GTA V and GTA Online are now available in KSA and UAE
GTA V and its Online Multiplayer version GTA Online will be officially released in Saudi Arabia and the UAE on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, from July 17, 2025. This comes more than a decade after the game was denied an official release in the country due to its violent and adult content. The game will launch with a 21+ age rating without modifications by the UAE Media Council and the General Authority of Media Regulation in Saudi Arabia.
Why this matters: Government regulators often banned games that included violent, adult or offensive content from release in the region. This has recently begun to change with games like God of War, which would normally have been banned due to offensive content, receiving an official release with just minor changes. The addition of a 21+ age rating and greater liberalization in the region has led to regulators allowing GTA V to receive an official release, which bodes well for a day one release of GTA VI in 2026.
Over 50% of MENA Gamers Engage with Esports, Niko Partners survey found
The Esports World Cup has officially kicked off this week and ready to entertain MENA esports fans. With a star-studded opening ceremony on July 10, Esports World Cup is remains a flagship part of Saudi Arabia’s vision for the gaming sector and leveraging the esports-crazed MENA gamers. Niko's survey found that, over half of gamers in MENA identify as esports enthusiasts.
MENA is on track to become a $2.8 billion market by 2029. Want to understand MENA better and benefit from this lucrative region? Dive into insights from our latest MENA Gamer Behavior & Market Insights and download the key takeaways here.
Sega looking to expand in China and Southeast Asia amid mobile growth
Sega is accelerating efforts to expand across Asia through localized partnerships, aiming to reduce its historical overreliance on the Japanese market. To address this, the company has initiated country specific partnerships, including a licensing agreement with Chinese developer Longtu Game, and is in the process of securing additional partners across Southeast Asia.
Why this matters: While Sega maintains strong brand equity in the West, its penetration into Asian markets outside Japan has remained somewhat limited. The strategic pivot comes as mobile gaming becomes increasingly central to Sega's business. Mobile titles now account for over 50% of Sega's games revenue and are growing faster than the company's legacy console and PC segments. This reflects broader market trends in Asia, where mobile is the dominant gaming platform and consoles are fairly niche.
Korean FC Online’s esports league FSL reached 10.22 million cumulative viewers
Nexon released an infographic summarizing the 2025 FC Online Super Champions League (FSL) Spring season, reporting 10.22 million cumulative viewers, 27.5 million total content views, and 1.4 billion minutes watched. The first season under the new "FSL" branding featured eight franchise teams with 32 players and concluded on June 14, with Gen.G player "wonder08" winning the final. The final match reached a peak concurrent viewership of 150,048, up 316% from the previous season's 36,000, while average concurrent viewers also more than doubled.
Why this matters: The high viewer counts highlighted increased engagement driven by new league structures, co-streaming with 104 creators, and expanded storylines of the tournament. South Korea remains one of the top esports markets in the world with EA’s FC Online offering a unique F2P entry point for the FC franchise.
Link to original article (Korean) →
Infold Games to hold Love and Deepspace x Sentosa pop-up exhibition in Singapore
Love and Deepspace game developer, Infold Games, will hold the first official pop-up exhibition Love and Deepspace x Sentosa in Singapore. The event will run from July 18–31, 2025 at Resorts World Sentosa’s ave8 to celebrate the launch of Love and Deepspace Version 4.0, Witnessed by Deepspace.
Why this matters: Since its launch in January 2024, Love and Deepspace has captivated around 50 million users worldwide and generated nearly $1 billion in revenue. Singaporean gamers are among the top spenders of the game. Fans often mention how the game offers a blend of emotional fulfillment, entertainment, and interactive storytelling that feels deeply personal. Singaporeans reportedly spent nearly SG$ 300 to 500 per month on collectibles or fan-driven projects tied to the game.
India's National Sports Policy 2025 leaves esports on the sidelines
India's newly approved National Sports Policy 2025 sets big goals for the 2036 Olympics yet omits esports, despite a presidential order last year designating the Department of Sports as its nodal agency and separating it from real-money gaming. Industry leaders, including Revenant, Skyesports, and Velocity, warn that without a national federation, visa facilitation, and fair taxation, Indian teams will keep training without funding or infrastructure.
Why this matters: The policy gap undermines a market that already attracts one of the world's largest esports audiences and risks slowing India's strive toward becoming a major games economy. While India’s government has given recognition to esports in the past, the lack of unified push from the government has left the industry in the hands of private companies, esports federations, and local initiatives.
Chinese game companies continue to extend titles to console
Chinese video game companies are continuing to extend already released games on mobile or PC to console. Tencent, who launched Delta Force: Hawk Ops last year, reported that they plan to release the game for PS5 and Xbox series this August. The game has proved extremely popular in China where it recently surpassed 12 million DAUs on PC and mobile. Likewise, NetEase has announced that Once Human will launch on PS5 and Xbox Series in 2026.
Why this matters: Chinese video game companies are looking to reach new audiences beyond mobile, with the aim to tap into a global player base that primarily plays on PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo devices. Both titles above are free to play live service games, which have also become popular on console alongside traditional premium games. Other notable examples include Wuthering Waves from Kuro Games which launched on mobile and PC in May 2024, with a PS5 release in January 2025.
Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond exceeds 2 million downloads worldwide
Japanese developer Cygames announced on July 2 that Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond has exceeded 2 million downloads worldwide since it launched for mobile and PC on June 15. The digital card game, a sequel to 2016 game Shadowverse, has topped both mobile and Steam revenue rankings in Japan since it launched. On the Apple App Store, the game was the top earning title for 6 days in a row following its release, before losing the spot to Konami's eFootball and DeNA's Pokemon Pocket, though it has remained in the top ten since.
Why this matters: While Worlds Beyond has received negative reception among players criticizing its different monetization patterns compared to Shadowverse, the game has performed strongly since release, exceeding $20 million in revenue in its first week. As with its predecessor, Japan makes up much of the Worlds Beyond's player base, and the game has received less pushback from its Japanese players, who are generally more accepting of gacha monetization models than players in the west.
Link to original article (Japanese) →
Chinese GPU manufacturers to IPO in Shanghai
Chinese GPU company Moore Threads is seeking to raise RMB 8 billion ($1.1 billion) through an initial public offering on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's STAR Market alongside GPU startup MetaX who is looking to raise RMB 3.9 billion ($545 million). Both companies were founded in 2020 and are part of China's efforts to localize semiconductor and computing infrastructure amid tightening US export restrictions.
Why this matters: These IPOs align with Beijing's national priority to develop self-sufficient computing infrastructure, especially in GPUs, which are foundational to both AI training and game rendering. China's GPU market remains heavily dependent on US vendors, making domestic alternatives like Moore Threads and MetaX strategically significant. The gaming industry in particular stands to benefit from greater domestic GPU production capacity as US export controls continue to limit access to high-end GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD.
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Chinese game and tech companies ramp up internal anti-corruption campaigns
Chinese video game and internet companies including Bilibili and Perfect World are intensifying internal anti-corruption crackdowns as part of broader efforts to cut costs, improve governance, and boost operational efficiency. On July 3, Bilibili confirmed that Zhang Zaimin, former general manager of its game co-operation department, was arrested by Shanghai police for serious job-related offenses. Similarly, Perfect World revealed this week that eight employees across three game studios were found guilty of accepting bribes from suppliers.
Why this matters: A number of firms have ramped up internal anti-corruption campaigns that have led to a wave of internal investigations, dismissals, and even police involvement. These internal investigations align with a broader trend of external marketing and co-development deals being monitored more closely, especially in light of rising development costs and increased regulatory pressure. This follows a high-profile case at NetEase in November 2024, where multiple marketing team members were investigated and dismissed for corruption, triggering further police probes.
Events
ChinaJoy
Shanghai, China
August 1-4, 2025
Attendee: Xiaofeng Zeng