South Korean game makers are moving to target China after securing a series of government licences. However, some releases are being delayed even after approvals are granted and competition with Chinese game companies is also intensifying, prompting concerns that commercial success will be hard won.

Industry officials said on Monday that "Odin: Valhalla Rising," developed by Lionheart Studio, received a foreign game licence from China on Oct. 28. The China service name is "Odin: Shinban," and it is preparing for launch in cooperation with local publisher Zlongame.

Wemade's "Night Crows," Netmarble's "Solo Leveling: Arise" and Devsisters' "CookieRun: Tower of Adventures" also secured licences this year. A licence is a government approval required to officially service a game in China, and South Korean game makers have cleared the first gateway to entering the China market through them.

But obtaining a licence does not immediately lead to a launch. NCsoft's "Lineage M" received a licence in June last year but has yet to start service in China. TapTap, a Chinese game platform, shows the China service name "Tiantang: Xuetong" is currently taking pre-registrations and lists the expected launch period as the fourth quarter of this year.

Neowiz's "Cats & Soup: Magic Recipe" also received a licence in May last year, but its China launch is being delayed. The Chinese game platform Haoyou Kuaibao said it had initially been scheduled for an official launch on Oct. 15 this year, but was postponed to January 2027 due to an adjustment of the local company's release plan. Even if it is released as planned, it would mean about 1 year and 8 months after obtaining the licence.

Licences are only the start... Localisation and distribution schedules are variables

Localisation work and the business schedules of Chinese distributors are among the reasons it takes time from licence approval to launch. China applies separate review standards to game content and expressions, and games already serviced in South Korea may need adjustments to fit local user preferences. Time is also needed for translation, building the service environment and improving game systems.

A local publisher's release strategy is also a variable. South Korean game makers often service games in cooperation with Chinese companies. In this process, service schedules may be adjusted if the launch timing overlaps with other titles held by the publisher or if competing games of similar genres crowd the market.

The longer a launch is delayed, the greater the burden of responding to market changes. Popular genres and competitive dynamics at the time a licence is obtained may differ from those at the actual launch. In particular, as Chinese game companies strengthen competitiveness across various genres, even games that succeeded in South Korea may not easily achieve the same results locally.

For games already serviced in South Korea and other countries, maintaining the freshness of content also becomes a task as the launch timing is pushed back. Chinese users can access game information through overseas services, and new games in similar genres may also emerge while they wait for release. As a result, South Korean game makers face a situation in which they need to prepare content and service strategies that can draw local users' attention rather than relying on past success.

Even so, China is an important overseas market for South Korean game makers. There are also Korean game intellectual property (IP) titles that have remained popular locally for a long time, such as Nexon's "Dungeon & Fighter" and Smilegate's "CrossFire." The significance of obtaining a licence remains large in that it can secure new revenue sources by launching existing games in China.

Ultimately, South Korean game makers' performance in China depends not just on obtaining licences but on actual launch and whether the games become hits. The key issue is whether they can secure an appropriate launch timing through cooperation with local distributors and turn users' interest into long-term revenue.

An industry official said, "Even if you secure a licence in China, it can take a considerable amount of time until launch depending on localisation work and the distributor's schedule." The official said, "As the market environment changes the more launch is delayed, it is important to secure an appropriate launch timing and connect it to long-term success rather than the licence acquisition itself."