As we step into the first month of 2026, with the Lunar New Year approaching, the new game market has become increasingly active. Domestically, multiple high-profile titles have launched, driving significant growth in overall data compared to previous months; overseas, while the number of listed games continues to decline, top-performing products still deliver outstanding revenue results. Fueled by these new releases, the market not only sustains its upward momentum but also lays a solid foundation for the new year.

Note: Domestic estimated revenue only includes data from the App Store, excluding Android and other third-party platform stores.

First, let’s review the performance of two domestically released new games in late December. Unlike previous months, these two titles—backed by relatively influential IPs—did not see significant growth in cross-platform data when the statistical cycle was standardized. This can be attributed to two factors: first, homogenization among products in the same genre or even under the same IP; second, limited marketing investment before and after launch, coupled with insufficient post-launch operations and promotional offers. In the fiercely competitive domestic market, their subsequent performance thus fell short of expectations.

Turning to January’s new game data: a total of 7 new games released this month met the criteria for our list. While the number increased compared to the previous month, individual product performance also saw a notable uptick—injecting much-needed momentum into the previously sluggish domestic new game market. Below is an analysis of key titles, ranked by monthly revenue.

1. Arknights: Endfield (Hypergryph)

As Hypergryph’s first 3D strategic RPG spin-off under the Arknights IP, Arknights: Endfield shifts the setting from Terra to "Talos-II," a distant alien colony. First revealed in 2022, the game underwent three rounds of testing and broke free from the tower defense framework of its predecessor, establishing a core gameplay loop centered on "exploration + combat + base construction." It maintained high attention throughout its development, with over 35 million pre-registrations and 5 million followers on official social media platforms ahead of its public launch.

Visually, the game adopts a 3D art style that blends industrial realism with sci-fi cyber aesthetics. Extensive use of linear shapes and the cold texture of metal creates a gritty post-apocalyptic atmosphere. The protagonist team features detailed character models and smooth animations, while scenes like the "Lindong" urban area (replicating modern Chinese streetscapes) and the "Wuling" region (integrating Chinese-style pavilions and towers) have resonated well with domestic players. Overall, the title demonstrates Hypergryph’s innovative ambition in audio-visual quality, worldview expansion, and system depth—effectively reversing the overall slump of the 2025 two-dimensional (2D) game genre. According to DianDian Data, by the end of January, Arknights: Endfield had generated over $10.7 million (approximately RMB 74.25 million) in estimated domestic revenue within less than two weeks of launch.

2. NZ: Future (Tencent)

Developed by Tencent’s TiMi J3 Studio and Linlangtianshang Team, NZ: Future is a near-future sci-fi first-person cooperative shooting game under the Inverse Combat (NZ) IP. Over 40 million pre-registrations on its official website prior to launch underscored player anticipation for this IP, which has operated for 13 years. As a sequel to the classic PC game Inverse Combat, NZ: Future focuses on PVE cooperative gameplay, integrating classic mechanics such as weapon plug-in systems and seasonal talents; it also offers diverse modes like mecha combat PVP, tower defense, and time pursuit. Its commitment to "no pay-to-win numerical advantages" further boosted its popularity and player favorability.

Notably, the game’s extensive marketing efforts significantly enhanced its visibility: it invited Zhang Jie—creator of the IP’s theme song—to serve as spokesperson, hosted the NZ: Future launch concert "Jie" at Beijing Shougang Park, and produced a new IP theme song Storm Boy; on live-streaming platforms, it organized the "Brother Gives Guns Night" event with hosts such as Xuxu Baobao, Chen Bo, Da Sima, and Shao Bing Ge; it also collaborated with well-known short video creators "Jianbing Guozi" and "Xia Tian Meimei" to produce the short video Unrusted Me, which garnered massive exposure—including over 6 million likes on Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese counterpart). These marketing initiatives effectively reached a large number of returning veteran players, laying a solid user foundation for the title.

3. Survival 33 Days (37 Interactive Entertainment)

Published by 37 Interactive Entertainment and developed by Shanghai Shouyou Tianxia Digital Technology, Survival 33 Days is a doomsday-themed strategic survival mobile game. It integrates gacha character development (a popular mechanic in many casual games) and lightweight auto-battle gameplay for mobile squads, while incorporating the currently trending "search-fight-retreat" mechanism into map exploration. This replaces the traditional "defeat BOSS to clear a level" model, increasing the game’s randomness and playability while reducing the grind associated with numerical combat. Additionally, its Q-version cartoon rendering style contrasts with the doomsday setting, mitigating the grimness of the post-apocalyptic theme and creating a more casual experience—helping it stand out among numerous titles in the same genre.

4. Goose Goose Duck (Mobile) (Kingsoft World Games & Huya)

Developed by Gaggle Studios based on the hit PC game of the same name, and co-published by Huya and Kingsoft World Games, the mobile version of Goose Goose Duck is a social deduction game. Its PC predecessor, Goose Goose Duck, quickly gained popularity among party game players by combining the task mechanics of Among Us and the identity-based gameplay of Werewolf. Its "entertainment value"—driven by verbal exchanges and logical reasoning—made it a hit on domestic and international live-streaming platforms, amassing a substantial audience. The game’s launch timing, around the Lunar New Year, was particularly opportune for a party game, aligning with peak social gaming demand.

Overseas Market Overview

Overseas, 13 new games entered our radar last month. While the total number decreased significantly compared to previous months, overall performance—especially in revenue—remained strong. Chinese developers remained the primary contributors to new game releases, with Japanese and South Korean developers also participating. Meanwhile, due to differences in Lunar New Year customs (and the holiday having ended in some regions), developers from other overseas markets were less active than before.

Late December 2025 Hot New Games: 1-Month Data (Overseas)

Note: Overseas downloads and estimated revenue include combined data from the App Store and Google Play.

Performance Analysis of Key Overseas Titles

I Am Bird, released in late December, continued the popularity of developer Estoty’s "animal simulator" mobile game series. However, its 1-month performance fell short of its predecessors I Am Monkey and the earlier hit I Am Cat—possibly due to limited interactivity between the animal species featured and players.

Tier 1: Arknights: Endfield (Hypergryph)

Topping the overseas rankings by revenue is Hypergryph’s Arknights: Endfield—a 3D strategic action 2D game launched simultaneously globally. Its sci-fi industrial style, combined with futuristic cyber aesthetics, aligns with the preferences of overseas players. While its "heavy narrative + multi-system" design created a high entry barrier, leading to lower user retention than expected in Western markets (where casual, lightweight gameplay is preferred), its overall quality still won recognition in Asian markets such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan (China). It topped the iOS Free Charts in multiple countries in its first week, with over 10 million views on related YouTube videos.

According to DianDian Data, by the end of January, the mobile version of Arknights: Endfield had accumulated over 3.98 million overseas downloads and $23.81 million (approximately RMB 165 million) in estimated revenue. Globally, it grossed over $34.51 million (approximately RMB 240 million), securing its position as the top-grossing new global game of the month.

Tier 2: Ragnarok: World Journey (Gravity)

Next is Ragnarok: World Journey, a million-dollar revenue title developed by South Korea’s Gravity Game Vision. As an officially licensed MMO under the classic Ragnarok IP, it is one of many Ragnarok-themed MMOs—Gravity alone has released over 5 such titles in the past two years. Its solid performance likely explains Gravity’s continued "IP reuse" strategy.

Notable updates in World Journey include the addition of a seventh class, "Gunslinger," which enhances gameplay variety and strategic depth. The game also features quality-of-life improvements, such as free cross-class，permanent free skill resets, no gear degradation on enhancement failure, intelligent AFK systems, and offline rewards for life skills. Its art style remains faithful to the original’s iconic Japanese Q-version cartoon rendering—details that tap into player nostalgia and drive the performance of this and previous Ragnarok titles.

Tier 3: Heartopia (XD Network) & Dragon Traveler (Zilong Games)

This tier includes two titles with over $6 million in revenue. First is Heartopia—the international version of XD Network’s healing life simulation social game Xindong Town (launched domestically in July 2024). The domestic version achieved over 6.77 million downloads in its first month and maintained strong performance through operations on lifestyle social platforms like Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) and UGC content. Its casual life simulation gameplay aligns with Western player preferences; overseas, XD Network replicated this strategy on platforms like Reddit, Discord, and TikTok, sharing content such as base builds, character outfits, and cat interactions to drive word-of-mouth. This strong launch even boosted XD Network’s stock price by 6.46% on its release day.

Second is Dragon Traveler, a Japanese-style idle "beautiful girl" card RPG developed by Zilong Games. The game first launched in Taiwan (China) and Hong Kong (China) in January 2025, followed by a mainland China release in June; its international version launched six months later. Extensive marketing efforts secured significant exposure, and its proven formula of "beautiful girls + idle gameplay + cross-platform support" (validated in two markets) drove a strong opening. However, its long-term performance will depend on optimized post-launch operations, based on its previous market performance.

Tier 4: 4 Titles with Over $1M in Revenue

This tier includes four titles, starting with SEGA FOOTBALL CLUB CHAMPIONS—a cross-platform football management simulation co-developed by SEGA and Sports Interactive (creator of the Football Manager series). Positioned as a lightweight alternative to the Football Manager IP, it uses realistic 3D models and a clean UI to attract global casual sports game fans with low entry barriers. Its "free-to-play + realistic gameplay + user-friendly design" helped it stand out in a market saturated with football games competing on detailed models, realism, and complex numerical systems.

Also in this tier is ASURA: Blood and Soul (Lulu Games), a dark fantasy MMO targeting the South Korean market with a wuxia (martial arts) theme. Notably, its scenes and character designs bear similarities to Yanyun Shiliusheng (a Chinese wuxia game), suggesting a potential attempt to capitalize on trending themes. However, its Korean-style character models and mechanics align with local player preferences.

The remaining two titles are Bouncing Heroes (VNG)—a classic side-scrolling ballistic shooting game—and Witch and Dragon: Light and Dark Chapter (Mover Games)—a Japanese-style fantasy turn-based RPG.

Tier 5: Other Listed Titles

This tier includes NYT Crossplay: Play and Spell—a "premium Wordle-style" word game by The New York Times Company—and Three Kingdoms: Strategize to Rule the World—a Three Kingdoms-themed SLG hit launched by Bilibili in mainland China in 2024, which expanded to Chinese-speaking overseas markets (e.g., Taiwan, China) at the end of January.

Written by: Leslie Luo

About DianDian Data

DianDian Data (https://app.diandian.com/?utm_lan=en) is a leading global provider of mobile app and gaming market intelligence, covering 276 countries and regions with real-time monitoring across the top 8 app distribution platforms. Leveraging our high-caliber data infrastructure, we deliver comprehensive, reliable decision-support tools to mobile developers, publishers, fintech enterprises, listed companies, and investment institutions—encompassing key metrics such as app downloads, revenue, user behavior, competitor performance, and SDK integration data. We also provide specialized growth services focused on App Store Optimization (ASO) and Apple Search Ads (ASA). Our solutions empower businesses to pinpoint growth opportunities and accelerate performance in the highly competitive global mobile market.