※INVEN provides a monthly report on the Taiwan gaming 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.

The Taiwanese gaming market in May was dominated by news of upcoming major global gaming events and local offline festivals that captured the attention of subculture fans. First, 'Summer Game Fest,' which marks the start of summer as a successor to E3, was held from June 5 to 8 (local time). Additionally, Apple hosted its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2026) from June 9 to 13. These two events, in particular, drew significant interest from the industry, general gamers, and consumers alike, thanks to the major game titles and AI-related news showcased at each.

The local subculture community in Taiwan was also buzzing. The '2026 World Cosplay Summit (WCS) Taiwan' qualifiers, a festival for cosplayers worldwide, concluded successfully, with the 'Langpanlechao' team taking top honors for their perfect recreation of the game 'Bloodborne.' The team won 100k TWD and a spot in the world finals in Nagoya, Japan, this summer, drawing enthusiastic support from the Taiwanese community.

Meanwhile, amid growing interest in AI, the largest Taiwanese gaming community, Bahamut GNN, conducted a reader survey on 'generative AI technology,' which is rapidly changing production paradigms in the game industry. With opinions sharply divided between the positive view that AI reduces developer workloads—from planning and programming to art and translation—and concerns regarding copyright and ethics, the analysis suggests that establishing a 'sustainable business model' that can coexist with users will be the key to long-term success.

▣ May Taiwan PC Game Rankings

While MapleStory Worlds maintained its firm hold on the #1 spot with UGC that revives memories of classic MapleStory, 'Path of Exile 2' emerged as the new breakout star in the May PC game rankings. Interest surged following the May 8 showcase that teased its final pre-launch expansion, 'Return of the Ancients.' The game generated high expectations through a complete overhaul of the endgame system, the addition of the new 'Runes of Aldur' league, two new classes, a challenge system, and various quality-of-life improvements. The May 30 update, which redesigned the game from a repetitive combat-focused structure to a story-driven one, was well-received, earning critical acclaim in Taiwan, Korea, and globally, landing it at #2 in the Taiwan PC game rankings.

Beyond these events, while classic overseas RPGs like MapleStory and Diablo remained strong, 'Angel Love Global,' developed by the mid-sized Taiwanese studio UserJoy, emerged as a hot topic. This MMORPG is a new global version based on 'Angel Love Online,' which UserJoy originally launched in 2009. During its CBT from May 29 to June 1, it received positive feedback for its high-resolution support, optimized leveling speed, and real-time chat translation system. It also entered the Taiwanese PC game rankings at 13rd place after pre-revealing collaboration costumes and mounts featuring the popular webtoon IP 'Bugcat Capoo,' which is widely loved in Taiwan and the broader Chinese-speaking world.

▣ May Taiwan Mobile Game Rankings

The title that shook the Taiwanese mobile gaming scene in May was 'Wuthering Waves,' an open-world action RPG developed and serviced by KURO GAMES. Celebrating its 2nd anniversary on May 23, the game received praise for its dramatic portrayal of the Rover's struggle to save 'Aimes,' who sacrificed themselves, and the collective effort of Lahai-Roi to stand against Aleph-One in version 3.1. The new Resonators 'Hiyuki' and 'Dania' were also well-received, helping the game climb the charts in Taiwan and global markets. Furthermore, a special broadcast on May 29 teased a collaboration with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, helping it maintain the #1 spot in community popularity rankings.

NEOWIZ's 'Brown Dust 2' also generated buzz in Taiwan by announcing pre-registrations and seasonal events ahead of its global 3rd anniversary in June. The 3rd-anniversary promotion, which includes free distribution of new characters and swimsuit costumes, as well as a total of 1300 free draws, has energized the user community. With the visuals of new characters 'Daffy' and 'Mikaela' also catching the eyes of Taiwanese users, the results of the June anniversary event are highly anticipated.

In the download rankings, 'Pikmin Bloom,' a healing AR mobile game co-developed by Niantic and Nintendo, took the #1 spot on both major app stores. Celebrating its 4.5th anniversary, the game achieved record-breaking buzz through successful online/offline integrated promotions and festivals. In-game, event challenges like the Giant Shiny Mushroom Raid stimulated collection desires, while the offline exclusive crossover with the Taiwan 'Chiayi Art Festival'—which included physical events and limited-edition merchandise for visitors—drew an explosive response. This success propelled it to #1 on the App Store and #7 on Google Play in terms of revenue.

'Echocalypse,' released last April, jumped to #2 in the Google Play popularity rankings following the announcement of version 1.1. The collaboration with Porsche and the positive reception of the new character 'Lacrimosa,' combined with the announcement of improvements based on user feedback, are analyzed as the primary drivers of this renewed attention.

Meanwhile, 'Ghost Heroes of the Three Kingdoms,' a new idle mobile RPG from Max Game, reached 9th place on the App Store and 7th on Google Play, marking a rare instance of a new local title climbing the charts in Taiwan. Set in the Three Kingdoms universe, the game features a unique system that allows players to freely switch between human and ghost forms. It surpassed 500k pre-registrations before launch and topped the download charts in its first week.

▣ Game of Thrones: Kingsroad

'Game of Thrones: Kingsroad' is an action RPG based on the record-breaking HBO drama series of the same name. The game begins in the northern part of the Westeros continent during Season 4, following the story of a bastard son of a noble house who narrowly escapes the 'Red Wedding.' It has been well-received for adapting the original narrative into a familiar genre, allowing players to experience the story alongside key characters from the series.

▣ Freestyle: Reboot

JOYCITY's flagship online basketball game, 'Freestyle,' is preparing for a reboot with a new engine and improved accessibility. After a successful test in the summer of 2025, it launched first in Taiwan via HappyTuk on May 7 and is currently gathering user feedback.

▣ Angel Love Global

'Angel Love Online,' a classic MMORPG introduced by the mid-sized Taiwanese developer UserJoy in the mid-to-late 2000s, is being relaunched as a global version. The game has improved upon the marriage, housing, pet, and social networking features that were praised at its initial launch, while also upgrading to high-resolution support and increasing leveling speed to meet the standards of modern MMORPG players. These improvements were well-received during a test on May 29, and the game is appealing to global users, including those in Taiwan and the Greater China region, through collaboration events.

▣ Limit Zero Breakers

'Limit Zero Breakers,' an anime action RPG developed by Big Game Studio and published by NC, will begin its official launch preparations with a prologue test on June 11. The game features high-quality visuals that feel like watching an anime and fast-paced combat action. The prologue test will reveal the early story and a total of 5 boss raid contents. The boss raids will also support 3-player multiplayer, showcasing the fun of cooperative combat.