Niko News: MENA Gamer Behavior & Market Insights Reports are Now Available
Our MENA-3 Gamer Behavior & Market Insights Reports are now available. The reports form the second part of Niko's MENA Games Market Report Series, with the Market Model Reports published in May. The reports includes a survey of more than 1,500 gamers in three notable MENA markets: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. Download the key takeaways from the reports and read some highlights from Niko's other MENA research in our blog post.
NPPA approves 158 games in June 2025
Why it matters: The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), mainland China's regulator in charge of game approvals, issued ISBNs for 147 domestic games and 11 import games on June 24, 2025. This is the sixth batch of games approved in 2025 and the largest to date, taking approvals to 757 domestic games and 55 import games. The domestic games batch included 137 mobile games, 2 PC games and 8 cross platform games. The import game batch included 4 mobile games, 4 PC game and 3 cross platform games. There were also 7 games included on the ISBN change list where games are able to change their name, publisher, or add new platforms.
Notable games approved in this batch include:
CrossFire Rainbow (Tencent / Smilegate)
Squad (Tencent / Offworld Industries)
Wildgate (NetEase / Moonshot Games)
Goose Goose Duck (Kingsoft / Gaggle Studios)
Lineage M (XMTJ / NCSoft)
Link to original article (Chinese) →
Tencent rebrands overseas version of Honor of Kings as Honor of Kings Plus
Tencent's Honor of Kings will undergo a significant rebrand and content overhaul on June 27, 2025, relaunching globally as Honor of Kings Plus. The move signals a strategic pivot to rejuvenate international player engagement following mixed overseas performance in 2024, where the title struggled to match Mobile Legends: Bang Bang in terms of traction in Southeast Asia. A key feature of the update is the introduction of real-time voice-to-text translation, initially supporting English, Chinese, Indonesian, and Malay.
Why this matters: Tencent is looking to address the lackluster year 1 it has had outside China with Honor of Kings. Tencent is focusing on player-driven feedback loops and aligning global gameplay expectations with local preferences. With its expanded feature set, Honor of Kings Plus aims to reassert itself in the competitive MOBA landscape outside China. The real-time voice-to-text translation is designed to lower communication barriers in international lobbies, addressing one of the primary social frictions in the game's global rollout.
Capcom recorded a 61% increase in game sales revenue via Steam
Sales of video games via the PC platform Steam totaled JPY 52.72 billion ($364.92 million) for Capcom in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, up 61.1% YoY. Revenue from games sold via Steam as a ratio of Capcom's whole earnings for the period increased from 21.5% to 31.1%, while sales via PlayStation fell to below 10% for the period. The day 1 launch of new titles such as Monster Hunter Wilds majorly contributed to this figure.
Why this matters: PC is now the dominant platform for Capcom with 54.4% of premium game units sold in 2025/3 via the platform. While console continues to play a notable role, it suggests that the audience for AAA premium games is more multi-platform than ever. This transition is reflective of a broader shift to PC that has been occurring in Japan since 2020, spurred by the pandemic, though it still remains the country's smallest games market.
Link to original article (Japanese) →
VNG rebrands as holding company, sets record revenue goal for 2025
VNG, Vietnam’s largest game company, held its 2025 General Meeting of Shareholders on June 21. It has renamed itself from VNG Corporation to VNG Group, closed 2024 with record consolidated revenue of $360.3 million and a swing to $11.56 million in net operating profit and set a 2025 top-line target of $412.44 million.
Why this matters: VNG’s record revenue, continued ESOP issuance, and measured AI push signal that large incumbents can still scale internationally and monetize adjacent services, yet the need to improve bottom-line performance and prove overseas execution underscores the tightening margins and competitive pressure that shape today’s Vietnamese game sector.
Link to original article (Vietnamese) →
ASEAN Youth Esports Championship 2025 took place in Malaysia
The ASEAN Youth Esports Championship 2025 (AYESC25) was held at ESI Hub in Malaysia, between June 23 to 28. Organized by the Malaysia Esports Federation (MESF) and held in collaboration with Impact Integrated and Esports Integrated (ESI), the esports championship gathered the top youth esports players from all 11 ASEAN countries to compete in eFootball 2025.
Why this matters: Esports continues to be a major driver for the games market in Southeast Asia. Government support is also seen across countries in the region, showcasing the importance of esports, particularly for the youth. Selection of eFootball 2025 indicates a strong interest in football in esports and traditional sports.
Final Fantasy XIV Mobile underperforming in China
Tencent Games launched Final Fantasy XIV Mobile on June 19, 2025, in China. Developed by Tencent's Lightspeed Studios, best known for its work on PUBG Mobile, the title is a mobile adaptation of Final Fantasy XIV, one of Square Enix's most popular games. However, while the game debuted at #1 on the iOS game download chart, it quickly fell out of the top 50. The game debuted at #27 on the iOS game revenue chart but also fell out of the top 100 before the end of its first week.
Why this matters: Square Enix viewed the partnership with Tencent as a strategic effort to deepen its presence in mobile-first markets across Asia, particularly China. The title also debuted at #75 on our China Games & Streaming Tracker in its first week, behind the long operating PC game which charted at #64. The game has received mixed to positive reviews online with players praising the quality of the port but disappointed with the high difficulty of the game and dated feel as it is based on an older update of the PC game.
Link to original article (Korean) →
Century Games finds success with Kingshot overseas
Century Games' medieval-themed idle strategy game Kingshot has surpassed $100 million in gross player spending just 117 days after its global launch on February 24, 2025, making it the publisher's fastest-growing title to date. The title is only available outside China and joins Whiteout Survival as key mobile export game in its portfolio. According to AppMagic estimates, the United States has driven 41% of Kingshot's global revenue, making it by far the most lucrative market, followed by South Korea (7%) and Japan (6%).
Why this matters: Kingshot is built by the same team behind Whiteout Survival, which has grossed nearly $3 billion since 2022. Kingshot replicates a similar monetization blueprint: blending 4X strategy mechanics with idle gameplay, gacha hero systems, and frequent monetized events. Century Games, which is part of Century Huatong, is joining other Chinese game companies and top exporters, giving Tencent, NetEase and MiHoYo a run for their money overseas.
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Emotional Anti Fraud Simulator game sparks controversy in China
A full-motion video (FMV) game originally titled Revenge Against Gold Diggers, later renamed Emotional Anti-Fraud Simulator, has ignited widespread controversy across China for its portrayal of women in romantic scams. The game was developed by Qianfang Studio, owned by Hong Kong filmmaker Mark Wu, and was released on Steam for RMB 33 ($4.60) on June 19, 2025. Critics have denounced the game for promoting misogyny and gender stereotyping, while supporters have said it portrays the reality of cat fishing or pig butchering scams now common online.
Why this matters: The initial backlash led to the developers rebranding the game to take a more educational approach. The games social media account was also temporarily restricted. However, the game has already sold more than 1 million units via Steam in China and has a 96% positive review rating. While the game is selling well, it's clear that this controversy will limit broader reach of the title and developer. The situation underscores the delicate balance required when tackling sensitive societal issues through interactive media in China's tightly regulated digital environment.
Events
ChinaJoy
Shanghai, China
August 1-4, 2025
Attendee: Xiaofeng Zeng