The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), China’s gaming regulator, approved 27 foreign games on Monday, the first approved imported titles of 2023. Tencent secured approval for distribution of Merge Mansion, NetEase received a license for Audition Dance: Everybody Party, and Bilibili was given a green light to distribute Uma Musume: Pretty Derby as part of the new batch. XD Inc’s Gorogoa and Wizard of Legend were also among the noteworthy titles to get the green light on a list that includes seven Japanese-developed titles and five from South Korea. The total list comprises 22 mobile games, three PC games, one Switch game, and one dual-platform game. Data from the NPPA shows that it issued 97, 76, and 44 foreign game licenses in the last three years, with the 44 titles approved in 2022 coming in one batch in December. Monday’s move has therefore led some industry observers to predict that the issuing of foreign game licenses may become more regular this year. [Caijing, in Chinese]