COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Nexon strengthens leadership through user experience focus
The competitive landscape of video games in South Korea became increasingly consolidated over the review period, with the top five global companies representing 47% share of value sales in 2024, above the Asia Pacific average of 45%. This was an increase from 2019, when the top five global companies accounted for 42% value share.
Pikmin's appealing characters gain popularity among millennials and Generation Z
Pikmin has seen a surge in popularity in South Korea, appealing to millennials and generation Z, with the game’s characters and their appealing aesthetic inspired by alien lifeforms. Downloads are on a consistent upward trend, and merchandise sales based on the IP have also seen a significant increase, contributing to the brand's success.
Companies look to strengthen positions through acquisitions
In early 2025, Webzen, a subsidiary of Kakao Games, strategically invested in game developer GameTogether (also known as Game2Gather – a specialist in 2D animation), acquiring a 37.78% stake.
Krafton invests in studios, and launches AI-powered community simulation game
Krafton continued investing in game development companies for new IPs towards the end of the review period, including Republic Games in the UK, Day4 Studios in the US, and Wolfhouse in Canada during the third quarter of 2024.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Video Games industry in South Korea with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
If you're in the Video Games industry in South Korea, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Video Games in South Korea report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Video Games in South Korea?
- Which are the leading brands in Video Games in South Korea?
- How are products distributed in Video Games in South Korea?
- How is the rise of e-commerce impacting the retail landscape and traditional outlets?
- What are the key safety regulations to observe in South Korea?
- How has retail disruption following COVID-19 and national lockdown impacted sales?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
- Is it more important to appeal to children or adults?
Video Games in South Korea - Category analysis
KEY DATA FINDINGS
AI and further shift towards digital content shape performance of video games
Growth of video games software driven by digital sales
Pikmin pop-up store drives customer acquisition with collectibles
Krafton partners with McLaren and NVIDIA to enhance user engagement
Video games software set to drive future growth
AI personalisation and strategic partnerships drive video game changes
Local games studios consider overseas expansion as regulations could hinder in-game purchases
Nexon strengthens leadership through user experience focus
Pikmin's appealing characters gain popularity among millennials and Generation Z
Companies look to strengthen positions through acquisitions
Krafton invests in studios, and launches AI-powered community simulation game
Retail e-commerce dominates distribution amid in-app purchase growth
Nikke and Pikmin pop-ups boost experiential retail engagement
Toys and Games in South Korea - Industry Overview
Collectibles, kidults and digital content help drive positive performance
Largest category of video games registers most dynamic performance overall
Gachapon trend expands, influencing marketing beyond toys and games
Bigglz uses AI to enhance toy customisation and engagement
DAY6's DENIMALZ merchandise leverages customisation to engage fans
Video games to continue driving growth of toys and games
AI to drive development in toys and games
Gacha marketing to gain further traction, but this will be more of a challenge for video games
Change to chat feature for Among Us alienates Generation Alpha
Leader Nexon uses AI marketing, while Catch Teenieping gains notable share in dolls and accessories
Pikmin game resonates with millennials and Generation Z for providing enjoyment
Neptune diversifies via independent studio investment; Aurora World acquires Mary Meyer
Retail e-commerce expansion driven by changing industry and pre-order systems
Gacha retail model helps to boost toys and games, while expanding across consumer goods
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Video Games
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- Hand-Held Consoles
- Static Consoles
- Gaming Headsets
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- Computer Games (Physical)
- Console Games (Physical)
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- Computer Games (Digital)
- Console Games (Digital)
- Online Games and Subscriptions
- Mobile Games
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- Console Games (Physical)
- Console Games (Digital)
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- Computer Games (Physical)
- Computer Games (Digital)
- Online Games and Subscriptions
- Mobile Games
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- Computer Games (Game Sales)
- Console Games (Game Sales)
- Online Games and Subscriptions (Game Sales)
- Mobile Games (Game Sales)
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- Computer Games (In-Game Purchases)
- Console Games (In-Game Purchases)
- Online Games and Subscriptions (In-Game Purchases)
- Mobile Games (In-Game Purchases)
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Video Games
This is the aggregation of video games hardware and video games software. Electronic/computerised educational toys such as Speak & Spell and LeapFrog are excluded from video games and included under pre-school. Video gaming population refers to the population that played a game at least once in the last 6 months on any covered platform. This includes players who have not spent any money on game purchases or in-game content purchases.
See all of our definitionsWhy buy this report?
- Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders
- Track key industry trends, opportunities and threats
- Inform your marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales and supply functions
This report originates from Passport, our Video Games research and analysis database.
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