On the second of November, the Korean studio VALOFE announced that its open-world monster-hunting action game Bless Unleashed has cleared China's import review, the gate every foreign game must pass before it can legally be played there. The approval came later than the company had hoped, but it is the second such permit the firm has won this year, and it opens a path toward a Chinese launch sometime in 2027. Behind the paperwork stands a sixteen-year presence in China, a local team of about a hundred, and a market that grew to record size in 2025, a reminder that for foreign studios the real
VALOFE's Bless Unleashed Wins Chinese Import License, Targets 2027 Launch
The license arrived later than the third quarter VALOFE had expected.
Mark
So what actually happened here? A license, not a launch.
Mimi
Right. China's publishing regulator approved Bless Unleashed for import, under the title 普拉纳祝福. That's the legal gate. VALOFE says it aims to launch within 2027.
Mark
Why does a second license in one year matter?
Mimi
It shows a pipeline. SuperStar got one earlier this year, now this, and the company says it will pursue licenses for follow-up titles.
Luke
Though the timing slipped. They expected the third quarter and it came later. We don't know why, and the report doesn't say.
Mark
The 40,000 concurrent players at launch is the headline number.
Mimi
It's what VALOFE cites for its optimism, yes.
Luke
But it's a launch-time peak, from the company, and it isn't a Chinese figure. How it translates to China is unproven.
Mark
And the market figures?
Mimi
Sales of 350.7 billion yuan in 2025, 683 million players, PC at 78.16 billion yuan. All records, per the industry report cited in the press release.
Luke
Worth noting those are in VALOFE's press release. And the Tencent talks are only discussions. Nothing is signed that we know of.
Mimi
The sturdier fact is the 16 years of local operations and about 100 staff in China. That's the real base they're building on.
Il Polso
- China's import license for Bless Unleashed arrived later than VALOFE had expected, leaving its third-quarter target behind.
- The approval is the second Chinese license VALOFE has secured this year, pushing its bet on the world's largest game market forward.
- A Chinese subsidiary of about 100 staff has been readying local operations since 2010, moving ahead of the paperwork.
- VALOFE is drawing on the steady performance of its rhythm game R2Beat and courting partners such as Tencent to shape a 2027 launch.
- The open question is whether a firm launch date will follow and whether R2Beat's success translates to a far more combat-driven title.
On the second of November, the Korean studio VALOFE announced that its open-world monster-hunting action game Bless Unleashed has cleared China's import review, the gate every foreign game must pass before it can legally be played there. The approval came later than the company had hoped, but it is the second such permit the firm has won this year, and it opens a path toward a Chinese launch sometime in 2027. Behind the paperwork stands a sixteen-year presence in China, a local team of about a hundred, and a market that grew to record size in 2025, a reminder that for foreign studios the real journey often begins once the door is finally unlocked.
On the 2nd, VALOFE announced that Bless Unleashed has been granted an import game license in China, the approval a foreign game needs before it can legally operate there. The company now prepares for an official Chinese launch sometime in 2027. The permit came from the National Press and Publication Administration, which approved the game under the local title 普拉纳祝福. It is VALOFE's second Chinese license this year, after SuperStar, and it arrived later than the company had anticipated in the third quarter.
The game itself is built around hunting giant bosses and monsters with weighty action and strategic play. Its debut drew a peak of more than 40,000 concurrent players, a figure the company points to as proof of its appeal in the Chinese market. Much of the groundwork was laid before the license arrived. VALOFE's Chinese subsidiary, opened in 2010, has been handling development and business operations with about 100 staff stationed in China.
VALOFE also leans on R2Beat, a rhythm game it already runs in China, applying lessons from its stable service there. Discussions with potential Chinese partners such as Tencent continue, and the company plans to pursue further licenses for follow-up titles. The market it is entering is vast: China's 2025 game sales reached 350.7 billion yuan, up 7.68%, with 683 million users, both at record highs.
What comes next is a confirmed publishing partner, a firmer launch date within 2027, and a test of whether R2Beat's record carries over to a very different kind of game.
On the 2nd, VALOFE announced that Bless Unleashed has been granted an import game license in China, the permit a foreign-developed game needs before it can legally operate there. The company says it is now preparing for an official Chinese launch sometime within 2027.
The license came from China's National Press and Publication Administration, which approved the game under the local title 普拉纳祝福. It is VALOFE's second Chinese license this year, following the one for SuperStar. The approval arrived later than the company had expected: VALOFE had been anticipating it in the third quarter.
Bless Unleashed is an open-world game in which players hunt giant bosses and monsters, built around weighty action and strategic play. VALOFE points to its debut as evidence of its appeal: at launch, the game recorded a peak of more than 40,000 concurrent players. On the strength of that number and the game's quality, the company says it has high hopes for the Chinese market.
Much of the groundwork was laid before the paperwork came through. VALOFE's Chinese subsidiary began local operational preparations ahead of the license. The company opened its Chinese branch in 2010 and has run operations there for 16 years. About 100 employees are currently stationed in China, handling development and business operations directly.
VALOFE is also drawing on R2Beat, a rhythm game it already operates in China. According to the reporting, R2Beat has held a stable service since its official launch there, and the company is applying what it learned in publishing and operating that title to the new preparations. It is in discussions about potential collaborations with Chinese publishers such as Tencent, and says it will keep pursuing licenses for follow-up titles.
The market it is entering is large and still growing. The press release cites the 2025 China Gaming Industry Report, which puts actual sales in China's game market in 2025 at 350.7 billion yuan, roughly 70 trillion won, up 7.68% from a year earlier. The user base grew 1.35% to 683 million players. Both revenue and user numbers hit record highs. The PC game segment reached 78.16 billion yuan, up 14.97%.
A VALOFE official said the company is preparing to introduce Bless Unleashed to Chinese players on the basis of the local market understanding and operating experience it has built over a long period of doing business in China.
What to watch next: whether a publishing partner such as Tencent is confirmed, a firmer launch date within 2027, and whether R2Beat's steady record in China carries over to a very different kind of game.
Citazioni salienti
VALOFE is preparing to introduce Bless Unleashed to Chinese players based on its local market understanding and long operational experience in China.— A VALOFE official
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