※INVEN provides a monthly report on the Taiwan game market. Get a quick overview of news from this increasingly important market. This report was provided by HappyTuk, a local publisher of online and mobile games in Taiwan.

In March, the Taiwan game market was abuzz with news of platform policy changes and global esports cooperation. Following Google Play's announcement to lower in-app payment fees to 20% and allow third-party payment systems, a new business model is expected to be introduced in the Taiwan market by September 2027. Additionally, the Chinese Taipei Esports Association (CTESA) has been selected as an official partner for the '2026 Esports Nations Cup (ENC),' leading the selection and training of the national team, which has heightened expectations for the growth of the local esports ecosystem.

Meanwhile, regarding international trends, the European PEGI's announcement of a rating system overhaul—which will raise age ratings for games containing paid gacha items—has drawn significant attention from Taiwanese users and the industry alike.

▣ Taiwan PC Game Rankings for March

In the March PC game market, 'Lineage: Classic' maintained its #1 spot for the second consecutive month, driven by the new 'Heine' episode update and the 'Fafurion' boss raid. However, the proliferation of bot farms and macros has led to overcrowded hunting grounds and server instability, fueling growing user demands for bot eradication and server stabilization. Consequently, the game's community buzz index has shown a downward trend.

While IP-based titles like Aion 2, Diablo, MapleStory, and Final Fantasy XIV remain firmly in the Top 10, 'Yuan Yun' entered the Top 5 for the first time, bolstered by its March 6th 'Hwaseo' update. Furthermore, 'Crimson Desert,' released on March 20th, debuted at #6, quickly becoming a hot topic among Taiwanese users.

▣ Taiwan Mobile Game Rankings for March

In the mobile market, 'SD Gundam G Generation Eternal' took the top spot for buzz, with its 1st-anniversary event announcement. Intense user discussions regarding the new UR unit lineup, including the '00 Raiser,' demonstrated the strong loyalty of its fandom. Conversely, STUDIOBSIDE's new title 'Star Savior' saw its momentum hampered by server issues at global launch and inadequate localization, failing to live up to its game quality.

Marketing strategies for new releases also led to starkly different outcomes. 4,399's 'Yongsa Waseo Party Jjanda' boosted its initial metrics through large-scale influencer promotions, but showed a short-term success pattern with a sharp drop in rankings due to a lack of content depth. In contrast, 'Whoosh~ Slime!' employed an efficient user acquisition strategy through a collaboration with the popular local IP 'Bugcat Capoo,' maintaining a stable position even after hitting #6 on the App Store download charts.

In terms of revenue, IP-based MMORPGs like Lineage and Ragnarok, along with casual and SLG titles, remained strong, while 'Pikmin Bloom' stood out with a remarkable resurgence. Despite being in its fifth year, it tapped into Taiwan's 'Healthy Pleasure' trend to break into the App Store Top 10 revenue list in March.

Meanwhile, March saw an aggressive push of new titles from Korean game companies, including Netmarble. However, 'Stone Age Raising' and 'Vampir' only reached #41 and #16 in revenue, respectively, while 'The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin' and the Steam version of MapleStory M are currently seeing mostly negative reviews on the Steam Traditional Chinese store page.

▣ The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin

An open-world collectible RPG based on the popular Japanese anime 'The Seven Deadly Sins' and its sequel 'Four Knights of the Apocalypse,' the game officially launched on mobile on the 24th, following its PC and PS pre-release on the 17th. It highlights the adventure of traversing the original Britannia continent with favorite characters, while also appealing to players with strategic weapon-based combat, combo skills, and cooperative boss raids.

▣ Crimson Desert

Pearl Abyss' open-world action RPG 'Crimson Desert' has been a hot topic in Taiwan since its March 20th launch, thanks to its high-quality graphics and action. While opinions on the story and narrative were mixed, the developer quickly addressed initial concerns regarding controls and accessibility through multiple patches, raising its Steam rating to 'Very Positive.' The game continues to perform well, with global sales surpassing 4 million units just 12 days after launch.

▣ Cookie Run: OvenSmash

'Cookie Run: OvenSmash' is a new action game based on the 'Cookie Run' IP, which has a strong fan base in both Korea and Taiwan. It was released in Korea on the 27th, and VNG is handling the publishing and pre-registration in Taiwan. By adding dynamic competitive elements to the existing casual charm, it is a title highly anticipated by the Taiwanese fandom and community.

▣ Yi Huan

'Yi Huan,' the next title from 'Tower of Fantasy' developer Hotta Studio, will launch globally on April 29th. It is an open-world RPG set in a surreal city, which received positive feedback from Taiwanese users during the CBT for its attractive world-building and graphics. Ahead of the official April 29th launch, the company is conducting aggressive pre-marketing in Taiwan, including a PS5 pre-order event.