Gaming stocks in Hong Kong experienced a collective uptick. At the time of writing, BOYAA (00434) rose 6.3% to HK$2.87; FRIENDTIMES (06820) gained 6.25% to HK$0.51; XD INC (02400) increased 3.3% to HK$73.65; NetEase (09999) advanced 2.1% to HK$185.3; and Tencent (00700) climbed 1.46% to HK$554.5.

The movement follows recent announcements from major tech platforms regarding app store commissions. On March 13, Apple announced that starting March 15, 2026, commission rates for the iOS and iPadOS App Store in mainland China will be adjusted. The standard commission rate for in-app purchases and paid apps will be reduced from the current 30% to 25%. Notably, Alphabet previously announced a systemic reform for the Google Play store, lowering the standard service fee for in-app purchases from the long-standing 30% to 20%.

Analysts view these changes positively for game developers. China International Capital Corporation (CICC) believes that in the short term, the lower commission rates under the new rules are expected to gradually increase the profits of overseas game products. China Securities Co., Ltd. pointed out that the reduction in overseas Android channel costs will directly improve the profit margins and user acquisition payback models for mid-core and hardcore mobile games, particularly high-grossing titles. They also noted that the share of retained revenue for Chinese game publishers on the Google Play platform is likely to increase.