As ByteDance throws in the towel on video games, Chinese studio miHoYo claims global wins with Honkai
- The title, a role-playing gacha game launched in April 2023, was named Best Mobile Game of the year by The Game Awards, considered the Oscars of the industry
- ByteDance planned to lay off hundreds of staff at its main gaming studio Nuverse, and will sell the rights to at least two of its titles, the Post reported last month
MiHoYo, the Shanghai-based studio behind Genshin Impact, has come up with another global hit, Honkai: Star Rail, showing the potential of Chinese video games even as ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, retreats from the sector.
The title, a role-playing gacha game launched in April 2023, has claimed major year-end awards, including Apple Store’s iPhone Game of the Year, Google Play’s Best Game of 2023, as well as the Best Mobile Game from The Game Awards (TGA), considered the Oscars of the global gaming industry.
The accolades follow the international recognition received by Genshin Impact, the hit open-world adventure game launched by miHoYo three years ago, and reflects the global success of China-developed titles over the past few years despite a sluggish environment for the Chinese video game industry.
As China’s domestic market loses growth momentum amid weak consumer spending and strict licensing regulation, Chinese gaming studios have been forced to seek growth overseas, with the success of Genshin Impact a typical example.
“Honkai: Star Rail is standing on the shoulders of Genshin Impact,” said Zhang Shule, an analyst with CBJ Think Tank. “It’s also due to the global craze caused by Genshin Impact … that has given enough attention and [raised] expectations for Honkai: Star Rail,” said Zhang.