Angry Birds Games Return to China: Strategic Partnership Between Kingsoft Shiyou and Rovio

Kingsoft Shiyou — a subsidiary of Kingsoft Corporation Limited — and Rovio Entertainment Limited today announced the establishment of a strategic partnership, paving the way for the full‑scale return of the globally beloved Angry Birds games to mainland China, where it will be exclusively published and operated by Kingsoft Shiyou.

Originally developed and published by Rovio in 2009, the Angry Birds series has surpassed 5 billion downloads globally, evolving into one of the most iconic and influential mobile gaming IPs in history. The franchise accompanied millions of Chinese players through the early era of smartphone gaming, creating shared memories across a generation and forging a lasting emotional bond with its audience.

“The long‑standing passion and anticipation from Chinese players have always been among our strongest motivations,” said Rovio CEO, Alex Pelletier-Normand during the announcement. “Through this partnership with Kingsoft Shiyou, we aim to reignite those beloved memories and reintroduce this classic franchise to Chinese fans in a fresh and innovative way.”

As the first step of this strategic partnership, the two parties have jointly announced the upcoming releases of two core Angry Birds titles for Chinese markets.

First is a special version of the flagship Angry Birds game, Angry Birds 2. This new version of Angry Birds 2 builds upon the iconic slingshot gameplay that defined the original franchise, and is further enhanced by a 3D engine, dynamic level designs, and a brand-new magic system. Together, these innovations aim to deliver a strategically upgraded experience that builds on the classic Angry Birds game that took over the world.

Launching at a later date will be Angry Birds Dream Blast, which offers a light‑hearted bubble‑popping puzzle experience, inviting players on a fantastical journey to restore harmony to its dreamy world.

To further invigorate the creative community around Angry Birds 2, Rovio and Kingsoft Shiyou announced the launch of the “Mischief Maker” Creator Program, which invites community creators to produce original content, such as custom level designs and visual artworks. Outstanding creators will receive official exposure and partnership opportunities, as the program continues to enrich and expand the Angry Birds community content ecosystem.

During Xiaomi’s 2025 annual launch event, the tech giant announced that Angry Birds 2 would be pre‑configured as one of the featured games for its new flagship device — the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, introduced under the company’s “Retro Handheld Console Project” to showcase the phone’s brand‑new rear display functionality. Xiaomi later revealed that Angry Birds 2 recorded over 100,000 activations within the first month after the Xiaomi 17 series launch, demonstrating the title’s enduring appeal and cross‑platform potential in the Chinese market, and serving as a key inspiration for the current strategic partnership announcement.

“Our previous collaboration delivered valuable localization insights,” said Liu Yi, the VP of Publishing at Kingsoft Shiyou. “Looking ahead, we will not only focus on refined operations that are deeply rooted in the market, but also actively explore new and innovative expressions of Angry Birds across multiple realms — including digital entertainment and trendy culture — to keep this beloved IP thriving in richer and more diverse forms.”