The attention focused on the Vietnamese market stems not only from the government's macroeconomic policies, but also from the close monitoring by leading global game developers, especially those from China.
New growth drivers are limitless.
Speaking at a recent event promoting the development of Vietnam's esports sector, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong offered a groundbreaking perspective on the potential of Vietnam's gaming industry. According to the national strategy for the development of Vietnam's cultural industries to 2030, with a vision to 2045, gaming and esports have been identified as one of the fundamental and important industries.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong delivered a speech outlining the development direction of Esports.
Photo: Anh Quân
What makes this digital economy so attractive is its endless potential for growth. According to Deputy Minister Ho An Phong, people's material consumption needs (such as food, transportation, and housing) have certain physical limitations. However, the need for spiritual life and entertainment is enormous and limitless. This breakthrough is transforming gaming into a new growth pole, making a substantial contribution to the economy.
In fact, according to numerous industry reports, Vietnam's game exports have recently reached half a billion USD annually – an impressive figure for a relatively young industry. Although only recently receiving significant attention, the gaming industry plays a pioneering role in digital transformation, creating a massive job ecosystem including event organizers, MCs, designers, and technicians, while also generating enormous revenue from advertising, sponsorships, and merchandise.
An international expert once commented that while traditional football in Vietnam needed a very long time to reach the world stage, with Esports, Vietnamese people could progress much faster thanks to the acumen and inherent advantages of the younger generation.
Chinese developers cannot ignore the Vietnamese market.
The allure of the Vietnamese gaming market has not escaped the notice of the tech giants in neighboring countries. Chinese developers are closely monitoring the movements, habits, and behaviors of Vietnamese gamers. Speaking to Thanh Nien newspaper on the sidelines of the recent Vietnam GameVerse 2026 event in Ho Chi Minh City, Jocelyn Liu, Brand and PR Director of Hungry Studio – the company behind the popular game Block Blast – affirmed that Vietnam is an extremely fast-growing market with a large young user base.
Ms. Jocelyn Liu gave a positive assessment of the Vietnamese gaming market and stated that Chinese companies are looking to expand there.
Photo: Anh Quân
"For publishers, entering the Vietnamese market is no longer a test, but a necessary step to catch up and enjoy this huge growth 'pie'. Vietnam has a young user base and the willingness of Vietnamese gamers to pay is increasing," emphasized Jocelyn Liu.
Proof of this serious investment is the way Chinese developers continuously optimize their products. For example, Block Blast , the game with the most downloads globally in 2025 and a top ranking in the US, Japan, and Europe, conducted over 10,000 A/B tests in just one year to better understand user needs, including those of Vietnamese users. By understanding the user's aversion to complexity and reluctance to share too much personal data, the programmers designed the game without requiring cumbersome account logins like RPGs, allowing users to play easily anytime, anywhere, even in environments without internet connectivity, such as on an airplane.
According to Ms. Liu, Chinese studios are expected to expand their reach in Vietnam through comprehensive localization campaigns. They are committed to launching fully localized versions, organizing offline events, inviting local KOLs to promote their products, and even designing unique community interaction features, similar to how they have been very successful in the Japanese market.
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Take control of the game.
Despite the significant potential and international interest, the Vietnamese gaming industry still faces considerable challenges. One of these is the fact that the market still relies heavily on importing foreign games, highlighting a lack of content ownership.
Deputy Minister Ho An Phong frankly pointed out that, without control over content and clear management direction, the rapid development of the gaming industry could lead to many negative consequences. Therefore, alongside opening its doors to international developers, Vietnam needs constructive policies from the State, and smooth coordination between businesses and media agencies to build a healthy and professional esports industry.
Drawing from the experiences of "esports powerhouses" like South Korea, Japan, and China, esports is transcending mere entertainment to become a high-value digital economy. Beyond generating significant revenue, this sector contributes to digital transformation, the development of modern sports, and the formation of a young workforce for the emerging economy.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/suc-hut-cua-thi-truong-game-viet-nam-185260519214407844.htm
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