The Asia and MENA regions generated $88.9 billion in gaming revenue in 2025, with Niko Partners forecasting that figure to climb to $103.6 billion by 2028 across 13 tracked markets — a roughly 16.5% rise over the projected window.

The figures, drawn from Niko Partners' annual Asia and MENA Market Model, rest on a March 2026 survey of more than 11,000 players. The data arrives as a counterweight to softer conditions in North American and European video games markets.

Where does the growth come from?

China, Japan, and Korea remain the regional anchor, accounting for $91.7 billion, or 88.6% of player spending across the 13 countries. Niko Partners CEO Lisa Hanson described those three as the regions' "most mature markets."

India supplies the volume. The country surpassed 500 million players in 2025 and is expected to exceed $1.8 billion in revenue by 2030, with player spending compounding at an 11.2% five-year CAGR. Southeast Asia supplies the velocity: Thailand is forecast to reach $2 billion in player spending by 2027, with Indonesia on track to cross $1.5 billion by 2030.

For the MENA-3 (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates), Niko Partners projects player spending of $3 billion in 2030, with annual average revenue per user expected to climb by $10 over the five-year window.

What changes for studios and publishers?

Hanson framed the growth as a function of localisation discipline rather than market gravity. "These regions continue to benefit from expanding player bases and multi-dimensional growth in game development and player spending, particularly when global developers and publishers localise games, marketing, and payments in response to local demand," she said.

Studios chasing that growth will need to localise payment rails, marketing creative, and content calendars to regional habits. India's 11.2% CAGR keeps free-to-play mobile at the centre of the entry point, while Japan's mature console base continues to reward premium and hybrid monetization for studios with established IP.

Why is a Bungie co-founder launching a transmedia studio?

In a separate announcement, Bungie co-founder Jason Jones and Destiny 2 narrative director Margaret Stohl launched Stone Kite, a Los Angeles-based studio described as a "world-building" operation.

Stone Kite debuts with One Zero One, a four-part comic book series adapted from an original Jones manuscript about "a coming worldwide conflict between humanity and a rogue army of AI-driven robotic soldiers."

New issues will publish online for free in early 2027, with additional media projects to follow. Stohl serves as CEO. The founding team includes former media SVP Stephen Wacker, president Lewis Peterson, film and TV VP Matt Johnson, and narrative creative director Jeanine Schaefer.

Stone Kite is collaborating with more than 250 creators, including director Jay Roach, comic artist Christian Ward, illustrator Kyle Lambert, author Stephen Graham Jones, and screenwriter Akela Cooper.

Stohl, who co-founded 7 Studios (later acquired by Activision) and authored the Beautiful Creatures YA series, positioned the studio as an explicit break from film-led IP development.

"I've spent my career creating books, games, comics, film and television, and I've seen how often the medium that tells the first story ends up defining everything that comes after it," she said. "Stone Kite is about breaking down those old media silos."

Jones added a personal note on the partnership. "Margie was the first person to believe I could write a book of my own, the first person to read it, and the one person I trusted to help me develop it into epic entertainment that leaves the world a better place," he said.

For studios, Stone Kite signals continued interest from senior Bungie alumni in IP incubation outside the publisher system — a pattern that could surface fresh licensing targets for developers through 2027.

The next market signal worth tracking is Niko Partners' 2027 update, which will measure whether India's player spending holds its 11.2% CAGR trajectory and whether Thailand reaches its projected $2 billion threshold on schedule.