Janus Worldwide at ChinaJoy 2026: Games, AI, and the Eastern Vector
At the end of July, we headed to Shanghai, where soundtracks blast, screens shine, and the future of the gaming industry takes shape. ChinaJoy 2026, Asia’s largest gaming expo, once again brought together developers, publishers, platforms, and millions of gamers.
For us, this wasn’t just a “look and see” trip. We came with a clear goal: to understand where the market is heading and how localization needs are evolving for both Chinese and global studios.
What we saw and discussed:
China is going global. Chinese developers are increasingly looking to Western markets, and they need more than just “English voice-over”. They need deep cultural adaptation, work with lore, terminology, and glossaries.
The West wants in. And vice versa: global studios are searching for the right way to enter the Chinese market, where a translation error or cultural misstep can cost not just reputation, but access to the entire audience.
AI is no longer hype, but reality. In the hallways and at the booths, AI localization tools were discussed as working solutions, not “technology of the future”. The question isn’t “Will we use AI?”, but “How exactly do we integrate it into the pipeline without losing quality?”
There was strong interest in LQA. We held dozens of meetings and heard the same thing everywhere: “Translation quality is something we’ll be watching more and more closely.” Linguistic Quality Assessment is becoming a must-have item in negotiations.
Our main takeaway:
The gaming localization market in Asia is no longer just about translating text. It’s about trust, speed, AI tools, and the ability to work with cultural context. And at Janus, we feel right at home here.
Thank you to everyone we had the chance to meet and talk to. If you were at ChinaJoy and we didn’t cross paths, Drop me a message. Let’s discuss how we can support your projects.
See you at the next events!