Gaming Goes Green: Planting Environmental Awareness and Sustainability in Video Games
The video games industry, one of Asia’s most emerging sectors, is increasingly recognizing its environmental footprint—from manufacturing and distribution to energy consumption and data infrastructure.Tech and gaming companies across the globe are demonstrating their increasing awareness by various initiatives. Read more about how the gaming world is stepping up to meet sustainability challenges.
At Niko Partners, we’re proud to be part of this growing movement. We're a supporter of Playing for the Planet, a UN-backed initiative to help the global games industry reduce its environmental impact. We’re also a member of Blue Planet Alliance, an organization advocating for a future powered by 100% renewable energy by 2045.
All About the China Video Games Market - Watch Niko Partners on Bill Bishop's Sinocism Podcast
Lisa Hanson and Daniel Ahmad joined Bill Bishop on his Sinocism podcast to dive into the current state of China’s games industry and how Chinese companies are expanding globally.
Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond exceeds 1 million downloads worldwide in first 2 days
Cygames announced on June 19 that Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond, the sequel to ACG style digital card game Shadowverse, has exceeded 1 million downloads worldwide since it launched for mobile and PC on June 17. Despite the milestone, the game currently sits at overwhelmingly negative (18% positive) on Steam, with players highly critical of its monetization strategy, which allegedly inhibits the ability of non-spenders to build viable decks.
Why this matters: In Japan, Worlds Beyond topped mobile game sales rankings for the day of its release. It remains to be seen whether players will warm to Worlds Beyond's monetization strategy, as part of the growing pains of releasing a sequel to a live service title.
Link to original article (Japanese) →
LCK returns to Ho Chi Minh City for Korea Travel Festa 2025
Korea’s top League of Legends circuit, the LCK, returned to Ho Chi Minh City on June 21-22 for Korea Travel Festa 2025 (second edition) at the Gem Center, partnering with the Korea Tourism Organization to showcase Korean destinations through esports. The delegation—featuring Vietnam-born DRX bottom laner LazyFeel alongside stars Ucal, Lehends, Kingen, and Smeb—hosted press sessions, fan talks, 2v2 demos, autograph signings, and merchandise giveaways, all streamed on the LCK Vietnam YouTube channel.
Why this matters: This event underscores the growing Vietnam-Korea gaming partnership, reflecting the recent Vietnam GameVerse 2025 MoU to deepen cultural and commercial ties. By spotlighting a homegrown talent like LazyFeel and integrating tourism promotion with esports, both countries are leveraging shared fan communities to drive cross-border engagement.
Saudi-based AI company Humain launched a gaming division
Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) subsidiary, Humain, launched a gaming division along with media and advertising called Humain Create. This division will focus on media production using Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Humain Create is aiming to develop AI tools to generate photorealistic images and videos tailored for gaming, marketing, and other creative industries. Humain was founded in May 2025 as part of the Kingdom’s strategic AI push under Vision 2030.
Why this matters: Saudi Arabia continues to invest in the video game and esports space through multiple verticals. Niko Partners 2025 Gamer Survey shows that 48.7% of gamers in Saudi Arabia are both aware and interested in Generative AI technology being incorporated into video games. User generated content creation emerged as the #1 preferred use case of Generative AI among Saudi gamers in our survey. Niko just published a Knowledge Brief on Gen AI in games that is available for sale on our website.
Korean Game Society criticizes possibility of Tencent’s bid for Nexon
Game industry group the Korean Game Society issued a statement criticizing reports of Tencent's potential acquisition of Nexon, describing it as a "threat to the sovereignty of the Korean game industry rather than a routine business transaction". The organization called the matter a national security concern and urged the government to take a clear stance, arguing that it involves attempted control over a part of a core national industry. It recommended that the game sector be designated a “national strategic industry” and called for institutional measures to address future acquisition attempts.
Why this matters: The statement follows a recent report that Tencent is considering a KRW 21 trillion ($15 billion) bid for Nexon and has contacted the family of late founder Kim Jung-ju. Neither Tencent nor Nexon’s holding company NXC have released official statements.
Link to original article (Korean) →
Hearthstone faces regulatory scrutiny in China after player complaints
A recent case involving Blizzard's Hearthstone (operated in China by NetEase) has reignited concerns over "big data price discrimination" in the games industry, a practice where platform holders use dynamic pricing and algorithms to display different prices or products for different users. The controversy arose in late 2024 when Hearthstone China launched limited-time newcomer and returnee bundles priced offering high-value in-game items at low prices. However, many players reported being unable to see or access these offers in their in-game store.
Why this matters: While NetEase's customer service claimed the offer was distributed algorithmically based on user behavior, both veteran and new players alleged inconsistent and unexplained exclusions. The resulting backlash led to formal complaints against NetEase. Although regulators confirmed the case constituted a "first-time violation" with "minor harm," and thus did not warrant an administrative penalty, the acknowledgment effectively validated player suspicions. It’s an important case for developers who may use opaque personalization strategies for in-game item offers.
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HoYoverse sues Honkai: Star Rail player over content leaks
HoYoverse, the global brand of miHoYo that is known for Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, has reportedly filed a lawsuit against a streamer who broadcast unreleased content from an early build of the 5-Star character Castorice in Honkai: Star Rail. The stream, which reached an audience of 12,000 viewers, allegedly revealed confidential gameplay elements in violation of the studio's terms. HoYoverse is now seeking $150,000 in damages, marking yet another assertive move in the company's long-standing campaign against IP violations.
Why this matters: Court filings show that since 2016, miHoYo and its subsidiaries have been involved in 839 lawsuits, with 606 cases (72%) initiated by the company itself. These suits primarily address copyright infringement, trademark violations, and unauthorized distribution, highlighting a deliberate legal approach to protect proprietary content. Notably, miHoYo's actions have yielded precedent-setting outcomes in China, including a 2024 ruling that classifies game leaks as trade secret violations and another that recognized leak dissemination as unfair competition.
Overwatch 2 to add new Chinese hero
Blizzard has unveiled the first details of Overwatch 2 Season 17, titled "Powered Up” which launches on June 25. Central to the new season is the introduction of a new Chinese hero, Wuyang, marking the second Chinese character added to the franchise after Mei's debut in 2016. Wuyang, previously codenamed "Aqua" in internal builds, is expected to wield water-based abilities, with promotional material hinting at his power to manipulate the battlefield.
Why this matters: A full hero trial will be available during Season 17, allowing players to test his capabilities ahead of a broader rollout. The inclusion of Wuyang comes shortly after Overwatch 2 relaunched in the China market this February. Given the cultural alignment and potential for local resonance, Wuyang could become a pivotal character for brand reactivation in the region.
Nintendo's Saudi Arabian distributor secures rights to Take-Two Interactive's catalogue as well
Advanced Initiative Company (AIC for short), the distributor of Nintendo products in Saudi Arabia, have announced that they have now secured the distribution rights for all of Take-Two Interactive's titles moving forward. Take-Two’s library of IPs includes Grand Theft Auto, Civilization, Bioshock, Borderlands, WWE 2K, NBA 2K, Mafia and many more, including Zynga's line of mobile and social games as well.
Why this matters: AIC is positioning itself as a key distributor for premium gaming brands in Saudi Arabia through its partnerships with Nintendo and Take Two. While the partnership with Take Two will see its titles distributed in the region, we note that Grand Theft Auto V was previously banned in Saudi Arabia which raises questions about whether Grand Theft Auto 6 will see the same fate. However, we do note that the General Authority of Media Regulation (GAMR), the regulator in charge of video game approvals, has been taking a more liberal approach and allowing the release of games that may have been banned last decade.
Meta launches gaming accelerator in India with Bitkraft, Elevation, Kalaari and Lumikai
Meta has launched the Meta Gaming Accelerator in India, a three-month incubator supporting 20-30 emerging developers and studios with mentoring on monetization, user acquisition, cross-border scaling, and AI-driven development using Meta's Llama tools. Backed by Bitkraft Ventures, Elevation Capital, Kalaari Capital, and Lumikai Fund, the program gives developers access to advertising resources, expert guidance, and strategic partnerships to help them expand globally.
Why this matters: This initiative addresses a critical gap in India's ecosystem, where early-stage studios often lack structured support and market access, and complements existing incubators by emphasizing AI integration and sustainable growth. These accelerators can enhance professionalization, foster innovation, and strengthen the pipeline of domestic talent ready for both local success and international competitiveness.