Recap of the Week
- Anime-style titles such as Honkai: Star Rail and fashion titles like Ngôi Sao Thời Trang recorded strong jumps in ranking, while new RPG entrants from Vplay and Gamota quickly entered the Top 50.
- The Vietnamese game industry was valued at USD 1.3 billion, reinforcing the strong appeal of mobile gaming and eSports.
- At the Vietnam Game Awards 2026, FC Mobile VN was named Game of the Year, while VNGGames and Funtap won Outstanding Publisher awards.
- Ho Chi Minh City successfully hosted the international VCT Pacific Stage 1 Finals, while the Directorate of Physical Education and Sports officially signed a long-term strategic MOU with VTC to develop national eSports.
- VTC also continued announcing partnerships to bring major titles from Smilegate, including Epic Seven and LORDNINE, to the Vietnamese market later this year.
Market & Game Performance
Dynamic Ranking: Breakthroughs for Anime, Fashion Games, and New RPG Titles
AppMagic data this week shows that Vietnam’s Top 50 mobile game chart saw notable shifts, driven by the rise of anime-style games, fashion-themed titles, and several new entrants.
Rank Spike: Titles with Significant Rank Increase
During the week, a number of games recorded rank gains of 10 positions or more compared with the previous week. Highlights include:
- Honkai: Star Rail – 3T Online rose 11 positions to #18, with estimated revenue of around USD 44.5K.
- Ngôi Sao Thời Trang 360Mobi rose 12 positions to #49, with estimated revenue of around USD 14.1K.
The rise of Honkai: Star Rail – 3T Online may be attributed to several factors. Specifically, on 13/05/2026, Phase 2 of the 4.2 anniversary update officially went live, introducing the brand-new character Evanescia along with rerun banners for Tribbie, Sunday, and Feixiao. This is typically the period of concentrated spending within a patch, as players have already accumulated enough resources during Phase 1 (22/04–12/05) and begin spending on the new banner.
First, Evanescia is a new 5-star Physical/Elation character with a stacking mechanic called “Certified Banger,” which both generates energy and builds stacks. The character can also summon “Fox Teacher” to reduce enemy DEF, creating sustained damage pressure and becoming stronger in long battles. This unique kit attracts players who want to try fresh gameplay, not just meta-chasers.
Second, the 3rd anniversary rewards included 20 Special Star Rail Passes from cumulative check-ins, an additional 10 passes from anniversary gifts, and “Kim Linh Đồng Hành,” which allows players to exchange for limited 5-star characters such as Huohuo or Robin upon login. These rewards brought back returning players during the week of 11–17/05. Once they returned to the game, the FOMO around Evanescia’s banner easily translated into top-up spending.
New Release & Back-to-top: New Titles Quickly Entering Top Revenue & The Return of Familiar Games
This week saw the strong appearance of newly launched titles that immediately entered the rankings. At the same time, several familiar games returned to the Top 50 after being absent for a period:
- Giang Hồ Kỳ Ngộ – Vplay (#24, ~USD 30.6K) – Idle RPG
- Cơ Giáp Vô Hạn – Gamota (#36, ~USD 20.7K) – Roguelike
- Top War: Battle Game – Funtap (#45, ~USD 16.2K)
- Ngôi Sao Thời Trang 360Mobi (#49, ~USD 14.1K)
The return of long-running titles such as Top War (launched in 2021) and Ngôi Sao Thời Trang (launched in 2016) to the chart shows the durability of these games and the effectiveness of LiveOps activities in reactivating old players.
Another notable case is Giang Hồ Kỳ Ngộ. The game was introduced to the gaming community at Vietnam GameVerse 2026 on 8–9/05, just a few days before its official launch on 13/05, and attracted thousands of hands-on trial plays at the booth. This created a real-world warm-up effect and social proof right before launch. Players had already seen it, tried it, and were waiting for the download link.
Two specific factors contributed to revenue growth during the week of 11–17/05:
Vplay rolled out a new-user promotion that included 1,000 free Hero Spins, immediate access to the characters Lý Tinh Vân and Thiên Ô upon login, and permanent VIP 10 without any spending required. This lowered the psychological barrier to “just trying it.” However, after players entered the game and experienced the strength of the characters, they tended to spend to maintain their advantage. This is a conversion mechanism from free user to paying user that is especially typical of Idle RPGs.
The trio of ambassadors Chị Phiến, Lê Bống, and Mạc Văn Khoa transformed into characters from Bất Lương Nhân, each representing a different audience segment and broadening the game’s visibility during its launch week. This was not simply a standard advertisement, but rather cosplay/entertainment content, which is easier to spread on social media and drives organic traffic to the game during the crucial first seven days.
Esports & Community
Vietnam Successfully Hosts VCT Pacific and a Strategic Step from the Vietnam Sports Administration
VCT Pacific 2026 Stage 1 Finals Held for the First Time in HCMC
Source: Hotspawn
From May 15 to 17, 2026, the VCT Pacific Stage 1 Finals tournament was held for the first time in Vietnam. The Paper Rex team (Singapore) excellently won the championship after a 3-0 victory over FULL SENSE (Thailand). The Top 3 strongest teams of the tournament also officially secured tickets to attend VCT Masters London next June.
The successful hosting of a large-scale Riot Games Tier 1 tournament solidly reinforces Vietnam’s capability to host international eSports events on the world map.
Vietnam Sports Authority & VTC Sign MOU to Develop Esports 2026–2030
Source: Nhân Dân
On May 14 in Hanoi, the Vietnam Sports Authority and VTC officially signed a strategic agreement for Esports development from 2026–2030. Concurrently, the The Grand Esports 2026 event series was also announced, including major tournaments such as VENC, EGC 2026 (international), and the Grand Esports Festival at the end of the year.
The direct accompaniment of the state management agency will create a clear legal framework and solid professionalization orientation for domestic athletes and eSports organizations.
Vietnam Game Awards 2026 Honors the Most Outstanding Names
FC Mobile VN Wins Game of the Year at Vietnam Game Awards 2026
Source: VnExpress
The Vietnam Game Awards 2026 ceremony took place on 08/05 and attracted nearly 3 million community votes. Football title FC Mobile VN won the “Game of the Year” award, while Liên Quân Mobile and Audition were honored as “Timeless Games.” In the publisher category, VNGGames won for the fourth consecutive time, and Funtap won the Outstanding Publisher award for the first time.
These results reflect community preferences while also recognizing the consistent operational strength of traditional publishers in delivering high-quality services.
Industry & Business Developments
VTC Continuously Announces Bringing Korean Blockbusters to Vietnam
VTC Mobile × Smilegate Sign Agreement to Publish Epic Seven in Vietnam
Source: VnExpress
On the sidelines of GameVerse 2026, VTC Mobile and Korean giant Smilegate signed a strategic partnership to bring the hit title Epic Seven to Vietnam, with a launch planned for Q4/2026. The game will support both PC and mobile platforms, allowing Vietnamese players to play on the same server as the global version. Smilegate said it chose VTC Mobile because of its long-standing experience in eSports and offline community building.
This partnership shows that global studios are increasingly prioritizing local partners with strong community ecosystems to solve acquisition and retention challenges.
VTC Online announces upcoming launch of LORDNINE – Cửu Vương Tranh Bá
Source: AFKMobi
Also during the week, VTC Online announced plans to publish LORDNINE (Cửu Vương Tranh Bá), a cross-platform MMORPG set in a Western fantasy world developed by Smilegate, in the Vietnamese market.
This move continues to reinforce VTC’s strategy of co-publishing Korean IPs, targeting hardcore players who demand high-quality visuals and deep gameplay.
Vietnam Game Market Valued at $1.3 Billion
Ken Research Announces the Scale of the Vietnam Game Market
Source: OpenPR
Indian research firm Ken Research has just released its May 2026 strategic report, officially valuing Vietnam’s game market at approximately USD 1.3 billion. Based on five years of data analysis, the report highlights that the core growth drivers come from mobile gaming, esports, cloud gaming, and recently supportive government policies.
This growth reaffirms Vietnam’s position, showing that the market is rapidly transforming from a “production outsourcing hub” into a billion-dollar consumer and publishing market.
References
- Vietnam Game Market Reaches $1.3 Billion
- Vietnam Game Awards Honors 22 Categories
- Paper Rex Wins VCT Pacific Stage 1
- Vietnam Sports Administration Strategically Cooperates with VTC to Develop Esports
- VTC Cooperates with Smilegate to Publish Epic Seven in Vietnam
- Summary of International Games Revealed at Vietnam GameVerse 2026
