Recap of the Week

Genshin Impact – Funtap stood out in Vietnam’s Top 50 mobile game revenue ranking, climbing 25 places to #15 while revenue rose 110.65% from the previous week. The surge coincided with the launch of Version 7.0, Everwinter Without Mercy, on August 12.
Vietnam’s market welcomed several new games in mid-August, ranging from survival title Đảo Sinh Tồn 3D to the martial arts and cultivation-themed RPGs Giang Hồ Trong Tay and Tiên Nghịch: Tân Tình Kiếm.
Team Flash finished the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2026 in 7th place overall, earning USD 137,500 in prize money and extending Vietnam’s presence on the international esports stage.
Vietnam’s gaming and grassroots esports ecosystem continued to expand as Đại Chiến HighSchool Toàn Quốc 2026 entered its competition stage, while Lion Game Jam 2026 recognized Skybull Studio, AMZG Studio, and Hiker Games.
The proposed Law on Cultural Industry Development moved through a series of consultations during the week, while the Government agreed to submit a proposal to the National Assembly Standing Committee to add the bill to the National Assembly’s 2026 legislative programme. This marks another step in developing a policy framework for creative industries, including software and entertainment games.

Market & Game Performance

Dynamic ranking: Genshin Impact climbs 25 places as revenue rises more than 110%

AppMagic data this week shows a notable surge for Genshin Impact – Funtap in Vietnam’s Top 50 mobile game revenue ranking. The title climbed 25 places to #15 while more than doubling its revenue from the previous week. Call of Dragons – Funtap and Pets Harbor: Merge & Restore also posted significant ranking gains. [1]

Rank Spike: Three titles record significant ranking gains

Three games climbed by at least 10 positions compared with the previous week:

Genshin Impact – Funtap rose 25 places to #15, with estimated revenue of around USD 31,134.
Call of Dragons – Funtap rose 13 places to #44, with estimated revenue of around USD 13,835.
Pets Harbor: Merge & Restore rose 32 places to #50, with estimated revenue of around USD 11,219. [1]

Among them, Genshin Impact – Funtap recorded the strongest overall movement, rising from #40 to #15 while revenue increased from approximately USD 14,780 to USD 31,134, equivalent to 110.65% in just one week. [1]

Revenue Spike: Genshin Impact revenue rises 110.65%

Genshin Impact – Funtap was the only title in this week’s Top 50 to more than double its revenue from the previous week, rising from approximately USD 14,780 to USD 31,134. [1]

The increase coincided with HoYoverse launching the major Version 7.0 – Everwinter Without Mercy update on August 12. The update expanded content in Snezhnaya and introduced the new 5-star character Odette, alongside other additions included in the new version. [2]

Odette’s limited character banner also became available as soon as the update went live. Introducing a new 5-star character alongside a major content expansion gave players another reason to return while creating a direct monetization opportunity through the game’s gacha system. [3]

HoYoverse also rolled out additional activities around the update, including web events and community content tied to Snezhnaya. Launching several touchpoints at the same time may have helped sustain attention around the new version during its opening days.

The timing between the update and the sharp revenue increase suggests that Version 7.0 was likely an important driver behind Genshin Impact’s performance this week. The case once again shows how a major update can have a stronger impact when new gameplay content, limited characters, and community activities are launched together.

Back-to-top: Three titles return to the Top 50

Three games returned to the Top 50 after ranking outside it in the previous week:

Call of Dragons – Funtap, at #44, with revenue of around USD 13,835.
Cơ Giáp Vô Hạn – Gamota, at #47, with revenue of around USD 13,091.
Pets Harbor: Merge & Restore, at #50, with revenue of around USD 11,219. [1]

Among them, Pets Harbor: Merge & Restore climbed 32 places to re-enter the Top 50 at #50, while Call of Dragons – Funtap rose 13 places to return at #44.

The return of titles across 4X Strategy, Roguelike, and Merge shows that revenue reactivation this week was not concentrated in a single genre. New content and the way each game continues to engage its community remain important factors in bringing players back.

New Releases & Major Updates: Vietnam welcomes more new games in mid-August

Đảo Sinh Tồn 3D, Giang Hồ Trong Tay, and Tiên Nghịch: Tân Tình Kiếm open in Vietnam

From August 10–16, Vietnam saw several new launches and testing phases. Đảo Sinh Tồn 3D entered OBT on August 10, Giang Hồ Trong Tay officially launched on August 13, while Tiên Nghịch: Tân Tình Kiếm opened CBT on August 14. [4][5][6]

Đảo Sinh Tồn 3D is built around a survival loop on a deserted island, where players gather resources, craft items, build shelters, and gradually expand the areas they can explore. This offers a relatively different gameplay direction from the Eastern-themed RPGs that frequently appear in Vietnam’s release pipeline. [4]

Meanwhile, Giang Hồ Trong Tay uses a martial arts setting with idle RPG mechanics, combining equipment development, hero collection, and familiar PvE/PvP activities. Tiên Nghịch: Tân Tình Kiếm also draws on cultivation themes, but places them in a modern urban setting and combines idle progression with combat content. [5][6]

The fact that two of the three notable releases this week still rely on martial arts or cultivation themes shows that familiar Eastern settings remain visible in Vietnam’s release calendar. However, as more games use similar character progression loops, differentiation in gameplay, presentation, and LiveOps will become increasingly important in sustaining attention beyond launch.

Esports & Community

Esports Highlights & Tournament Updates: Team Flash finishes Top 7 as school esports expands its reach

Team Flash finishes 7th at the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2026

Team Flash concluded the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2026 in 7th place overall. According to the official Esports World Cup standings, the Vietnamese team earned USD 137,500 in prize money along with 100 Club Championship points. [7]

The result followed a strong performance in the previous week, when Team Flash advanced through the Group Stage and qualified directly for the Grand Finals without having to play the Survival Stage.

Finishing in the Top 7 shows that the Vietnamese representative did more than simply reach the final stage; it was also able to compete against many of the world’s leading teams. This is a positive result for Vietnamese esports, although a gap remains with the teams competing directly for the championship, and longer-term competitiveness will be better assessed through performance across multiple international events.

The consistent presence of Vietnamese teams at major global mobile esports competitions also helps raise the country’s visibility while creating additional moments for domestic fans to follow and connect with local organizations.

Đại Chiến HighSchool Toàn Quốc 2026 enters its competition stage

On August 16, Đại Chiến HighSchool Toàn Quốc 2026 officially entered its competition stage in Hanoi. The nationwide Arena of Valor tournament is designed for high school students and offers a total prize pool of VND 130 million. [8]

The tournament is being held across multiple regions, providing another competitive platform outside the professional esports system. Bringing tournaments into schools allows Arena of Valor to reach younger players directly within local communities.

While international tournaments create visibility at the professional level, school-based competitions help broaden the grassroots foundation. For a competitive game with a long operating lifecycle, maintaining multiple levels of competition can strengthen engagement and provide a clearer pathway from casual participation to organized play.

Industry & Business Developments

Featured Vietnamese Studios: Lion Game Jam 2026 recognizes Vietnamese game development teams

On August 13, Lion Game Jam 2026 concluded with an awards and networking event in Hanoi. The program created a space for game development teams, mentors, publishers, and other members of the industry to connect. [9]

Three teams were recognized: Skybull Studio received the Innovation Reward, AMZG Studio received the Jury’s Pick, and Hiker Games received the Rookie Reward. [9]

Awards at a game jam are not enough to demonstrate the commercial potential of the games developed during the program. However, building prototypes within a limited timeframe allows teams to test ideas quickly, receive external feedback, and demonstrate their development capabilities to the wider industry.

For publishers and international partners looking for developers in Vietnam, programs such as Lion Game Jam also provide another channel for discovering emerging teams before they have a fully commercialized game. This could become an increasingly important part of Vietnam’s developer and talent pipeline as the local ecosystem continues to expand.

Policy & Infrastructure

Regulatory Developments & Compliance Updates: Cultural Industry Development Bill takes another step forward in the legislative process

During the week, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a series of consultation sessions on the proposed Law on Cultural Industry Development across several regions. [10]

Notably, on August 15, the Government issued Resolution No. 237/NQ-CP. Under the resolution, the Government agreed to submit a proposal to the National Assembly Standing Committee to add the Cultural Industry Development Bill to the National Assembly’s 2026 legislative programme. This marks another procedural step following the drafting and consultation process. [11]

According to materials prepared for the draft law, software and entertainment games are included among the cultural industries under consideration. The main policy directions cover intellectual property, infrastructure, human resources, market development, and foreign investment, with the broader aim of better connecting creation, production, distribution, and commercialization. [12]

For the game industry, a clearer framework around intellectual property, investment, and market development could create more favorable conditions for domestic studios to develop games and work with international partners. However, the bill is still moving through the drafting and legislative process, so the measures currently under discussion should not yet be treated as legally effective benefits, incentives, or obligations.