Hades

Souls‑likes: From Niche to Mainstay

The analysis charts the evolution of the souls-like subgenre from a niche curiosity to a mainstream pillar of the video-game market, emphasizing the decisive role of APAC developers and Chinese players in shaping its commercial trajectory.

• The souls-like genre has shifted from indie-dominated to AAA-led, with AAA and AA publishers now accounting for over 70% of estimated units sold on Steam.
• Chinese gamers represent approximately 47% of the global souls-like audience, significantly outpacing the United States at 15% and Germany at 5%.
• APAC developers have surged to control roughly 80% of the genre's development share as of 2025, building on a foundation established by Japanese studios.