From Korea to India: Adapting a Game for a New Audience

Korean studios build some of the most polished games in the world for some of the most demanding players. That polish travels well, but the assumptions behind it do not always. Devices, payment habits, play sessions and price expectations in India differ sharply from Korea. This article walks through how a Korean-developed game could be assessed and adapted for Indian players, step by step.

Hypothetical example: The studio and game described here are invented to illustrate the process. They do not represent any real company or GamerVault client.

The example game

Imagine a Korean mid-core RPG studio with a mobile collection RPG that performs well at home. It has:

• Rich 3D character art and long, voiced story sequences
• A gacha system for characters, with premium currency sold in tiers designed for Korean spending levels
• A guild system and scheduled raids timed for Korean evenings
• A 2.5 GB install with further downloads after the tutorial
• Korean and English text, with English as an afterthought

The studio wants to know whether India is worth the effort, and what would need to change.

Step 1: Size the opportunity honestly

India is large, but the numbers need context. Lumikai's FY24 report, as reported by GamesBeat, put India's game market at $3.8 billion. That figure predates the 2025 ban on real-money gaming and included it, so it overstates what is available to a game like this one.

The more relevant figure is Lumikai's CY25 estimate, reported by Outlook Respawn: the video games market excluding real-money gaming grew 17% year on year to $1.5 billion, with a forecast of $3.2 billion by CY30. Mid-core ARPPU was $15 against $3 for casual, which is encouraging for an RPG. Payer conversion held at 25%.

The reach is there too. India had 591 million gamers in FY24 and recorded 15.2 billion game downloads, making it the world's second-largest mobile gaming market by downloads. After the real-money gaming ban the gamer base fell to 555 million, but that is still a very large audience.

The honest conclusion for our studio: India is a scale opportunity with lower per-player revenue than Korea. It works if the game can reach many players cheaply and convert a meaningful share of them.

Step 2: Check device and network fit

This is usually where Korean games run into trouble first.

Android is about 90% of the Indian market, and typical smartphones cost $200 to $400. Our hypothetical game was built for flagship devices on fast, cheap data. In India, a 2.5 GB install plus post-tutorial downloads will lose a large share of players before they ever see the first battle.

Practical changes to consider:

• Cut the initial install size sharply and stream non-essential assets later
• Add graphics presets that default to low on mid-range devices
• Make voiced cutscenes optional downloads
• Test on the specific mid-range Android devices popular in India, not just emulators
• Handle unstable connections gracefully in raids and PvP

Hypothesis to validate: For a mid-core RPG, reducing install size is likely to have a larger effect on Indian install-to-first-session conversion than any localisation change. Measure it in a soft launch.

Step 3: Rethink the economy and pricing

The gacha system itself is not the problem. The price points are.

Premium currency tiers designed for Korean wallets will look expensive to most Indian players. With 148 million paying gamers and ARPPU of $22 in FY24, the Indian payer base is broad but spends less per head. The studio should:

• Introduce small entry-level packs that make a first purchase easy
• Use regional pricing rather than simple currency conversion
• Offer a low-cost recurring pass, which often suits players who want steady value
• Review drop rates and pity systems for clarity, since trust matters when players are spending carefully

Payment method matters as much as price. 83% of Indian gamers prefer UPI or digital wallets. If the purchase flow relies on cards, many willing payers will simply drop out.

Rewarded advertising is also worth considering. 47% of users are ad-tolerant, and rewarded ads carry a higher eCPM ($2.43) than the aggregate ($1.1). For an RPG, optional rewarded ads for stamina or extra daily rewards can earn revenue from players who will never pay.

Step 4: Localise beyond translation

English alone will reach many urban players, but about 66% of Indian gamers are outside metros. A full localisation plan should cover:

• Language: Start with polished English, then evaluate Hindi and other Indian languages based on where soft-launch players come from.
• Tone: Korean honorifics and humour rarely translate directly. Adapt rather than translate.
• Content: Consider Indian-themed events, festivals and cosmetic items. These signal that the game was made with Indian players in mind.
• Schedules: Move raid times and event resets to Indian evenings (IST).
• Community: Support community channels and creators who speak to Indian players in their own languages.

Hypothesis to validate: Culturally relevant cosmetic events may lift engagement and spend more than full voice localisation, at a fraction of the cost.

Step 5: Check the regulatory position

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 received presidential assent on 22 August 2025. It prohibits offering, facilitating or advertising online money games, and related financial transactions. It defines online social games as those played for entertainment or skill development without monetary stakes, and provides for an Authority on Online Gaming that can categorise and register games and platforms.

A standard RPG with in-app purchases for in-game items is not a money game. But the studio should check any features that could blur the line, such as cash-out mechanics, tradeable items with real-world value, or prize competitions with entry fees. Penalties for offering online money games reach Rs 1 crore or three years' imprisonment, so legal review before launch is essential.

Step 6: Soft launch, then scale

Rather than a full launch, the studio should run a limited soft launch in India with clear success measures:

• Install-to-tutorial completion on mid-range devices
• Day 1, day 7 and day 30 retention
• First-purchase conversion by price point and payment method
• Rewarded ad engagement and its effect on retention
• Feedback on language, difficulty and event timing

Only after these numbers look healthy should the studio invest in large-scale user acquisition.

Adaptation checklist

• Sized the opportunity using post-ban market figures, not the pre-ban $3.8B total
• Reduced initial install size and added low-spec graphics settings
• Tested on popular mid-range Android devices in India
• Introduced entry-level price points and regional pricing
• Integrated UPI and digital wallet payments
• Designed optional rewarded ad placements
• Localised text, tone and event timings for Indian players
• Planned India-relevant content and events
• Completed legal review against the Online Gaming Act, 2025
• Defined soft-launch metrics and go or no-go thresholds

Where GamerVault fits

GamerVault works with international studios evaluating India, helping with market assessment, localisation, payments, regulatory questions and launch planning. We take on a small number of titles so each one gets senior attention. If you are weighing an Indian launch, we are happy to talk it through.