Kabam announced today that it is partnering with NetEase to bring the mobile fighting game Marvel Contest of Champions to China.
Contest of Champions launched in 2014. Despite its age, the free-to-play game still makes a lot of money. It earned $3.3 million on last Cyber Monday alone, according to Sensor Tower.
China is home to 619.5 million gamers, according to Newzoo. It is the largest gaming market in the world, so bringing Contest of Champions to the country can help expand its audience and revenues. China has strict regulations on media, and the country has only recently ramped up approvals for mobile games.
The Chinese version of Contest of Champions will launch in May 2019 for Android. The fighting game is able to keep relevant by adding characters from Marvel’s deep roster of heroes and villains. And with the massive Avengers: Endgame film launching on April 26, people’s taste for all things Marvel is likely to only grow.
Kabam is based in the U.S., and the South Korean company NetMarble acquired the studio in 2017. NetEase is based in China. Partnerships with Chinese companies are essential for outsiders to get their games inside the country.