South Korea's mobile game market is intensely competitive. In the first three quarters of 2024, it generated 350 million downloads and US$3.7 billion in revenue, with strategy, puzzle, and action games competing fiercely. How can an established IP stand out? Tanwan Games' Legend 2: New Dynasty provides one answer. With support from Youdao Ads and its local team, the game moved marketing beyond on-screen battles and into convenience-store shelves and players' everyday social settings, winning player interest and opening up the market.
01 Cultural resonance through a royal experience in convenience stores
Research by the local Korean team showed that the core audience for Legend-style games consisted of young and middle-aged men who visited convenience stores frequently. They sought the excitement of intense battles, value for money in quick meals, and a sense of identity through cultural symbols and personal traits. Frequent essential purchases, price sensitivity, and identity needs resonated with the Joseon dynasty's tradition of a royal nine-dish meal.
The team developed a two-part strategy combining cultural symbols with everyday settings to bring the classic IP into players' lives.
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A creative boxed meal was launched with emart24, one of South Korea's five major convenience-store chains. It combined the traditional royal nine-dish meal with Legend 2: New Dynasty, allowing players to enjoy the feeling of being an emperor both in and outside the game.
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Pricing of around KRW5,000 per meal, approximately RMB27, balanced affordability with a sense of occasion.
The collaboration sold 103,000 meals and generated KRW540 million in sales. Through emart24's network of 2,100 stores across South Korea, exterior posters, checkout stickers, and product displays brought the game into a high-frequency retail setting and reached audiences offline.
The team also activated emart's official social media channels with content about the collaboration. Offline purchases became a source of online attention, creating a traffic loop from convenience-store shelves to social platforms and then to game servers.
02 Contrasting creator pairings attract male players
Drawing on Korean player preferences, the team designed two livestream formats: skilled male players guiding female beginners, and competitive matches between male friends. In the first, explanations of class combos and entertaining tutorials lowered the barrier for newcomers while giving experienced players opportunities to demonstrate their skills. The second recreated the atmosphere of teaming up at an internet cafe, using authentic competition to strengthen emotional resonance and encourage group play. Thirteen livestreams reached 1.45 million core players, with high engagement supporting the approach's effectiveness.
Highlight clips and positive feedback extend reach
The co-streaming experiments consistently used contrast between participants. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many viewers surprised by the pairings and asking to see the format continued.
Livestream highlights were edited into entertaining short clips on multiple themes, using Korean variety-show effects to increase appeal. Paid YouTube distribution targeted relevant player audiences. The most-viewed highlight clip reached 20,000 views, while individual engagement rates exceeded 7%, well above the industry average cited in the source, demonstrating the potential of social sharing to take content beyond its existing audience.
03 Precise creator matching and end to end execution
Using profiles of Korean gaming creators on YouTube, the team selected 13 streamers combining strong gameplay skills with nostalgic appeal, ranging from veteran Legend players to currently popular personalities. Selection went beyond traffic figures to prioritize cooperation, production efficiency, and value for money, reducing execution risks and aligning resources with project requirements.
Livestream scripts were customized to Korean preferences, from relatable interactions such as meal giveaways to explanations of the game's historical setting and well-placed local memes. Technical contingency plans covered equipment setup, unstable connections, and unexpected disconnections. Delivery was completed without incidents, supporting an immersive player experience.
Localization for games expanding overseas requires more than translating language or copying gameplay. It involves understanding culture, user behavior, and the local resource ecosystem. The Korean campaign demonstrated the value of encouraging player co-creation through social sharing, using a creator ecosystem to reach precise audiences, and continually improving strategy through data.
With its understanding of regional audiences and ability to integrate resources, Youdao Ads helps game companies cross cultural barriers and turn exposure into emotional resonance.