June 12, 2025: Seeing Vietnam's Vibrant Video Games Industry in Vietnam GameVerse 2025
The third edition of Vietnam GameVerse 2025 concluded and set new records in the number of exhibitors from both the local and global gaming companies. This showcases the vibrant health of the Vietnamese games ecosystem and Vietnam's effort to become Southeast Asia's next gaming hub –Vietnam is one of the six notable SEA markets that Niko Partners track for years. Read our writeup and observations from the event in our latest blog post.
Nintendo Switch 2 surpasses 3.5 million units worldwide in its first four days, the fastest ever for a console
Nintendo announced on June 11, 2025 that the Switch 2 has so far sold over 3.5 million units in its first four days, the fastest ever for a Nintendo console. This is up from the original Switch's 2.7 million units sold in its first month. The release of the Switch 2 comes nearly a decade after its predecessor, along with Nintendo's efforts to ensure enough stock for ease of access to consumers, combined with Mario Kart World as its major launch title.
Why this matters: Niko Partners analysis shows that the Switch 2 is the fastest selling console of all time when launch aligned to other consoles. The PlayStation 5, the previous record holder, sold through 4.4 million units in seven weeks. The high sales were driven by pent up demand for a new Nintendo console, a solid first party game pipeline, and further supported by Nintendo increasing production to meet day one demand. We are bullish on Nintendo Switch 2 shipments reaching or surpassing our 14.5 million unit forecast for CY2025. Furthermore, maintaining engagement with new titles will be the key to Switch 2's long-term success, Niko Partners Director of East Asia and Southeast Asia Research Darang Candra told AFP.
Related: Niko Partners interview with Bloomberg on Nintendo Switch 2
Lisa Cosmas Hanson, President and CEO of Niko Partners sit with Bloomberg to discuss the successful launch of Nintendo's Switch 2. The launch of the new Switch was regarded a turning point in the gaming industry, influencing the strategic direction of console gaming for years to come.
Nintendo reduces prices of video games in Hong Kong
Nintendo has permanently reduced the prices of its first-party games via the Nintendo Hong Kong eShop on June 1, 2025. While no official reason was given for the change, Nintendo said that it is constantly paying attention to market conditions and make adjustments when necessary. The price drops coincide with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, although we note that only original Switch games have seen a price reduction, with Switch 2 games maintaining a premium.
Why this matters: The permanent price drop is welcome news for gamers that use the Hong Kong eShop, which includes gamers in mainland China. The Hong Kong eShop offers access to unlicensed games that the mainland China eShop does not offer. The price of most games have been reduced by around 100 HKD, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild being reduced from 499 HKD ($63.60 / RMB 457) to 399 HKD ($50.85 / RMB 365).
Link to original article (Chinese) →
Korean games featured at Apple's WWDC 2025 presentation
Apple on June 9, 2025, introduced updates to MacOS at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). During the event, Apple showcased its upcoming MacOS 'Tahoe' and its new features, including a 'Game Mode Overlay' and 3D rendering engine Metal 4. Notably, Pearl Abyss' Crimson Desert, scheduled for release in Q4 2025, and Krafton's early-access game inZoi, were cited as examples of recent titles joining the Apple ecosystem.
Why this matters: Apple emphasized the use of Apple Silicon and MetalFX to enhance visual accuracy and AI performance for these games. Korean titles such as Neowiz's Lies of P and Aquatree and Hybe IM's upcoming MMORPG Architect: Land of Exile were also featured as gaming content available on macOS. Apple is further increasing its presence in gaming through a dedicated Apple Games app for Mac, iPhone and iPad that will include a personalized home for games and friends.
Link to original article (Korean) →
Google Play Gift Cards to no longer be available in Malaysia
Google Play Gift Cards, first introduced in Malaysia in 2018, will be discontinued. According to an email notice from Google Payments, these gift cards will no longer be available for purchase starting June 15, 2025. Existing users will have until January 31, 2026 to use any existing credit. Once redeemed, the gift card balance can be used to purchase a variety of content and services on the Google Play Store, including apps, games, movies, and eBooks.
Why this matters: Gift cards are seeing a downward trend across Southeast Asian games markets as digital wallets and QR payments gain more traction with consumers. Game publishers are also shifting to direct-to-consumer monetization via web stores where digital wallets are more popular. It is unclear why Malaysia was singled out in Google Play Gift Cards’ discontinuation.
Unauthorized use of Korean game content in Chinese ads continue to rise
According to Korea's Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC), illegal game-related advertisements, including copyright-infringing ads by Chinese game companies, increased to 206 cases in 2024, up 66% from 124 in 2023. These ads often use graphics or characters from Korean games without permission to mislead users into downloading unrelated, lower-quality games.
Why this matters: As of April 2025, 152 cases have already been recorded which is 74% of 2024’s total within just four months. Although companies like Nexon have filed lawsuits, enforcement is limited since many violating firms lack legal entities or representatives in Korea. A law requiring foreign game companies to designate domestic entities will take effect in October this year with a maximum fine of KRW 20 million ($14,300) for non-compliance.
Link to original article (Korean)→
Niko Partners delivers the most detailed, in-depth analysis and insights into the Asia, Middle East, and North Africa video games and esports markets. Our local feet on the ground produce a comprehensive set of market report series with Niko's proprietary data and insights. The 2025 Market Model Reports for 13 markets that we track are available now.
Tencent increases investment in Lighthouse Games
Tencent has made a second undisclosed investment in Lighthouse Games, the UK-based studio founded by Playground Games veteran Gavin Raeburn, to support the development of its unannounced driving game. The investment will help expand the studio's 120 person team, with Raeburn affirming that Lighthouse will retain full creative control over the project. Raeburn is best known for his leadership on Forza Horizon at Playground Games and earlier work on DiRT, F1, and GRID at Codemasters.
Why this matters: Lighthouse Games previously received an initial investment from Tencent in 2023. Tencent was reportedly chosen over multiple competing investors for its hands-off approach and long-term alignment. Tencent has shown continued interest in high-quality Western IP and studios, often taking minority stakes while allowing creative independence. While the pace of investments has slowed down, Tencent is taking a more strategic and targeted approach in the same vein as other Chinese gaming firms.
Shenzhen government unveils digital trade plan to accelerate game exports
The Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Commerce and the Development and Reform Commission jointly released an implementation plan to advance high-quality growth in services and digital trade, with a strong focus on boosting the international competitiveness of China's game industry and broader digital cultural exports. The local government policies focus on industrial support, IP development, infrastructure expansion, and international platform building.
Why this matters: Shenzhen will support local game companies in establishing overseas R&D centers and publishing channels, with the goal of enhancing product competitiveness through improved localization, compliance, and user experience. This approach responds directly to pain points faced by Chinese game firms in overseas markets, particularly regarding cultural adaptation and legal frameworks.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
Tencent to ramp up hiring amid China graduate surge
Tencent has announced its most ambitious talent acquisition initiative to date, planning to recruit 28,000 interns over the next three years, including 10,000 in 2025 alone. This move marks Tencent's largest graduate-focused hiring campaign in company history and aligns with broader efforts to bolster China's tech talent pipeline during a period of economic restructuring and record university graduation rates. According to official figures, China is expected to produce 12.22 million university graduates in 2025.
Why this matters: The initiative is designed not just as a short-term internship program, but as a strategic pipeline for full-time employment, especially in high-priority areas such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud services, and game engine & technology development. The video game industry has undergone a sustained period of layoffs and downsizing since 2023, but has started to see a rebound as firms complete restructuring efforts and look to ramp up investment in AI and other technology based areas.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
Chinese players defense of Shanghai in Helldivers 2 goes viral
The defense of a in-game city dubbed “Super Shanghai” by players of Helldivers 2 has become a semi-viral moment in China, reaching mainstream media coverage and garnering tens of millions of views across social media platforms. Developed by Arrowhead and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Helldivers 2 is a PvE third-person shooter game that has sold over 2 million copies in China and 15 million globally. At the heart of this viral moment was a 72-hour siege where players across 12 time zones coordinated to prevent the alien faction from overtaking the last standing Earth city.
Why this matters: This event underscores the increasingly global and collaborative nature of gaming communities and the potential of player-driven narratives. Chinese players rallied behind the slogan "Shanghai cannot fall," while international players, especially from the US, joined Discord-organized "time zone battalions" to ensure around-the-clock defense. According to our China Games & Streaming Tracker, the game was the #11 most viewed PC game on Bilibili between May 28-31. The title also peaked at 160,000 concurrent players on Steam, signaling high global engagement and making it a top-10 game on the platform at the time.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
Events
ChinaJoy
Shanghai, China
August 1-4, 2025
Attendee: Xiaofeng Zeng