Aidian Evermerge Partnership
Aidian Network Announces Strategic Partnership with Big Fish Games' EverMerge
New partnership will enchant players by bringing the magic of EverMerge to China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan
Dungeon Driver
Nexon’s revenue surpasses $780m this Q1 as Dungeon & Fighter Mobile China drives 60% franchise growth
The developer’s operating income increased by 43% YoY, though quarterly profit fell by 27%
Tarrifs
US and China agree to cut tariffs for 90 Days as Trump admin rolls back on trade war
President Trump claimed a "total reset with China" following the tariff reduction deal
Mobile Milestone
Delta Force Mobile surpasses 10m downloads in first four days
Tencent’s Team Jade is adding celebratory Burst Fest content including 21 free vehicle appearances
Valorant Mobile
Riot Games’ Valorant Mobile set for China launch
Hero shooter coming to global markets at a later date
Upcoming Release
Final Fantasy XIV Mobile could be launching August 29th
The mobile adaptation is listed on the Chinese App Store for a launch this summer
Unity China
Unity 6 pulled from China in favour of localised engine
Change aligns with Unity's strategy to comply with local regulations
Pgc Summit Shanghai
Connect with the world's biggest games market at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai
West meets East through a little PGC magic before the wonderful madness of ChinaJoy
New Offerings
Wuhan opens first mini-game incubation base in China
Tencent, AWS and others have reportedly signed on to launch operations at the new base
China Launch
Supercell’s Squad Busters is heading to China
App Store sets April 22nd release date with Tencent set to publish title
Pgc Shanghai
Save the date: PG Connects international event series expands with Shanghai Summit
All- new one-day conference for the global games industry lands in Asia this July 30
Shares Synchrony
Trump tariffs hit Japanese games companies as shares in Nintendo, Sony, DeNA and Capcom fall
US president Donald Trump’s latest 20% tariff on Chinese imports to the US appear to be having a knock-on effect on shareholders’ confidence in Japanese game makers
New Deal
Blizzard grants NetEase greater decision-making power over its games in China
Renewed partnership could lead to China-exclusive content like culturally inspired skins
New Approvals
China approves 110 new games including Plants vs. Zombies 3
The latest game approvals include 107 domestic titles and three foreign games
China Regulations
Shanghai unveils new online game policies to ease licensing challenges
The city also introduced the Shanghai Online Game Publishing Application Service Platform
New Partnerships
The9 and Qing Cheng partner to dominate China’s lower-tier mobile games market
The9 will hold a 51% stake in the joint venture while Qing Cheng will own 49%.
Mobile Growth
Bilibili's mobile game revenue soars 79% in Q4 sparking company's first-ever profitable quarter
2024 release San Guo: Mou Ding Tian Xia leads the charge in growing games business
Earnings Report
Nexon reports record 2024 $2.97bn revenue in 2024 as Dungeon & Fighter Mobile drives growth
It saw success in three main franchises in 2024 including MapleStory, Dungeon & Fighter, and FC
Esports World Cup
Esports World Cup Foundation partners with Tencent for China expansion
A ''development team'' will also be formed to increase esports engagement and industry collaboration in China
New Approvals
China approves 136 new games including Tencent’s upcoming Honour of Kings: World
The latest game approvals include 123 domestic titles and 13 foreign games
Week In Views
China-US political tensions, and Pokémon TCG Pocket surpasses $400m | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Finance And Fashion
Infinity Nikki styles up $16 million in launch month on mobile
The fifth entry in the Nikki series has far exceeded its predecessors in launch month revenue
Tencent Trouble
Tencent shares fall as US designates publisher a Chinese military company
134 companies were named in this year's listing
Best Of 2024
Isa Muhammad's top stories of 2024: Nazara's $100m M&A push, Gamathon 24, MENA's gaming boom, and China's license rebound
PocketGamer.biz MENA reporter Isa Muhammad highlights some of the top stories of 2024
M&a
Scopely acquires Perfect World's Chengfeng Studio in $34.5m deal
Monopoly Go developer expands into China
Top Charts
The top grossing mobile games of 2024
Analysis of the highest revenue-generating mobile titles of the year
Afk Acceleration
The nuance of a successful sequel: Balancing familiarity and refreshing experiences in AFK Journey
We spoke with AFK Journey executive producer Jiangyuan about design philosophy, player feedback and more
Infold Income
Infinity Nikki is series’ strongest launch with $4m in four days on mobile
It has been outperformed by Infold Games’ other 2024 title, Love and Deepspace
Resilient Growth
Apple's App Store ecosystem in China hits $519 billion in developer sales
Developers kept over 95% of the revenue without paying commissions
Spending Success
Dungeon & Fighter: Mobile smashes $1bn in six months in China
Nexon’s beat 'em up has hit the mighty $1 billion mark solely in iOS player spending in China
Job Losses
Report: Lilith Games cuts 40 staff as Project Party undergoes changes
Title has not been cancelled, according to reports
Acqusitions
Tencent acquires majority stake in Wuthering Waves developer Kuro Games
Studio claims it will remain independent following the deal
Revenue Result
Reverse: 1999 celebrates first anniversary in the West with $100m on the horizon
The time travel title celebrated one year since global launch on October 26th
New Approvals
China approves 128 new games including Supercell's Squad Busters
China has consistently approved over 100 domestic video games each month, while foreign game approvals occur approximately every two months
Earnings Impact
Niko Partners: Genshin Impact surpasses $5 billion on mobile in China
HoYoverse’s flagship is projected to reach $10 billion on mobile globally next year
In The Zone
Zenless Zone Zero surpasses $150 million, but it’s no Genshin Impact…
HoYoverse’s latest RPG has achieved a mighty milestone but much slower to the mark than its forebears
Lots Of Licences
Chinese licence approvals on track to surpass 2023 with 109 domestic games approved this September
An average of 107 domestic games are being approved every month in 2024
Top Grosser
Dungeon & Fighter: Mobile surpasses $800 million in four months
The beat ‘em up made almost $10 million in a single day this June
Afk In Asia
AFK Journey surpasses $150 million with Asian market dominance
Chinese players contribute 22% of AFK Journey’s revenue despite being late to the starting line
Mini Games Big Numbers
Behind the scenes of WeChat Minigames and how it has generated $2.3 billion in the first half of 2024
Jakub Remiar shares insight into the current state of WeChat Minigames and its prominence in the Chinese mobile market
Lawsuit Triumph
The Pokémon Company wins $15 million in lawsuit over copyright infringement
Pocket Monster Reissue had infringed company's copyright by using Ash Ketchum and Pikachu in the game
New Approvals
China licences 117 new games for domestic release bringing this year's approvals to 850 titles
The NPPA has now licensed 850 domestic video game titles in the first eight months of 2024
Enter Mobile
Bullet hell roguelike Enter the Gungeon heads to mobile in China
X.D. Network set to publish title in the country, over eight years after it was first released
Apple Vs Android
Mobile games revenue growth is at a snail’s pace on Apple as Android closes the gap
Android users spent $10 billion on mobile games in H1 2024, versus $13.8 billion on Apple
New Approvals
China approves 15 import games, delivering a total of 76 import approvals in 2024
Nintendo secured approvals for Mario Golf: Super Rush and Paper Mario: The Origami King
Adapt And Approve
Square Enix and Tencent to team up on mobile game based on Final Fantasy XIV
Full details on the new game have yet to be revealed by either company, but a Chinese licence approval suggests the game is in development
Major Milestone
NetEase’s Blood Strike rockets to 50 million installs in less than a year
The milestone was reached within nine months of official release in Southeast Asia
Growing Chinese Games Overseas
SocialPeta Partnered with Liftoff to Release the Guide to Growing Chinese Gaming Apps Overseas
SocialPeta and Liftoff, have jointly released the report 'Guide to Growing Chinese Gaming Apps Overseas' based upon 133 billion ad impressions, 7.9 billion clicks, and 18 million installs gathered in 2023-24
Hot Five
Hot Five: HoYoverse’s next game, Monster Hunter Now’s multiplayer mindset, and three years of Pokémon Unite
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
China Expansion
Xsolla opens new Beijing office
Company says move signifies “renewed commitment” to the region