Resident Evil Requiem sells 5 million units in 5 days
Capcom reported that Resident Evil Requiem sold 5 million copies within five days of release, making it the fastest-selling launch in the franchise’s history. The milestone surpasses the early sales trajectories of Resident Evil Village, as well as the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4. Capcom attributed part of the title’s reception to its proprietary RE Engine, which enables high levels of photorealistic rendering such as detailed character skin, tears, and hair simulation. The Resident Evil franchise has become one of Capcom’s most reliable commercial pillars, with the series surpassing 150 million units in cumulative lifetime sales across mainline entries, remakes, and spin-offs in recent years.
Why this matters: Capcom built strong pre-launch momentum through high quality trailers and an announcement shortly before release that Leon S. Kennedy would return to the franchise. The game has received positive reviews from gamers and critics alike and continues the growth trajectory that Capcom has seen with Resident Evil games over the past decade. On PC, the title reached a record peak of over 344,000 concurrent players on Steam, signaling strong engagement from the platform’s global audience. Requiem also demonstrates that Capcom is able to see strong success with premium single player titles in a market that is increasingly being cannibalized by live service evergreen games.
Video games see local server outage in Bahrain and the UAE
The 2026 Iran conflict is scary and very difficult for all, and our hearts go out to all the people in the region who are directly impacted. Less importantly yet relevant for Niko Partners, the conflict has had an immediate impact on the video game industry with players reporting local server outages for video games such as Valorant, Fortnite, Rocket League and EA FC in Bahrain and the UAE. The temporary shutdowns came after Amazon Web Services reported drone strikes on three facilities across the two countries. Players are being forced to use European servers, which have a higher ping compared to local servers.
Why this matters: The escalating conflict has led to a devastating loss of life in the region, and we hope that hostilities will de-escalate and a path toward peace can emerge. The impact on local servers in the region is currently limited to Bahrain and the UAE, with video games that use Dammam servers in Saudi Arabia unaffected. Game companies like Riot have already implemented protection measures to prevent rank penalties for impacted players.
Xsolla enters Vietnam market through acquisition of WeTaps Corporation
Xsolla has acquired WeTaps Corporation, a Ho Chi Minh City–based publisher holding a G1 license for online game operations in Vietnam. Alongside the acquisition, Xsolla launched its Merchant of Record (MoR) services in the country, positioning itself as the first licensed MoR provider for games in Vietnam. The move provides developers with a compliant entry pathway into Vietnam’s rapidly growing games market. Under the new structure, developers will gain access to an established approval process, localized compliance management, and integrated payment infrastructure.
Why this matters: Vietnam’s video game market generated nearly $700 million in 2025 across all platforms, with nearly 60 million players in the country. Regulatory compliance and payments localization remain two of the biggest friction points when entering Vietnam, and Xsolla is looking to create a single solution for global developers looking to enter the market. The platform supports at least five major local payment methods, including MoMo, ZaloPay, and Napas, alongside localized customer support and optimized revenue-sharing structures. Monetization is a key factor in how video game publishers and developers generate revenue. Niko Partners co-published a white paper with Xsolla exploring the monetization landscape in MENA.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
Indonesia launches DARA platform to address youth gaming addiction
The Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) has launched Digital Addiction Response Assistance (DARA), a platform aimed at preventing and managing gaming addiction among children. The ministry stated that while the government supports game industry’s growth, it must also mitigate associated risks, noting that 33–39% of Indonesian high school students exhibit moderate to severe gaming addiction. Through its website, DARA provides educational materials on gaming, including the Indonesia Game Rating System (IGRS), and guidance on addressing addiction.
Why this matters: Indonesia’s launch of the DARA platform signals growing regulatory attention to youth gaming behavior in Southeast Asia, highlighting new expectations for safer digital ecosystems. The initiative may also encourage developers and platforms to incorporate more responsible‑gaming tools to prevent gaming addiction.
Genshin Impact adds voice chat for first time
Genshin Impact added a native voice chat system on February 25 as part of its Luna V update, introducing multiple communication modules including Lobby, Party, Room, and In-Match voice channels. The feature is designed to streamline team coordination and improve cooperative gameplay. Previously, players relied heavily on text chat or third-party voice tools, which created friction, especially on mobile devices where text input occupied significant screen space and disrupted gameplay flow. However, the update has also triggered debate due to language in the game’s privacy policy stating that voice communications may be used to train AI models.
Why this matters: While players can opt out of such data usage, the clause has generated community concern around data privacy and transparency. It’s likely that the training refers to moderation, voice recognition optimization, or safety systems rather than character voice synthesis, but the ambiguity has fueled backlash from certain player segments. From a strategic perspective, the introduction of native voice chat reflects miHoYo’s continued investment in deepening social infrastructure within its flagship live-service title. As cross-platform play between PC, console, and mobile becomes standard, integrated communication tools are increasingly expected in large-scale RPG ecosystems.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
AI is no match for Niko’s on-the-ground analysts and data gathering methods.
Japan’s HUNTER×HUNTER NEN×SURVIVOR reaches 1.7 million global downloads
Bushiroad Inc. and WonderPlanet Inc. announced that their jointly developed mobile game HUNTER×HUNTER NEN×SURVIVOR has exceeded 1.7 million downloads worldwide within a week of its February 18, 2026 release. The action-survival title targets the global HUNTER×HUNTER fanbase, which have seen the total comic series sales, including digital editions, surpassing 84 million.
Why this matters: The rapid early adoption highlights the continued strength of major manga IP in driving mobile game traction in Japan and globally. This level of engagement may signal further opportunities for cross-media expansions and live service monetization tied to legacy franchises.
Link to original article (Japanese) →
Unity considering sale of its China business
Unity Technologies is reportedly exploring a potential sale of its China operations at a valuation exceeding $1 billion, signaling a significant strategic pivot in one of the world’s largest game development markets. Unity has held a dominant position in China since entering in 2012, with major titles such as Honor of Kings built on its game engine. The company’s China operations are estimated to generate annual revenue in the hundreds of millions of dollars. As of mid-2025, Unity China reported 4.5 million cumulative registered developers.
Why this matters: Unity China was formally established as a joint venture in 2022, backed by prominent investors including Alibaba Group, China Mobile, miHoYo, and ByteDance. The China Edition of the Unity Engine operates separately from the global version, tailored to local regulatory and ecosystem requirements. Operationally, Unity China’s Create business, its engine licensing segment, grew nearly 50% YoY in 2025. A potential divestiture would reshape the competitive landscape for game engines in China, potentially creating greater localization autonomy or altering governance structures.
RELATED: Unity Asset Store will no longer list content from Greater China publishers
Unity has announced that assets created by publishers based in China, Hong Kong, and Macau will be removed from the Global Unity Asset Store starting March 31, 2026. The decision follows updated regional licensing, distribution, and compliance requirements affecting publishers in the Greater China region. The move follows the removal of the Unity 6 game engine from the region last year, with a customized Unity Engine created for the China market taking its place. The delisting of assets represents a further decoupling between Unity’s global infrastructure and its China-specific development environment.
Why this Matters: While users will no longer be able buy assets from Chinese publishers, they will still be able to download them. For the industry, this change has significant implications for cross-border development workflows. Chinese developers will increasingly rely on localized marketplaces and toolchains rather than Unity’s global ecosystem, potentially fragmenting asset distribution and collaboration pipelines. For Unity, the move reflects the growing complexity of operating global developer platforms under divergent regulatory and licensing environments.
Mid-sized Korean game developers face early closures and restructuring amid market slowdowns
Several Korean small and mid-sized game developers have implemented restructuring measures or early service terminations amid reduced startup investment and competition in the mobile game market. Notable cases include layoffs at Clover Games after the underperforming launch of its RPG HEAVENHELLS, Webzen’s suspension of operations for Dragon Sword following a dispute over unpaid advance payments, JoyCity’s reduced staffing for STARSEED: Asnia Trigger, and service termination for Kakao Games’ published game Goddess Order as the game’s developer, PixelTribe, entered bankruptcy proceedings.
Why this matters: As investment contracted following the pandemic period, unsuccessful launches increasingly led to studio level financial distress. Furthermore, hiring in development and art roles has also slowed amid the adoption of AI tools.
Link to original article (Korean) →
My Garden World tops WeChat Mini Game charts during CNY
My Garden World, developed by Xiamen Linbei Interactive, surged to number one on the WeChat Mini Game grossing chart starting Chinese New Year’s Eve (February 16) and has maintained the top position throughout the Spring Festival holiday. My Garden World centers on casual gameplay, flower cultivation and shop management, featuring daily planting, watering, harvesting, and order fulfillment mechanics with a soft, therapeutic art style. The game initially launched as an app in August 2025 with modest results. Its initial inflection point came after the September launch of a WeChat Mini Game version, combined with a National Day campaign offering real-world flower bouquets as rewards, which pushed it into the Mini Game top five.
Why this matters: The performance is notable given that the WeChat Mini Game rankings have more recently been dominated by large publishers and core genres such as strategy, MMO, and simulation, with midcore strategy game Whiteout Survival from Century Huatong being a long-standing success on the platform. While flower shop simulation is not a novel concept, the title differentiated itself by explicitly targeting female users. Low-cost micro-lottery events priced at RMB 3 per draw offered practical in-game rewards, broadening participation across spending tiers. Female-oriented Mini Games remain underrepresented in the top ranks despite clear demand signals.
Link to original article (Chinese) →
Events
GDC Festival of Gaming
March 9-13, 2026
San Francisco, USA
Attendees: Lisa Hanson, Alexander Champlin
India Gaming Show
April 17-19, 2026
Chennai, India
Attendee: Narinder Kapur
GamesBeat Summit
May 18-19, 2026
Los Angeles, USA
Speaker: Lisa Hanson