![[EXCLUSIVE] Beyond the Base Game: Cygames on What Endless Ragnarok Means for Granblue Fantasy: Relink](https://cdn.gamerbraves.com/2026/06/GBF-Relink-Endless-Ragnarok-Exclusive_Interview_FI-360x180.jpg)
The ASEAN Digital Content Summit 2025 (ADCS 2025) officially opened today at the Persada Johor International Convention Centre in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The event, organized by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), brings together over 2,000 participants from across the region to discuss the future of gaming, animation, and creative technology.
The summit was opened by YAB Dato’ Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Chief Minister of Johor, and Deputy Minister of Digital Malaysia, YB Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong. The event features more than 10 country pavilions including Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Cambodia, and Vietnam, along with 50 speakers and over 100 exhibitors.
During the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister YB Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong highlighted impressive statistics about the regional gaming industry. The Southeast Asian gaming market generated $6 billion in revenue in 2024, making it the fastest-growing gaming market globally. This growth is supported by ASEAN’s 680 million population, which represents the world’s third-largest internet user base.
The region’s demographics also favor continued growth, with over 50% of the population under 35 years old. The ASEAN digital economy is projected to grow from $300 billion today to $1 trillion by 2030.
The summit celebrated several recent achievements in ASEAN gaming and animation. Malaysia’s “Ejen Ali The Movie 2” earned over 50 million ringgit, becoming the country’s highest-grossing local animated film. Indonesia’s film “Jumbo” outperformed Disney’s “Moana 2” at the box office with 3.1 million admissions in two weeks. Malaysia’s “Mechamato” also made history as the first ASEAN production to win the Tokyo Anime Fan Award.
Major Industry Event Coming to Malaysia
In a significant announcement, Deputy Minister YB Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong revealed that Malaysia has successfully won the bid to host SIGGRAPH Asia 2026. This prestigious computer graphics conference is expected to bring over 3,000 industry professionals from Asia, the US, and Europe to Malaysia.
ADCS 2025 includes several key components designed to boost regional collaboration:
- The ASEAN Roundtable on Digital Content Collaboration, which will discuss AI-driven innovation and common policies across games, animation, and creative technology
- Kre8tif! Business Xchange, a business-to-business platform connecting creators with global broadcasters and investors
- A keynote address by Koji Morimoto, co-founder of Japan’s Studio 4°C animation studio
- Public showcases including the Malaysia Animation Film Festival and Asia Creators Fest pavilion
Focus on Collaboration
The Deputy Minister emphasized that collaboration between ASEAN countries is essential for competing globally. He noted that while individual countries have talented creators, working together allows the region to pool resources and talent to compete with established markets.
The summit runs as part of Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025, positioning the region’s creative industries to better collaborate and compete on the international stage. The event is supported by the Johor State Government and various industry partners.
The gaming and digital content industry in Malaysia alone has employed over 10,000 people and generated 87.25 billion ringgit in revenue between 2011 and 2023, according to figures shared at the summit.
