2025 Overseas Korean Game User Survey

The 2025 Overseas Korean Game User Survey examines how internet users aged 15 and older who played Korean games in the past year engage with those titles across ten markets: China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Vietnam, the United States, Brazil, Germany, France, and the UAE. Drawing on roughly 10,000 respondents with about 1,000 per region, the research maps platform usage, spending, play motivations, game discovery channels, and Korean-origin awareness, and makes a case for ongoing overseas user research given that exports now account for roughly 48% of Korean game industry revenue. Its screening window was shortened to one year and its regional lineup changed from the prior edition, so year-over-year comparisons require caution.

Mobile is the most widely used platform (76.8%), ahead of PC (68.4%) and console (48.3%), though PC leads in time spent and in per-user annual spending. Emotional atmosphere and play structure are consistently the strongest reasons for enjoying Korean games, while poor growth systems, unstable performance, and weak play convenience are the most common reasons for disengagement. PUBG: Battlegrounds dominates Korean title usage across nearly every platform and region. Roughly 58% of users recognize the games they play as Korean, and among those aware, a majority say the Korean origin positively shaped their choice, with Vietnam, the UAE, and India showing the strongest positive perception and Japan the notable outlier. Nearly half of users report playing more Korean games than the previous year, led by the UAE, India, and Vietnam, while heavy users, who make up about 36% of respondents, account for disproportionate time and spending.