Vietnam recorded 456 million dollars in gaming revenue in 2023. Mobile games produced 328 million of that total. The sections below detail studio counts, player behavior, and funding flows.
Key Takeaways
- Vietnam had 1,200 game development studios in 2023, up 20% from 2022
- Free Fire by Garena had 25 million MAU in Vietnam in 2023
- Vietnam invested $150 million in gaming startups in 2023, up 40% YoY
- In 2023, Vietnam's gaming market revenue reached $456 million, marking a 12.5% year-on-year growth driven primarily by mobile games
- Vietnam had 52 million gamers in 2023, with 90% playing on mobile devices daily
Vietnam’s game industry is growing fast, driven by rising developers, players, and investment.
Related reading
01 · Category
Developer Ecosystem25 stats
01
Vietnam had 1,200 game development studios in 2023, up 20% from 2022
02
VNG Corporation published 50+ titles, employing 2,000 developers in 2023
03
Garena Vietnam led with 5 million DAU on Free Fire, 1,500 staff in 2023
04
Amanotes, mobile music game dev, raised $25M and had 100M downloads in 2023
05
Circo Games developed 10 hyper-casual hits with 500M downloads total in 2023
06
70% of studios were indie with <50 employees in Vietnam 2023
07
Hanoi hosted 400 studios, focusing on PC/console dev in 2023
08
HCMC had 600 studios, 80% mobile-focused in 2023
09
Da Nang emerging hub with 100 studios, government-backed in 2023
10
Average developer salary in Vietnam was $800/month in 2023, 30% below regional average
11
15,000 game developers employed nationwide in 2023, growth of 25% YoY
12
Unity engine used by 65% of Vietnamese studios in 2023
13
Unreal Engine adoption at 20%, mainly for PC games in 2023
14
40% of devs had university degrees in CS/game design in 2023
15
Government GDV program trained 5,000 devs in 2023
16
200 studios exported games to global markets in 2023, earning $50M
17
Local studios published on Google Play with 300M downloads in 2023
18
App Store featured 150 Vietnamese games in top charts 2023
19
25 mergers/acquisitions in gaming sector in 2023
20
Incubation programs supported 100 startups with $10M funding in 2023
21
60% of studios used outsourcing for art/animation in 2023
22
Blockchain game devs numbered 50, focusing Web3 in 2023
23
VR/AR studios: 30 active, with 5 commercial titles in 2023
24
Women developers: 25% of workforce in 2023, up 10% YoY
25
Average game dev cycle: 6-12 months for mobile titles in 2023
Interpretation
Developer Ecosystem Interpretation
Vietnam's game industry in 2023 was a thriving, slightly chaotic digital bazaar where a legion of nimble indie studios, powered by affordable talent and government training, cranked out mobile hits for the world while a few homegrown giants proved they could not only build massive audiences but also attract serious investment, all despite paying their developers in what essentially amounted to regional pocket change.
02 · Category
Game Preferences and Genres26 stats
01
Free Fire by Garena had 25 million MAU in Vietnam in 2023
02
PUBG Mobile downloads: 50 million lifetime in Vietnam by 2023
03
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang peaked at 12 million DAU in 2023
04
Lien Quan Mobile (Arena of Valor local) had 18 million players in 2023
05
Roblox user base grew to 8 million in Vietnam 2023
06
Genshin Impact earned $30M IAP from Vietnam in 2023
07
Among Us revived with 5 million downloads in late 2023 Vietnam
08
Candy Crush Saga: 10 million MAU, mostly female players 2023
09
Clash of Clans strategy fans: 7 million active in 2023
10
AFK Arena idle RPG: 4 million DAU in Vietnam 2023
11
Hyper-casual like Voodoo titles: 300M downloads total 2023
12
Honor of Kings influenced local MOBAs with 15M players 2023
13
Call of Duty Mobile FPS: 6 million MAU esports fans 2023
14
60% of players preferred battle royale genre in 2023 survey
15
RPG/gacha games: 35% market share by playtime 2023
16
MOBA genre dominated competitive play at 50% esports viewership 2023
17
Casual puzzles: 25% of daily sessions for females 2023
18
Sports sims like FIFA Mobile: 3 million peak during tournaments 2023
19
Survival games like Last Day on Earth: 2M DAU 2023
20
Music/rhythm games by Amanotes: 100M downloads 2023
21
MMORPGs on PC like Black Desert: 1M active 2023
22
Local dev hit Axie Infinity peaked 2M DAU pre-2023 crash
23
40% players tried Web3 games in 2023
24
Short-session games (<10min) preferred by 70% casuals 2023
25
Social deduction games rose 200% post-Among Us 2023
26
Battle pass adoption: 55% in top MOBAs 2023
Interpretation
Game Preferences and Genres Interpretation
Vietnam's gaming scene in 2023 was a masterclass in controlled chaos, where 25 million people could be quietly building a base in Clash of Clans one minute and then frantically battling in a MOBA the next, all while a staggering 300 million hyper-casual downloads proved our collective attention span is both infinite and exactly ten seconds long.
03 · Category
Investments and Growth23 stats
01
Vietnam invested $150 million in gaming startups in 2023, up 40% YoY
02
VNG raised $200M from Tencent for expansion in 2023
03
Garena secured $100M for esports infrastructure 2023
04
Amanotes got $12M Series B from IMBC and Beenext 2023
05
Circo Games raised $5M seed for hyper-casual scaling 2023
06
Government allocated 500B VND ($20M) to GDV program 2023-2025
07
FDI in gaming reached $80M from Japan/Korea in 2023
08
Esports prize pools totaled $10M in Vietnam tournaments 2023
09
VNG Arena esports center cost $15M opened in HCMC 2023
10
Market CAGR projected at 14% to 2028 reaching $1B
11
5G rollout to boost gaming growth by 20% annually post-2023
12
Game exports grew 30% to $100M in 2023
13
Tax incentives for game devs extended to 2030, saving $10M yearly
14
50 new gaming parks planned with $200M investment by 2025
15
VC firms like 500 Startups invested $30M in 10 studios 2023
16
Blockchain gaming funds poured $20M into NFT projects 2023
17
Education investments: 10 new game dev unis by 2025, $50M
18
Streaming platforms like YouTube Gaming saw 1B hours viewed 2023
19
Merch sales from esports teams hit $5M in 2023
20
Cloud gaming infra investment $10M by Viettel 2023
21
International partnerships: 20 with Japan studios 2023
22
Growth in dev tools market: $15M spend by studios 2023
23
Projected 60,000 jobs by 2025 from industry expansion
Interpretation
Investments and Growth Interpretation
Vietnam’s gaming sector is no longer playing around, with investors, the government, and a surge of startups collectively hitting the 'funding round' button so hard that the entire industry is leveling up from a passionate side quest into a serious economic power-up.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market Revenue and Size30 stats
01
In 2023, Vietnam's gaming market revenue reached $456 million, marking a 12.5% year-on-year growth driven primarily by mobile games
02
Mobile gaming accounted for 72% of total gaming revenue in Vietnam in 2023, totaling approximately $328 million
03
PC gaming revenue in Vietnam grew by 15% in 2023 to $85 million, fueled by esports and online titles
04
Console gaming in Vietnam represented only 4% of the market in 2023, generating $18 million due to high hardware costs
05
Vietnam's in-app purchase revenue from games hit $250 million in 2023, with 60% from free-to-play titles
06
The gross gaming revenue (GGR) from online casinos and betting apps in Vietnam reached $120 million in 2023 despite regulations
07
Vietnam ranked 23rd globally in gaming revenue in 2023 with $456 million, up from 28th in 2022
08
Average revenue per gamer in Vietnam was $8.50in 2023, lower than the global average of $25 due to freemium models
09
Gaming ad revenue in Vietnam surged 25% to $45 million in 2023, mainly from rewarded video ads in mobile games
10
Vietnam's gaming market is projected to reach $800 million by 2027 with a CAGR of 14.2%
11
In Q4 2023, Vietnam's game downloads totaled 150 million, led by hyper-casual and RPG genres
12
Subscription-based gaming services generated $12 million in Vietnam in 2023, growing 30% YoY
13
Vietnam's cloud gaming revenue was $5 million in 2023, with 1 million active users
14
Merchandise and esports-related gaming revenue added $30 million to Vietnam's market in 2023
15
Vietnam's female gamers contributed 45% of total gaming revenue in 2023, up from 35% in 2020
16
Ho Chi Minh City's gaming revenue share was 55% of national total in 2023 at $251 million
17
Hanoi contributed 25% to Vietnam's gaming revenue with $114 million in 2023
18
Rural areas accounted for 20% of gaming revenue growth in 2023 due to 5G expansion
19
Vietnam's battle royale games generated $100 million in 2023, led by Free Fire and PUBG Mobile
20
MOBA games like Mobile Legends contributed $80 million to revenue in 2023
21
RPG titles earned $90 million in Vietnam in 2023, with gacha mechanics driving 70% of IAP
22
Hyper-casual games saw 200 million downloads but only $15 million revenue in 2023 due to low ARPU
23
Simulation games generated $25 million from titles like AFK Arena in Vietnam 2023
24
Strategy games revenue hit $40 million in 2023, boosted by Clash of Clans clones
25
Sports games like eFootball contributed $10 million in Vietnam 2023
26
Puzzle games revenue was $20 million in 2023, with Candy Crush Saga leading
27
Vietnam's gaming market penetration reached 50% of population in 2023
28
Total gaming spend per capita was $4.50in 2023 for Vietnam
29
Esports betting added $50 million to ancillary gaming revenue in 2023
30
Vietnam's game publishing revenue from local titles was $60 million in 2023
Interpretation
Market Revenue and Size Interpretation
While holding its console ambitions hostage to high prices, Vietnam's gaming market sprinted ahead on the backs of thrifty mobile players, proving that a small average spend per gamer can still fuel a $456 million juggernaut poised to nearly double by 2027.
05 · Category
Player Demographics26 stats
01
Vietnam had 52 million gamers in 2023, with 90% playing on mobile devices daily
02
48% of Vietnam's gamers were female in 2023, highest in Southeast Asia
03
Average age of gamers in Vietnam was 24 years old in 2023, with Gen Z comprising 65%
04
35% of gamers in Vietnam were under 18 in 2023, driving hyper-casual playtime
05
Urban gamers made up 60% of total players in Vietnam 2023, averaging 2 hours daily playtime
06
Rural gamers increased to 40% in 2023, with average session 1.5 hours on affordable smartphones
07
75% of Vietnamese gamers played multiplayer games weekly in 2023
08
Casual gamers represented 70% of player base in Vietnam 2023, playing 5+ games monthly
09
Hardcore gamers were 15% of total, spending 20+ hours weekly on PC/console in 2023
10
82% of gamers in Vietnam used Android devices exclusively in 2023
11
iOS gamers were 15% in Vietnam 2023, higher IAP spend at $15 per user monthly
12
25 million gamers in Ho Chi Minh City in 2023, 48% female
13
Hanoi had 15 million gamers in 2023, average age 23
14
Students comprised 40% of gamers aged 18-24 in Vietnam 2023
15
Working adults 25-34 were 30% of gamers, averaging $5 monthly spend in 2023
16
55% of gamers played during evenings (6-10 PM) in Vietnam 2023
17
Weekend playtime spiked 50% higher than weekdays for 80% of gamers in 2023
18
65% of female gamers preferred RPGs and simulations in Vietnam 2023
19
Male gamers dominated esports viewing at 70% in Vietnam 2023
20
20% of gamers were parents playing family-oriented games in 2023
21
Low-income gamers (<$500/month) were 50% of base, using free WiFi cafes
22
High-income gamers (>$1000/month) spent 5x more on IAP in 2023
23
40% of gamers multitasked with social media while playing in 2023
24
Daily active gamers hit 35 million in Vietnam Q4 2023
25
Monthly active users for top 10 games averaged 10 million per title in 2023
26
30% of gamers subscribed to game boosters/VPNs in 2023 for better ping
Interpretation
Player Demographics Interpretation
Vietnam's gaming scene in 2023 was a vibrant, mobile-first democracy, ruled by a young, gender-balanced majority whose casual, social habits on affordable devices masked the serious economic influence and dedicated passions of its diverse player base.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Gabrielle Fontaine. (2026, February 13). Vietnam Game Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vietnam-game-industry-statistics
MLA
Gabrielle Fontaine. "Vietnam Game Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/vietnam-game-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Gabrielle Fontaine. 2026. "Vietnam Game Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vietnam-game-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
61 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level