Goddess of Victory: Nikke Leads as China Approves 128 Video Games in October

The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) has granted approval for 128 new video games in China this October. This includes the highly anticipated Goddess of Victory: Nikke, backed by Tencent Holdings. Tencent, holding a 35% stake in the South Korean-developed game by Shift Up, signals a significant victory for the company amid a resurgence in the domestic gaming market.

In this approval batch, 113 domestically developed titles and 15 imported titles were greenlit. The Goddess of Victory: New Hope, a domestic version of Goddess of Victory: Nikke, will be co-published by Tencent and Migu Fun, contributing to a promising lineup of releases.

Significance of Recent Approvals for Tencent and the Gaming Industry

Shenzhen-based Tencent is the domestic distributor for another notable inclusion, Squad Busters, a mobile action title developed by Finnish firm Supercell.

The NPPA's approval pace, maintaining over 100 titles monthly this year, reflects government efforts to rejuvenate the video gaming industry after a tough period post-2021 crackdown. The substantial approvals follow the blockbuster success of Black Myth: Wukong, perceived as China's first AAA game, which has gained a passionate following and recorded sales exceeding 21.5 million units via Steam. This title has considerably enhanced the global visibility of China’s $45 billion gaming sector.

Market Dynamics and Future Prospects

With gaming sales rising 8.95% annually to 91.8 billion yuan in Q3, as noted by the Gaming Publishing Committee of the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, the future outlook for both Tencent and the wider industry appears promising.