Asia-Pacific Region Bolsters Global Growth in Souls-like Games

• APAC dominates Souls-like game development, publishing, and sales.
• Black Myth: Wukong & Elden Ring top Steam sales in the region.
• Chinese gamers make up most of the global Souls-like players.

The Asia-Pacific area (APAC) has emerged as a key force in Souls-like games, with Japan, China, and Korea driving the boom, dominating the development, publishing, and playing of these games.

The figures from 2020 to 2025 of Video Game Insights (VGI) show that sales of Souls-like games surged mostly in APAC, with China alone accounting for roughly half of all gamers globally.

Top-Selling Souls-like Games in APAC

Steam data highlights that AA and AAA titles drive nearly all of the unit sales on the platform in the APAC region. Black Myth: Wukong leads the Steam unit sales chart in APAC, with 20.3 million units sold, accompanied by Elden Ring (15.6 million), Monster Hunter: World (13 million), Dark Souls 3 (9.1 million), and Hades (8.4 million).

VGI found that, although AAA led the genre, it “lost ground to AA developers in 2017” before redeeming its position quickly. AAA games accounted for nearly three-quarters of Souls-like games sales in 2024, which grew 70% more in 2025.

Despite the growing numbers every year, the report identified 2019 as the peak year for Souls-like games with titles like Hades, Code Vein, and Blasphemous releasing. AAA games like Sekiro were released in 2019. This "subgenre" slumped a bit during the COVID period (202-2021), with Nioh 2 being the best amongst major releases. 

Global Distribution, Innovation, and Mainstream Success

VGI estimates that Chinese gamers make up to 47% of the global Souls-like players. The United States comes in second with 23%, followed by Germany, Russia, and Canada at 5%, 5%, and 4% respectively. The remaining 15% players are spread across countries of the globe.

Souls-like games became more "mainstream" starting from 2022. This growth was driven by titles like Elden Ring and Black Myth: Wukong, backed by growing influence from Chinese developers and consumers. Games tagged "Souls-like" also grew on Steam. The platform had a 41% increase in such games, rising from 263 in 2023 to 371 in 2024. 

"What began as a niche subgenre defined by FromSoftware’s distinct vision has evolved into a global pillar of game design, now firmly embraced by AAA publishers while still nourished by inventive indie studios," said VGI, as reported by Gamesindustry.biz.

VGI also stated that "the continued appetite for challenging, skill-based gameplay" ensures that Souls-likes will remain a key arena for innovation in game design, "shaping combat systems, narrative design, and player engagement strategies across the wider gaming industry."