AMC Global Media and Yodo1 Games has announced a strategic digital licensing partnership aiming to open a new frontier for Western IP in China’s global gaming market. Under this agreement, Yodo1 Licensing will serve as AMC’s strategic partner to identify, guide, and support elite Chinese game developers and publishers in creating and publishing games based on AMC’s premier television series, including The Walking Dead and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, for gaming audiences worldwide.
China has long been one of the biggest markets for games, passing $50B in revenues for the first time in 2025, according to research firm Niko Partners. This partnership marks a strategic shift towards introducing, according to a press release, “world-class IP” to that market.
One of the top priorities in the partnership will be two of AMC’s fan-favorite original franchises: The Walking Dead Universe and Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe. Based on Anne Rice’s best-selling novels, the Immortal Universe includes hit television series Interview with the Vampire, including the recently wrapped rock-‘n-roll odyssey The Vampire Lestat, and Mayfair Witches: Salem Coven, which returns for a third season on Sunday, December 30, on AMC and AMC+.
The Walking Dead premiered on AMC on October 31, 2010, introducing audiences to a stark, character-driven survival drama that quickly grew from a critically acclaimed genre series into one of the most successful and influential franchises in television history.
Over 11 seasons and 177 episodes, the original series became a defining series for AMC and AMC Studios, broke through as a broad-based cultural phenomenon, and helped reshape the television landscape by proving the enduring power of premium scripted storytelling built around passionate fan communities. Its stories, characters and mythology continue to resonate with viewers around the world, fueling ongoing engagement across platforms and extending the universe through a robust slate of spin-off series.
“At AMC, our guiding principle is to meet our fans where they are,” said Clayton Neuman, Head of Games and Franchise at AMC, in the same press release. “The explosive growth of gaming in the Chinese market and the enduring demand for these beloved franchises present a unique opportunity for us to do just that. Yodo1 offers deep, end-to-end expertise in the Chinese games industry and has a proven track record of helping Chinese publishers succeed globally. We look forward to growing the breadth and reach of our iconic series in partnership with them.”
In its partnership with AMC, Yodo1 will aim to provide end-to-end strategic execution, bridging the cultural and operational gap between Western IP holders and Chinese development studios.
“Chinese studios are increasingly building games for a global audience, and pairing their development excellence with proven, globally recognized IP is a powerful combination,” said Henry Fong, Co-CEO of Yodo1, in the press release.
“Our strategy is to be the definitive bridge between Western entertainment giants and Chinese developers with global aspirations. This partnership with AMC proves that when you combine world-class IP with Yodo1’s strategic execution, everyone wins.
Yodo1 Games already has experience working with other global entertainment brands, including Hasbro, Paramount, and CD Projekt Red. Recent examples of successful IP integrations include a My Little Pony collaboration with Honor of Kings, one of the most successful mobile games of all time.
The collaboration featured character skins and other in-game items based on Hasbro’s My Little Pony characters, along with themed content and character-driven experiences. Another example is the crossover between Cyberpunk 2077 and the mobile FPS Arena Breakout, where core characters, factions, and the overall Cyberpunk look and feel were integrated into the FPS gameplay through character sets, faction-driven customization, and themed weapon systems.
Earlier this year Yodo1 launched IPverse, the first-ever licensing intelligence platform. IPVerse analyzes data from 20,000 brands, 15,000 live games, and real-time fan buzz to deliver accurate IP matching and regional market insights. You can find more information about Yodo1, and try IPverse at their websites.