Recap of the Week

• This week’s charts mark the steady rise of familiar MOBA and FPS titles, along with the appearance of new entrants and the return of action game groups.
• Vietnam will officially host the first season of the SEA Esports Nations Cup 2026 at the Vietnam GameVerse event, reinforcing its capacity to host international-scale tournaments.
• The game Crane Saga by Pearl Bamboo Studio is attracting positive attention from the international community thanks to its relaxing gameplay and message of spreading peace and humanity.
• The Government has just issued Decree 86/2026/NĐ-CP with stricter standards on personnel, infrastructure, and finance for the business of prize-winning video games intended for foreigners.

Market & Game Performance

Dynamic Rankings: The Rise of Three Kingdoms Strategy Games

This week’s Appmagic data shows that the mobile game market in Vietnam is witnessing intensified competition in the strategy segment (4X Strategy/Team Battler), alongside the strong return of familiar MOBA and FPS titles.

Rank Spike: Games with Significant Rank Increase

During the week, many titles recorded an increase of 10 or more ranks compared to the previous week. Highlights include:

• Phong Hầu Tam Quốc (Three Kingdoms): A breakout rise of 44 ranks. Although only released in February 2026, this title is showing good momentum in attracting players.
• Tam Quốc Chí-Chiến Lược (Three Kingdoms Strategy): Increased by 39 ranks.
• Ta Là Quan Lão Gia (I Am the Mandarin): Increased by 24 ranks.
• Siêu Hải Tặc (Super Pirate): Increased by 11 ranks – this new team battler game, released in mid-March 2026, is making steady progress.
• LMHT: Tốc Chiến (League of Legends: Wild Rift): Increased by 11 ranks.
• Crossfire: Legends: Increased by 10 ranks.

Revenue Spike: Games with Dramatic Revenue Growth

Alongside ranking performance, the revenue of several games also saw growth exceeding 100% compared to the previous week:

• Phong Hầu Tam Quốc: Revenue growth of 110.50%.
• Tam Quốc Chí-Chiến Lược: Revenue growth of 117.63%.
• LMHT: Tốc Chiến: Revenue growth of 101.60%.

The most notable trend this past week is the revenue growth of the two representatives of the Three Kingdoms strategy game genre, stemming from the effective combination of content update strategy and timely execution.

Specifically, with Phong Hầu Tam Quốc, the publisher created strong momentum by opening a new server (V0) and releasing an update on April 09, 2026, to welcome both new and returning players. Accompanying this was a strong user acquisition (UA) campaign on the Fanpage and a large-scale giftcode event (offering 5-star Hero Fragments, Gold) on news sites starting from April 07. The giveaway not only created a positive sentiment but also stimulated players to top up to take advantage of the “Gold Spending” event or hunt for new heroes, directly pushing both rankings and revenue to skyrocket [1].

Similarly, Tam Quốc Chí – Chiến Lược recorded a revenue breakthrough of over 117% thanks to the server maintenance (April 08) to launch a new season on April 09. In the 4X Strategy genre, a new season is always the most important reset point, accompanied by a series of welfare events, new tactics, and manuals (such as Strategy & Counter-espionage). The psychology of wanting to gain an advantage right from the start of the season has prompted the gaming community to spend heavily to gain a competitive edge [2]. This trend is clearly reflected in the illustrative chart, where revenue began to spike significantly after the server maintenance event.

The simultaneous surge of these two games is not only the result of appropriate operational strategies (focusing on updates/server openings falling exactly in the middle of the week, April 08-09). It also reflects a reality: The Three Kingdoms strategy game genre in Vietnam still has a loyal player base, ready to spend whenever there are major events (especially releasing new heroes, racing for top rankings, or opening a new season).

Recent Release & Back-to-top: New Entrants and Return to the Charts

This week’s chart also features new titles entering the Top 50 that were absent last week:

• Ballistic Hero VNG (Back-to-top): Marks a return to the revenue race after a period of absence.
• Cơ Giới Chiến: War Robots (Recent release – War Robots): A new game launched within the past 3 months has entered the charts, showing positive signs in early-stage user acquisition (UA).

The presence of these two titles enriches the competitive landscape of the market, reflecting that the action/shooter game genre maintains stable appeal within the gaming community.

Esports & Community

Vietnam Officially Hosts the SEA Esports Nations Cup 2026

Source: Sports Authority of Vietnam

According to information from the Vietnam Recreational E-sports Association (VIRESA), Vietnam will be the host country for the first season of the SEA Esports Nations Cup (SNC) in Ho Chi Minh City on May 8-9, 2026, as part of the Vietnam GameVerse 2026 event. The tournament includes 5 disciplines with 9 medal events (PUBG Mobile, Teamfight Tactics, Crossfire Legends, Total Football, and Audition). A unique feature of the SNC is that the tournament is built directly from the contributions of member federations in the region. Hosting the SNC not only affirms Vietnam’s organizational capacity but also marks a turning point to standardize the competition system, creating a “backbone” to connect and elevate Southeast Asian Esports on the global map [3].

Industry & Business Developments

Crane Saga – A Vietnamese Game with a Global Peace Message Goes Viral

Source: EsportsFan (Vnexpress)

Pearl Bamboo Studio, a non-profit developer in Nha Trang, is attracting significant attention from the international community with its game project, Crane Saga – Fly For Peace. The game features a “chill” gameplay style, where players control the Golden Crane flying over 195 countries to spread the message of peace and collect “Letters of Peace.” The game is currently viral and receiving positive feedback in countries like Brazil. Notably, the development team plans to use data from this game to compile a petition for the Nobel Peace Prize nomination. The initial success of Crane Saga demonstrates that Vietnamese Studios can achieve global resonance through niche products rich in humanistic values and positive social impact [4].

Policy & Infrastructure

Government Issues New Regulations on Prize-Winning Video Games

Source: Vietnam Law & Legal Forum

The Government has just issued Decree 86/2026/NĐ-CP (effective from May 15, 2026) to adjust and supplement regulations on the business of prize-winning video games intended for foreigners. The Decree sets stricter requirements for managers and operators, mandating a university degree or higher and at least 3 years of experience in the industry. For license renewal, enterprises must meet the standards of a 5-star tourist accommodation facility and maintain a minimum chartered capital of 500 billion VND. The elevation of these legal, personnel, and financial standards indicates a strong move by the Government to transparently and professionalize prize-winning entertainment activities involving foreign players in Vietnam [5].

References

1. Phong Hầu Tam Quốc. (2026, April 9). Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CEcAWTtTU/
2. Tam Quốc Chí – Chiến Lược. (2026, April 7). Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18YS45bhXc/
3. Hương, T. N. (2026, April 3). Sea Esports Nations Cup 2026: Khẳng định vị thế thể thao điện tử Đông Nam Á. Cục Thể dục Thể thao Việt Nam. https://tdtt.gov.vn/chi-dao-dieu-hanh/hoat-dong-nganh/id/94294/sea-esports-nations-cup-2026-khang-dinh-vi-the-the-thao-dien-tu-dong-nam-a
4. EsportsFan. (2026, April 10). Tựa game “made in Vietnam” đưa cánh chim hạc bay qua 195 quốc gia. EsportsFan.net. https://esportsfan.net/tua-game-made-in-vietnam-dua-canh-chim-hac-bay-qua-195-quoc-gia-5060799.html
5. Vietnam Law & Legal Forum. (2026, April 10). New rules for operators of prize-winning video games. Vietnam Law Magazine. https://vietnamlawmagazine.vn/new-rules-for-operators-of-prize-winning-video-games-79177.html