eSports & Streaming·Updated Mar 17, 2026 by Niko Partners
Competitive esports, specifically MOBA and Battle Royale titles, drive over 50% of total viewership in the East Asian streaming market.
Honor of Kings remains the dominant force in China with 5.67 billion views, while VALORANT and Apex Legends lead in Japan and Korea with over 100 million hours watched each.
Key Opinion Leaders and VTubers are significant market drivers, contributing up to 15% of total viewership for major titles and successfully revitalizing older games.
New title launches face high barriers to entry, with only Diablo IV, Honkai: Star Rail, and Street Fighter 6 breaking into regional top-ten rankings during H1 2023.
Audience cannibalization is a measurable risk, as evidenced by Honkai: Star Rail’s growth contributing to a 31% decline in Genshin Impact viewership.
Market volatility is high, highlighted by a 68.5% drop in Splatoon 3 viewership following its initial launch period.
Competitive esports, specifically MOBA and Battle Royale titles, drive over 50% of total viewership in the East Asian streaming market.
Honor of Kings remains the dominant force in China with 5.67 billion views, while VALORANT and Apex Legends lead in Japan and Korea with over 100 million hours watched each.
Key Opinion Leaders and VTubers are significant market drivers, contributing up to 15% of total viewership for major titles and successfully revitalizing older games.
New title launches face high barriers to entry, with only Diablo IV, Honkai: Star Rail, and Street Fighter 6 breaking into regional top-ten rankings during H1 2023.
Audience cannibalization is a measurable risk, as evidenced by Honkai: Star Rail’s growth contributing to a 31% decline in Genshin Impact viewership.
Market volatility is high, highlighted by a 68.5% drop in Splatoon 3 viewership following its initial launch period.