policymakers’ and industry leaders’ statements have begun to frame games as both a growth industry and a vehicle for cultural export, underscored at Vietnam GameVerse 2025. The push comes as the global games market remains large and expanding, while global firms routinely partner with local operators such as VNG to reach Vietnamese audiences, exemplified by Roblox‘s locally licensed client.
Why this matters: This stance signals more policy support for culturally resonant, localized content and encouraging publishers to invest in Vietnamese voiceover, local athletes and celebrities, and Vietnam-specific live-ops while meeting clearer compliance expectations. Partnerships that combine international IP with domestic distribution and community know-how are also expected to accelerate the creation of titles that showcase Vietnamese identity.
Eggy Party holds all-female esports tournament in China
On October 19, NetEase’s hit party game Eggy Party concluded its Kuaishou Female Invitational Tournament Grand Finals at the 2077 Cyber City complex in Chongqing’s Jiefangbei district. The event marked the culmination of a month-long competition dedicated exclusively to female players, underscoring the growing visibility and commercial potential of women’s esports in China. The tournament featured 32 finalists selected from a nationwide open qualifier that attracted over 10,000 participants.
Why this matters: The event achieved 2.75 million online views through a live broadcast on Kuaishou, reflecting the rising engagement around community-driven esports events. The competition, which began in September with online qualifiers and fan-voted “revival” rounds, was designed to spotlight female gamers while integrating social interactivity, influencer partnerships, and audience participation. Eggy Party has a large female userbase in China, which helped this esports event gain traction.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
StarCraft II to relaunch in China on October 28
Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase have confirmed that StarCraft II will officially relaunch in Mainland China on October 28, making it the final Blizzard PC title to return to China. To commemorate the return, NetEase announced the StarCraft II International Competition, scheduled for November 29-30 at the Hangzhou Esports Centre, a major venue that has previously hosted events such as the 2023 Asian Games. The tournament aims to reignite StarCraft II‘s competitive ecosystem in China, which was once one of the game’s strongest regions globally.
Why this matters: The announcement comes nearly 3 years after Blizzard and NetEase ended their 14-year partnership in January 2023, which led to the suspension of all Blizzard PC titles in China. Their renewed publishing agreement, signed on April 9, 2024, led to the relaunch of World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch 2, and Diablo 3 in subsequent months. NetEase has confirmed that it will restore access to millions of legacy accounts who will be able to pick up where they left off.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
China issues first guideline on trade secret management for the games industry
On October 14, Shanghai authorities posted the country’s first standardized technical guideline for managing trade secrets in the video game industry. Titled the Guidelines for Trade Secret Management of Online Game Enterprises, the guideline builds upon a previous industry-specific directive and represents a significant upgrade, introducing a formalized, full-cycle protection framework tailored to the unique characteristics of game development and operations. The initiative follows a series of high-profile leaks that exposed the vulnerability of Chinese game studios to internal breaches
Why this matters: This is the first document in China to systematically define what constitutes a trade secret in the gaming sector. The scope includes technical information such as core design documents, source code, development tools, and version control data, as well as operational information like unreleased character names, skill effects, dynamic animations, and gameplay mechanics. This initiative comes amid China’s broader efforts to strengthen intellectual property (IP) and data security governance in the digital content sector.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
EA Sports FC Mobile launches in Vietnam with deep localization, hits #1 on App Store, Google Play
Within 48 hours after Garena launched EA Sports FC Mobile in Vietnam on October 16 the game reached #1 for free games, both the App Store and Google Play. The title employs deep localization such as through five Vietnam national team players earnable via missions and full Vietnamese match commentary by Khắc Cường and Tạ Biên Cương. The game is also supported by local promotions and a Vietnam-optimized server for better match quality.
Why this matters: The game’s successful launch shows how tailored content, familiar voices, and lower latency can quickly expand reach and stickiness. This also suggests that publishers should localize beyond text, with local talents/characters, audio, and server routing should be included for sports and non-sports titles alike. According to Niko’s SEA Gamer Behavior & Market Insights Reports, 87% of gamers in Southeast Asia wanting some kind of localization, with Vietnam gamers having the highest demand for localization.
Link to original article (Vietnamese) →
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Habby and 111% form joint venture to co-develop and publish mobile games
South Korean game developer 111% and Chinese game developer Habby have announced the formation of a JV in Singapore, aimed at co-developing and globally publishing mobile titles that blend innovative gameplay with scalable live operations. Under the agreement, 111% will retain responsibility for the South Korean market, while the joint venture will oversee international publishing, marketing, and live operations. The collaboration combines Habby’s global publishing expertise and data-driven live ops with 111%’s creative development DNA.
Why this matters: Both companies’ early success came from original gameplay innovations that inspired design trends across China’s casual and mini-game markets. However, with competition intensifying and the speed of imitation accelerating, differentiation based solely on creative prototypes has become harder to sustain. The joint venture therefore represents a strategic pivot toward resource integration and operational scalability, focusing on accelerating time-to-market and adopting long-term content pipelines.
SEGA signs MoU with Media City Qatar to develop local video game industry
Media City Qatar has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan’s SEGA Corporation, aimed at advancing the gaming and digital entertainment ecosystem in Qatar and the wider MENA region. The two will collaborate to foster innovation, develop local talent, and produce culturally resonant content for Arab audiences. SEGA and Media City Qatar plan to jointly support new game development projects leveraging regional production capabilities, while ensuring that SEGA’s global IPs are effectively localized for MENA markets.
Why this matters: The agreement follows Media City Qatar’s recent business roadshow in Japan, which engaged senior executives across gaming and creative sectors, and represents one of the most significant Japan–Qatar collaborations in gaming to date. Beyond creative collaboration, the MoU includes strategic and regulatory support. This collaboration highlights a broader trend of Asian publishers deepening engagement with Gulf markets, as governments in the GCC expand investment in the video game industry.
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