Recap of the Week
- The Vietnam GameVerse 2026 event grandly opened in Ho Chi Minh City with a record scale of approximately 60,000 visitors, strongly promoting the message “Do Local, Go Global”.
- Vietnam officially signed on to become the annual host country for the Southeast Asian national tournament – SEA Esports Nations Cup (SNC).
- The game payment market welcomed a historic turning point as the giant Xsolla acquired shares in Wetaps Corporation, launching the first licensed Merchant of Record (MoR) solution in Vietnam.
- The revenue rankings witnessed the excellent comeback of Zenless Zone Zero-Gamota and the resilience of veteran products returning to the Top 50.
Market & Game Performance
Dynamic ranking: The Back-to-Top segment dominates the revenue charts with Zenless Zone Zero’s breakthrough performance
AppMagic data this week shows that the Vietnamese mobile game market in Week 19 (May 4–10, 2026) did not record any newly launched titles (released within the past three months) entering the Top 50 revenue chart. Instead, revenue shifted strongly toward stable, long-running products and titles that returned to the rankings (Back-to-Top), most notably RPG and strategy games.
Rank Spike: Notable Ranking Climbers
Zenless Zone Zero-Gamota (Action RPG) surged 74 positions to #42, with estimated revenue reaching $18,074. The direct driver was the release of the major Version 2.8 update, “New: Eridu at Dusk,” which went live on May 6, 2026, right at the beginning of the observation week.
The daily revenue chart shows that May 6 recorded the week’s highest peak, nearly doubling from May 5, before stabilizing at around $2,800 to $3,000 in the following days. This is a classic update-week revenue spike seen in major gacha titles, where player spending concentrates most heavily at the moment a new patch goes live.
The main spending catalyst came from Version 2.8 introducing two brand-new S-Rank characters making their first in-game appearance: Promeia (Ice Anomaly) and Starlight Billy (Physical Rupture), triggering strong FOMO in the community.
In addition, this update serves as the climax of Season 2, with the storyline reaching a peak around the pursuit of the mysterious character Ramiel, pulling players back in to complete the content. A new skin for Hoshimi Miyabi was also released at the same time, adding another direct revenue stream.
Another notable amplifying factor was the generous login reward system in the new patch. Players could receive up to 10 free pulls simply by logging in, helping draw back a large number of returning users and expanding the active player base, which in turn boosted monetization conversion.
New Entrant: Several New Titles Appear in This Week’s Top 50 Revenue
This week’s Top 50 revenue ranking did not record any new products (released in under 3 months) entering the top. Besides Zenless Zone Zero-Gamota, this week’s Top 50 revenue chart welcomed the return of veteran titles after a period of absence:
- Arrow Feather Pursuit (Idle RPG) returned to the chart at position #48 with revenue reaching $15,545 (Launch Date: 20/12/2025).
- Tam Quốc Chí-Chiến Lược (4X Strategy) returned to the chart at position #50 with revenue reaching $14,999 (Launch Date: 27/11/2022).
The fact that the veteran title Tam Quốc Chí-Chiến Lược (operating since 2022) continues to re-enter the Top 50 shows that the Vietnamese market still has an exceptionally loyal core player base for deep strategy gameplay and Three Kingdoms-themed content, enabling stable recurring revenue through periodic arena competitions.
Esports & Community
Vietnam Signs Agreement to Annually Host the SEA Esports Nations Cup (SNC) Tournament
Source: Nhân Dân
Also during the opening day of Vietnam GameVerse 2026 (May 8), the Southeast Asia Esports Federation (SEAEF), the Vietnam GameVerse organizing committee, and VNGGames officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement. Under this agreement, Vietnam will become the annual host nation of the SEA Esports Nations Cup (SNC) starting in 2026. The tournament brings together national teams from 11 Southeast Asian countries and is designed and operated according to the professional model of traditional sporting events.
Securing the right to host the SNC annually is an important step in positioning Vietnam as the esports capital of Southeast Asia, creating a sustainable infrastructure foundation for the professional development of esports through a national model.
Vietnam GameVerse 2026 Kicks Off with “Do Local, Go Global” Theme on a Record Scale
Source: VietNamNet
On May 8, 2026, Vietnam GameVerse 2026, the largest annual event in Vietnam’s game industry, officially opened. Now in its fourth year and adopting a ticketed format for the first time, the event is expected to attract around 60,000 visitors, along with the participation of many major partners from South Korea, China, Japan, and the United States. Notably, global technology and publishing groups such as Google, Meta, ByteDance, Roblox, and Riot Games all sent representatives.
With the theme “Do Local, Go Global,” GameVerse 2026 is no longer just a gaming community festival; it has truly become a strategic forum that connects local studios with international technology and financial resources to accelerate the export of Vietnamese games to global markets.
Industry & Business Developments
YeaH1 Launches 1Game, Targeting the Entertainment Segment for Female Users
Source: Van hoa
As part of Vietnam GameVerse 2026, 1Game, a unit within the YeaH1 ecosystem, officially announced its entry into the Vietnamese game market and signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with international partner KaKaCode. Under the agreement, KaKaCode will become 1Game’s strategic partner in developing merchandise ecosystems and derivative products based on international game IPs.
1Game is focusing on the “SHEplay” segment under an “Entertainment-led Gaming” orientation, aiming to build an entertainment ecosystem dedicated to female users — a segment still considered to have significant room for growth in Vietnam. The company expects to leverage YeaH1’s media ecosystem to reach young audiences, while also extending international IPs beyond the digital environment and turning them into part of users’ lifestyles through exclusive merchandise and derivative IP products.
Policy & Infrastructure
Xsolla Acquires Shares in Wetaps Corp, Officially Launching the First Merchant of Record (MoR) Solution in Vietnam
Source: Xsolla & Antara News
Global game payment technology group Xsolla (headquartered in Los Angeles) has signed an agreement to acquire a stake in Wetaps Corporation (headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City). Through this transaction, Xsolla officially becomes the first licensed Merchant of Record (MoR) solution provider for the game sector in Vietnam. Xsolla introduced the service at Xsolla Connect during GameVerse, supporting more than five popular local payment methods such as MoMo, ZaloPay, and Napas domestic cards.
This solution helps international developers enter the Vietnamese market more quickly by integrating payment processing, legal compliance, and publishing approval workflows at the same time. It is a major infrastructure breakthrough that removes one of the biggest bottlenecks for foreign publishers entering Vietnam, enabling more transparent cash flow and more efficient profit optimization.
References
- VietNamNet. (2026, May 8). Vietnam GameVerse 2026 aims to elevate local gaming industry globally. VietNamNet
- Nhan Dan. (2026, May 8). Viet Nam to host annual Southeast Asian Esports Nations Cup from 2026. Nhân Dân
- VietNamNet. (2026, May 9). Vietnam’s gaming industry levels up with global ambitions. VietNamNet
- Xsolla. (2026, May). Xsolla Expands Into Vietnam, Acquires Wetaps Corporation. Xsolla & Antara News. (2026, May). Xsolla to showcase global commerce platform and expanded Vietnam presence at Vietnam Gameverse 2026. Antara News
- Van hoa (2026, May). YeaH1 ra mắt 1Game, phát triển sản phẩm giải trí cho phái nữ. Van hoa
