May 15, 2025: Niko, Xsolla win Best Service Provider at MENA Game Industry Awards
We're honored to have won the Best Service Provider award at the MENA Game Industry Awards, together with Xsolla. The nomination was based on our joint white paper on monetization in MENA.
Niko Partners x Esports Charts: Top Esports Titles and Dominant Genres by Region in Q1 2025
Through our partnership with the esports analytical service Esports Charts, Niko Partners delivers deep data-driven insights into esports titles’ performance across Asia. By combining Esports Charts data with our regional market expertise, distinct regional trends have emerged across Southeast Asia (SEA), East Asia (EA), the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), China and India. Here is a breakdown of the leading esports titles and standout genres across key regions.
Niko Partners to Speak at GamesBeat Summit
The East-West Connection: Successfully bringing Asian games to western markets (and vice versa).
There's still a lot of flow of games between Eastern and Western game markets, as players are embracing global content in both predictable and surprising ways. We'll talk about the way to foster this connection and get new projects off the ground.
Set up a meeting with Lisa here →
CelcomDigi and SRG.OG promote responsible gaming for Malaysian students
CelcomDigi Berhad, in collaboration with Selangor Red Giants OG (SRG.OG), has initiated a comprehensive nationwide campaign to promote responsible gaming among Malaysian school students. The program is designed to foster healthy gaming habits and enhance internet safety skills, equipping students to navigate the digital landscape responsibly. Both firms plan to expand the initiative to eight schools across Malaysia. Curated educational modules are developed by Esports Medica, a specialized medical committee dedicated exclusively to the esports community.
Why this matters: The campaign signals growing support and awareness of the games industry in Malaysia, with telecoms, esports teams and educational institutions aligning behind responsible gaming initiatives. Companies looking to tap into the growing youth gamer demographic may find value in supporting or replicating similar initiatives across Southeast Asia as regional governments take a more open and proactive approach to shaping gaming and digital culture. The emphasis on early education and internet safety could also indicate potential future policy direction.
Palworld removes features because of Nintendo lawsuit
Pocketpair, the Japanese developer behind Palworld, has confirmed that its ongoing legal dispute with Nintendo has led to substantive gameplay changes in order to mitigate potential litigation risks. In a recent blog post, the studio acknowledged that it has begun altering or removing features that resemble Nintendo’s Pokémon franchise. One notable example being the Pal Sphere throwing mechanic, a central gameplay feature that closely mirrored the iconic Poké Ball system used to summon Pokémon.
Why this matters: Palworld has been a breakout hit for the indie studio reaching over 32 million players as of February 2025. However, it was obvious to everyone that the title was heavily influenced by the Pokémon franchise prior to launch, leading to Nintendo’s lawsuit being filed in September 2024. The case could set a precedent for how far design inspiration can go before crossing into infringement. Pocketpair has been removing infringing features since November 2024, with plans to remove more in the future.
Nintendo takes tougher stance on piracy with Switch 2
Nintendo has implemented a significant update to its Account Agreement and Privacy Policy, reinforcing legal protections against emulation, piracy, and unauthorized reverse engineering. The new terms, which went into effect on May 7, include over 100 revisions compared to the previous version. Nintendo says it has the right to “render the Nintendo Account Services and / or the applicable Nintendo device permanently unusable in whole or in part” should users engage in emulation, piracy or modding efforts.
Why this matters: Nintendo has always taken a strong position on piracy and set a new precedent in Japan last month when a man was sentenced to two years in prison for modding Nintendo Switch consoles. While this clause is unlikely to impact everyday users, it does show that Nintendo is ramping up material and legal efforts to prevent piracy and modding on its upcoming Switch 2 console.
Dream Sports partners with Microsoft to develop India video game market
Dream Sports, the parent company of Real Money Gaming (RMG) and fantasy sports firm Dream11, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft at World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 to publish Microsoft’s gaming portfolio in India and co-develop AI-driven experiences tailored to local gamers. The alliance seeks to leverage Dream Sports’ existing user base of 250 million and Microsoft’s technical and artificial intelligence capabilities to address growing demands in the country’s gaming market.
Why this matters: The partnership underscores the growing importance of India’s games industry and domestic players as local platforms partner with global IP holders to diversify revenue streams and boost monetization. By combining a large domestic audience with advanced AI tools, Dream Sports and Microsoft are looking to capitalize on increased demand for high-end gaming experiences in the country. The partnership also follows the broader trend of RMG companies entering the traditional video game space or developing hybrid games.
Our China Games & Streaming Tracker provides instant access to game live streaming data in China. Ready to see it in action? Give us 20 minutes to walk you through a comprehensive demonstration.
US, China agree to 90 day pause on tariffs
The United States and China have agreed to substantially lower tariffs for the next 90 days after talks were held in Geneva, Switzerland on the matter. Under the agreement, US duties on Chinese goods will be lowered from 145% to 30%, while China’s retaliatory tariffs on US imports will be lowered from 125% to 10%. The imbalance of 10% and 30% under the agreement is because the US is keeping the original 20% tariff linked to Fentanyl that was announced prior to April 2.
Why this matters: The pause will be welcome news for companies with manufacturing in China, who will now be subject to a much lower tariff rate when importing goods into the US. Certain electronics such as computer parts and smartphones had already seen tariffs lowered to 20%, and this new pause will also apply to console manufacturers. However, 30% is still a high figure and companies will likely find a way to pass this cost on to the consumer. If a trade deal is not signed within the 90 day period, the tariff rate will increase again.
Weibo hosts its first ACGN expo in Beijing, attracting 68,000 attendees
The inaugural Weibo ACG World (WAW) expo was held between May 3-5 in Beijing, becoming a key event during the May Day holiday in China. Spanning over 50,000 square meters, WAW attracted 68,000 attendees across three days and quickly emerged as a viral cultural phenomenon, thanks to its integrated focus on gaming, esports, and anime fandom. The event featured appearances from top-tier esports teams and influencers alongside over 100 high-profile guests such as game streamers, cosplayers, artists, and voice actors.
Why this matters: According to ticketing data, 77% of attendees were under 30, and nearly 80% were from northern China, underscoring the youth-driven, regional appeal of the event. WAW generated 87 trending topics on the Weibo social media platform and accumulated a staggering 2.45 billion topic reads and 9.5 million interactions, making it one of the most talked-about ACGN events of the holiday period. More than 150 major IPs and companies in gaming, esports, and anime were represented.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
miHoYo teases new Honkai title at concert
At the conclusion of the Honkai: Star Rail 2025 concert in Shanghai, miHoYo unveiled a teaser for a new game under the Honkai IP. The teaser was accompanied by the recent filing of trademarks and activation of official social media accounts under the name "Honkai: Nexus Anima," which is likely to be the title of the upcoming project. According to job listings, the game may include a creature companion system, similar to Pokemon and Palworld.
Why this matters: While miHoYo has traditionally focused on RPG titles with an ACGN art style and elements, the developer is increasingly looking to embrace a broader audience. Honkai: Nexus Anima may be aimed at capturing younger or more casual global players through approachable mechanics and emotional character bonding. If successful, it would further diversify miHoYo's user base and reinforce its strategy of creating long-tail, multi-genre franchises within a unified IP ecosystem.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
NimoTV loses 60% of viewership in Vietnam after departure of top local streamers
Streaming platform NimoTV lost 60% of viewership during the first week of May as Vietnamese top streamer Độ Mixi and Refund Gaming members departed from the platform. In late April, top streamer Độ Mixi and his Refund Gaming teammates—who together drove the platform’s highest peak viewership—ended their five-year exclusive contract, instantly migrating to YouTube and attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Why this matters: This departure underscores NimoTV’s over-reliance on marquee talent, its outdated app (noted for high resource demand, low bitrate and frequent lag), and the inflexibility of a fixed-wage, hour-quota contract model versus the more creator-friendly ad- and donation-share systems on YouTube and TikTok. In 2022, NimoTV’s parent company Huya faced financial difficulties and withdrew from major markets like Brazil, Indonesia, and Thailand, causing its user base to plummet by over 70%.
Link to original article (Vietnamese) →
Korean Presidential Candidate Releases Video Game
Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of Korea's New Reform Party, released a video game for promoting his campaign on May 12. The game, titled First Penguin Lee Jun-seok Game, or shortened as Lee Jun-seok Game, was released through the supporter communication application JUNSTALK and is available on both mobile and PC. In the game, a penguin character will run on ice, while questions about the candidate's policies are given with a yes-no answer option provided.
Why this matters: This is the first time in Korea that a presidential candidate has created a video game and used it for a presidential campaign. This shows even political candidates who are generally more serious are trying to reach out to the gamer community.
Link to original article (Korean) →
Earnings Roundup
Nintendo reported, for its fiscal year ending March 30, 2025, net sales of JPY 1.16 trillion (approximately $8 billion), down 30.3% YoY, operating profit of JPY 282.5 billion ($1.9 billion), down 46.6% YoY, ordinary profit of JPY 372.3 billion ($2.6 billion), down 45.3% YoY, and net profit of JPY 278.8 billion ($1.9 billion), down 43.2% YoY. Sales were down across the board YoY. The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 in June will significantly drive sales for the next FY. This is despite potential tariffs from the US on its manufacturing bases (Vietnam, China, Cambodia) which could necessitate an increase to the Switch 2's price if implemented after the 90-day pause announced by the Trump administration.
Nexon reported its Q1 2025 sales of KRW 1.82 trillion ($1.3 billion) and operating profit of KRW 395.2 billion ($283 million). This is a 5% increase in sales and a 43% increase in operating profit compared to the same period last year. In addition to the success of its main games, such as the 21% increase in sales of the three franchises of Dungeon & Fighter, Maple Story, and FC Online, the company’s new titles First Berserker: Kazan and Mabinogi Mobile also contributed to the strong first quarter performance.
Krafton reported its Q1 2025 sales of KRW 874.2 billion ($626.4 million) and operating profit of KRW 457.3 billion ($327.7 million) in the first quarter of this year. This is a 31.3% and 47.3% increase in sales and operating profit YoY. This is also a record-breaking quarterly performance, attributed to diversification of content centered on the PUBG IP, strong live service operation, and the early success of Krafton's new life simulation game inZOI.
Netmarble reported its Q1 2025 sales of KRW 623.9 billion ($447.6 million) and operating profit of KRW 49.7 billion ($35.6 million) on a consolidated basis. This performance represents a 6.6% increase in sales and a 1243.2% increase in operating profit compared to the same period last year. RF Online Next and Solo Leveling: ARISE, which was updated at the end of last year, contributed greatly to the sales growth.
Kakao Games reported its Q1 2025 sales of KRW 122.9 billion ($88.2 million) and an operating loss of KRW 12.4 billion ($8.9 million). Sales decreased by 31%, and operating profit recorded a deficit for the second consecutive quarter following the fourth quarter of last year. The poor performance was attributed to the absence of new titles and the impact of business restructuring
VNG reported a notable turnaround in Q1 2025, with adjusted net operating profit rising to $7.125 million (VND 185 billion) from $38,511 (VND 1 billion) in Q1 2024, on revenue of $86 million (VND 2,232 billion); however, the company still recorded a net loss after tax of $577,668 (VND 15 billion), a 52% improvement from Q1 2024. Online games bookings fell nearly 20% year-on-year to $64.16 million (VND 1,666 billion), with international markets accounted for 20%, while gross profit was over $30.424 million (VND 790 billion) which is equivalent to 35% gross margin, and cost controls helped halve losses.
Events
GamesBeat Summit 2025
Los Angeles, USA
May 19-20, 2025
Speaker: Lisa Hanson
Contact us to set up a meeting →
