China has approved the release of nine more foreign games, including Hustle Castle and Path of Exile 2
The Chinese regulator has issued a new batch of licenses for game publishing in the Middle Kingdom. This time, the list of approved projects includes nine games from foreign developers.
Hustle Castle — on the left, Path of Exile 2 — on the right
One of the most prominent games on the list is Path of Exile 2. Although the international version of the action RPG from New Zealand studio Grinding Gear Games went into early access last December, the Chinese version is only now preparing for its debut. Previously, the parent company of the developers, Tencent, remarked that Path of Exile 2 has the potential to join the ranks of “evergreen” hits — games that bring significant revenue and maintain audience interest for years.
Also noteworthy in the list is Hustle Castle — a hit mobile strategy game from MY.GAMES. Interestingly, upon its release in 2017, the game was available in China but left the market three years later. Likely, this was due to the lack of a license. Now that this issue has been resolved, Hustle Castle can return to China.
Other foreign games that received a license for publication in China include:
- Railbound — a train puzzle game from Polish studio Afterburn;
- Ultraman Hero Strike — a mobile game based on the "Ultraman" franchise, published by Letang Animation Information Technology Co;
- Monopoly: Top Winner — a mobile strategy game inspired by "Monopoly," published by Kaiying Network;
- Shuyan Saga — a mix of visual novel and fighting game from Canadian studio Lofty Sky Entertainment;
- Fly For Fun: Reunion — a remake of the fantasy MMORPG Fly for Fun by South Korean company Gala Lab;
- Merge Garden — a mobile merge puzzle game about gardening, published by iDreamSky;
- Strange Horticulture — a plant shop puzzle game from British studio Bad Viking.
April became the second largest month this year in terms of the number of foreign games approved for release in China. Only January saw more licenses issued, with 13. Since the beginning of 2025, the regulator has approved 30 games from non-Chinese developers.