Global Games That Over-Index in Asia & MENA - Niko Partners x mindGAME bulletin
What makes a game stand out in one market but not others? Read our latest bulletin in collaboration with mindGAME
What makes a game stand out in one market but not others? We’ve partnered with mindGAME to highlight the top-performing games from March 2025 to February 2026 across five key markets that Niko tracks: Japan, India, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and China. We leverage mindGAME’s mindSHARE metric and Country Popularity Indexes and combine it with Niko’s proprietary Niko Index from our China Games & Livestreaming Tracker, to reveal the titles resonating strongest in unexpected places.
This bulletin provides Niko’s analysis on the why behind the what: The reason behind game titles that overperform locally, and what’s driving their success.
Niko Partners at India Gaming Show
Niko’s Senior Analyst & Global Business Development Narinder Kapur will be attending the India Gaming Show in Chennai from April 17–19. We’re looking forward to connecting on the ground and taking the pulse of one of the world’s fastest-growing video game markets. Please say hi if you’ll be there as well!
Indonesia’s IGRS security flaw reportedly exposes unreleased game footage and developer data
The Indonesian Game Rating System (IGRS) came under scrutiny after a security vulnerability on its website was found to allow unreleased game data to be accessed via a public API, discovered by a Reddit user developing an alternative frontend. The leak included footage and information from multiple unreleased titles, most notably a reportedly one‑hour gameplay video of 007: First Light, scheduled to launch on May 27. There are also concerns that developer data, including thousands of project‑related email addresses, may have been exposed, creating risks such as phishing, data misuse, and direct disruption to employees.
Why this matters: This incident highlights how weaknesses in government‑run classification infrastructure can create material commercial and reputational risks for global publishers, particularly as Asia‑Pacific markets tighten regulatory oversight. Developers and platforms operating in Indonesia will need to reassess how sensitive pre‑release materials are submitted and secured during compliance processes. Previously, IGRS sparked criticism for questionable age ratings following its initial rollout on Steam, after which it was subsequently removed (read our writeup on this).
Link to original article (Indonesian) →
Esports Nations Cup 2026 to have 16 titles and $45m investment
The Esports Foundation has announced the full lineup for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026, set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from November 2 to November 29, 2026. Positioned as a nation based competition model similar to the Olympics, the event will feature 16 titles spanning PC, console, and mobile, including Honor of Kings, League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, and PUBG Mobile. The tournament is backed by a $45 million funding commitment, including a $20 million prize pool distributed across all titles.
Why this matters: More than 100,000 players are expected to compete in qualification events across 100 markets, highlighting the global scale of participation. The ENC aligns closely with Saudi Arabia’s broader ambition to establish itself as a global esports hub through large scale investment and international events. However, it’s worth noting that multiple in-person events have been cancelled over the past month due to the US-Iran war. While a ceasefire is in place, this conflict remains a material risk for esports events in Saudi Arabia, as well as tourism in general.
South Korean game publishers push back against YouTuber misinformation
South Korean game companies are facing growing disruption from influential game YouTubers who spread unverified claims about games, undermining user trust and affecting sales and investor sentiment. NC has filed criminal complaints and civil lawsuits against multiple YouTube channel operators for allegedly spreading false information about Lineage Classic and AION 2, arguing that such content causes serious harm to both the company and players. Pearl Abyss also faced a wave of malicious YouTube content following the launch of Crimson Desert, with criticism subsiding only after the company disclosed first‑day sales of 2 million copies and positive global feedback.
Why this matters: While YouTubers and influencers have generally had a positive impact on game discovery over the past decade, the case highlights the rise of creator‑driven misinformation that are driven by monetary incentives and how it is becoming a material business risk for Korean game publishers, accelerating calls for stronger platform accountability and legal strategies to protect live service games and IP at launch.
Link to original article (Korean) →
Malaysian Football League clubs officially join eFootball via Konami partnership
Konami announced a new licensing partnership with the Malaysian Football League that brings all 13 Malaysia League clubs into eFootball for the first time as part of the Version 5.4 update. The integration adds officially licensed teams with authentic kits and updated player rosters, allowing Malaysian clubs to be played within the game’s current systems and exposing the domestic league to a global player base. To support local engagement, Konami has launched a dedicated Malaysia server aimed at improving online match responsiveness and stability, alongside an in-game login campaign that rewards players with a Selection Contract redeemable for Malaysia League Highlight cards.
Why this matters: This partnership underscores Konami’s continued push to localize eFootball through official domestic league licensing and infrastructure investment, signaling growing importance of Southeast Asia in live service football games and esports ecosystems. Notably, eFootball has become the dominant soccer mobile game in a number of SEA countries including Malaysia, surpassing EA FC Mobile in revenue.
China court rejects case arguing for matchmaking transparency from game developers
A Chinese court has ruled against a lawsuit seeking disclosure of matchmaking algorithms in Honor of Kings, reinforcing legal protections around core game systems. The case, filed in August 2025 by a player and lawyer, argued that the game’s matchmaking system artificially controls win rates at around 50% and requested disclosure under consumer right to information provisions. The court rejected the claim, stating that matchmaking algorithms do not fall within the scope of information that must be disclosed under China’s Consumer Protection Law.
Why this matters: This case is significant given the central role of matchmaking algorithms in live service games, particularly competitive multiplayer titles where retention, fairness perception, and monetization are closely tied to player experience. The ruling provides regulatory clarity in China by affirming that core gameplay algorithms remain protected as commercial secrets. However, it also highlights ongoing tension between transparency demands and proprietary systems, suggesting that publishers may need to balance legal protection with clearer communication to maintain player trust in competitive ecosystems.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
Niko consumer insights and business intelligence dives deeper than AI.
Xiaomi raises its smartphone prices in China
Xiaomi has increased prices on several smartphone models by approximately RMB 200 ($29), effective next week, citing continued sharp increases in memory chip costs. The move follows similar pricing actions by domestic competitors Oppo, Vivo, and Honor, indicating a coordinated industry response to rising component costs. The price adjustments reflect broader supply chain pressures across consumer electronics, driven by constrained DRAM supply and capacity reallocation toward higher margin AI related applications.
Why this matters: Memory procurement costs are rising even as PC demand softens, forcing manufacturers to absorb or pass through higher input prices. When it comes to China’s smartphone shipments, earlier forecasts projected a 10% decline in shipments for 2026, but ongoing increases in memory and raw material costs, combined with inflationary pressures linked to geopolitical factors, could deepen the contraction to 20% to 25%.
Shanghai government unveils 10 measures to support gaming and esports industry
The Shanghai Government announced its new Several Measures Supporting the Development of the Gaming and Esports Industry in Shanghai policy on April 7, which includes 10 measures to accelerate the development of the industry. The policy focuses on four key pillars. First, it strengthens industrial clustering in Xuhui, Yangpu, and Jing’an. Second, it enhances capital and talent supply, including the launch of a RMB 5 billion game industry investment fund to support startups. Third, the policy emphasizes technology integration and cross-sector expansion. Finally, Shanghai aims to establish a global games export service platform, offering localization, compliance, payments, and data analytics support, while elevating events such as ChinaJoy and China International Game Developers Conference into international industry hubs.
Why this matters: Shanghai is positioning itself not just as a production center but as a global resource allocation hub, intensifying competition with other international gaming clusters while accelerating China’s push up the value chain. The initiative follows strong market performance, with Shanghai’s online games industry generating RMB 170.7 billion ($25 billion) in revenue in 2025, up 9.57% YoY, outperforming the national growth rate. Overseas revenue reached RMB 30.3 billion, growing 13.7% YoY, also above the national average.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
Snail Games faces Nasdaq compliance risk amid heavy losses
Chinese game company Snail Games has received a warning from Nasdaq’s listing qualifications department after failing to meet financial requirements, including maintaining net income above $500,000 in either the latest fiscal year or two of the past three years. Snail Games must submit a compliance plan by May 11, 2026, and, if accepted, will have up to 180 days to regain compliance. After returning to profitability in 2024 with approximately $1.8 million in net income, the company reported a $27 million loss in 2025, erasing cumulative profits since 2019 and marking its weakest performance since listing.
Why this matters: Revenue concentration remains a core issue, with the Ark Survival Evolved franchise accounting for 85% to 91% of total revenue between 2022 and 2025. While the franchise has surpassed 100 million installs as of December 2025, slowing growth has exposed structural reliance risks. Delays to Ark 2 limit near term upside, while other AAA and indie projects have not scaled sufficiently to diversify revenue.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
Moonton investigates Mobile Legends cheat network with Indonesian police support
Moonton investigated and identified the “Senpai Mod” network as a cheat distributor and “NUI Mod” as the primary supplier of illegal software for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB). The investigation, which began in September 2023 following community reports, found that Senpai Mod sold cheats such as map hacks and drone-style vision that significantly disrupted competitive balance. Over the past year, thousands of MLBB accounts were sanctioned for using these cheats, in what Moonton described as a rare enforcement effort targeting both the distribution and production layers of cheat software. Moonton acknowledged the support of Indonesia’s Central Java Regional Police in resolving the case through formal legal channels and halting further development and sales.
Why this matters: This case highlights a growing willingness among Asian game publishers to pursue legal enforcement, not just technical bans, against cheat developers. For live service and competitive game operators, it signals higher compliance expectations and the rising importance of collaboration with local authorities to protect long-term player trust.
Link to original article (Indonesian) →
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
Attendee: Alexander Champlin