By IndieGame.com Editorial Team — December 16, 2025
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of Korea and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) announced on December 11 the release of the “2025 Survey on Overseas Users of Korean Games,” a comprehensive report analyzing global usage trends of Korean games across major export markets.
The study surveyed 10,000 users in 10 key countries who had played Korean games within the past year, examining service platforms, changes in usage volume, regional preferences, and cultural factors influencing engagement.
Emotional Appeal Drives Initial Choice, Progression Systems Impact Retention
According to the survey, 58.2% of overseas respondents recognized that the games they were playing were Korean-developed. Among those users, 61.2% stated that the awareness of a game being Korean had a positive influence on their decision to play it.
This positive perception was particularly strong in Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, and India, where favorable responses reached 70–80%. Across all surveyed regions, positive sentiment toward Korean-origin games consistently outweighed negative perceptions.
The report highlights a clear distinction between selection factors and retention factors. Overseas players cited visual quality, characters, atmosphere, and narrative as the primary reasons for choosing Korean games. However, the most frequently cited area for improvement was progression and upgrade systems.
In other words, while players are drawn in by the emotional and aesthetic appeal of Korean games, great difficulty curves and repetitive growth mechanics—a hallmark of many Korean titles—can lead to gradual disengagement over time.
Regional Preferences Show Clear Differences in Play Styles
The most widely played Korean game globally was the PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) series, which ranked at or near the top in nearly all regions surveyed.
Second-place rankings varied significantly by region:
- China, India, Vietnam, Brazil: CrossFire
- United States, United Arab Emirates: The Finals
- Japan, Taiwan: MapleStory
Other frequently mentioned titles included CookieRun: Puzzle World, PocoPoco, KartRider: Drift, Stellar Blade, and Lies of P.
Play-style preferences also differed notably by region. Multiplayer-focused games were strongly favored in China, India, Vietnam, and the UAE, while single-player experiences showed higher preference levels in Japan, the United States, Brazil, and France.
The report further analyzed user tendencies across multiple dimensions, including competitive versus goal-oriented play, preference for new versus existing games, single-game versus multi-game usage, and free-to-play versus paid spending behavior.
Implications for Global Strategy
KOCCA emphasized that the findings demonstrate how cultural background and regional gaming environments significantly shape player behavior. The agency noted that successful global expansion requires region-specific game design and live service strategies, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Acting President Yoo Hyun-seok of KOCCA stated:
“Korean games have now established themselves as a form of cultural experience in many regions around the world. High-quality graphics and compelling world-building continue to expand the global influence of K-content. KOCCA will continue to closely analyze country-specific demand and churn factors, and actively reflect overseas user feedback in industry policy and support programs.”
Report Availability
The full 2025 Survey on Overseas Users of Korean Games is available for public access on the official KOCCA website(www.kocca.kr).
