Artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming the gaming industry in Asia, with major studios in the region using it to generate content, create expansive game worlds, sophisticated characters and dynamic narratives. On the wayside, human intervention is reduced.

Gaming is now one of the most substantial entertainment sectors worldwide, spurred by the emergence of mobile platforms, cloud streaming and subscription models that provide greater access to game libraries. In 2025, global revenues from video gaming approached US$200 billion. This growth is expected to continue and exceed US$250 billion by 2028.

“This development is significantly broadening the gaming audience, particularly across Asia,” revealed Sher Hann Chua, a TMT/IP counsel at Linklaters in Hong Kong.

To begin with, China remains the largest gaming market in the world. Japan also continues to be active in the gaming bandwagon by influencing the global culture through its console gaming and innovative game design.

“As noted in our recent Games and Interactive Entertainment Legal Outlook, venture capital activity remains robust in Asia, with particular focus on blockchain gaming ventures and immersive digital environments. Asia’s young, digitally native population and increasing smartphone penetration have created an unprecedented gaming ecosystem,” Chua shared.

This scenario presents unprecedented opportunities, alright – but it also comes with complex and critical IP challenges.

One of these is the question of copyright eligibility, which remains a primary concern globally, including in Asia. “Even in jurisdictions such as Singapore and Hong Kong, which recognize copyright in computer-generated works, legislation still mandates human authorship, specifically attributing rights to the person making the arrangements for creation,” Chua said.

Another challenge is the ease of copying and modifying existing IP. With user-generated content dominating mobile and social gaming platforms in Asia, this poses risks.

Training data liability also presents a challenge.

According to Chua, governments in the region, particularly in key gaming markets such as China, Japan, India and Indonesia, may continue to be urged to modernize copyright frameworks to address AI-generated content explicitly, and to refine text and data mining exceptions in their copyright laws. “Given Asia’s dominance in mobile and online gaming, legislative reforms clarifying thresholds for human creative control in AI-assisted works are especially critical. Jurisdictions should also consider mandatory disclosure requirements for AI-generated game content,” she said, adding that Asian jurisdictions should look at Mainland China and Singapore as models for balancing innovation with rights protection.

Copyright owners in Asia should put in place defensive strategies tailored to the region’s unique landscape. “Studios must meticulously document human involvement in AI-assisted asset creation to preserve copyright eligibility under their respective legal systems, maintaining audit trails that demonstrate meaningful creative control,” she explained.

Negotiating comprehensive warranties and indemnities from vendors, including IP-risk coverage and assurances regarding training data legitimacy, as well as licensing agreements for training datasets, is also a must.

User-generated content is particularly prevalent in Asia's mobile gaming sector and emerging blockchain gaming platforms. Therefore, IP rights holders must implement robust governance frameworks via end-user licence agreements and terms of service that are well thought out.

“Regional industry collaboration is also crucial. Hence, Asian gaming associations can consider establishing standardized best practices, shared licensing pools, and transparent disclosure protocols that account for diverse legal systems across jurisdictions. Investment in AI-powered monitoring systems can detect unauthorized use across platforms, whilst blockchain technology offers promising solutions for establishing verifiable ownership chains and licensing agreements in an increasingly complex digital landscape,” Chua added.

- Espie Angelica A. de Leon