SHANGHAI, Sept. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In August 2025, Kayou, a fast-rising force in trading cards and collectibles, accelerated its international growth with a two-stop exhibition tour. Following its debut at the 2025 Indonesia International Baby Products & Toys Expo (IBTE Indonesia) on August 20, Kayou unveiled its flagship product portfolio at the 59th Tokyo Toy Show on August 28—demonstrating its clear roadmap for building a worldwide footprint in the hobby and toy industry.
From Category Leader in China to Global Player
As the market leader in trading cards in China, Kayou's choice of Indonesia for its first overseas showcase reflects a targeted growth strategy. Among the country's 270 million people, roughly 25 percent are between 18 and 34—the prime demographic for trading cards and collectibles. That alignment, along with strong familiarity with Japanese and Chinese entertainment IPs, provides fertile ground for introducing Kayou's expanding lineup of cards and collectibles to Southeast Asia.
At IBTE Indonesia, Kayou showcased more than 20 globally recognized IPs, including My Little Pony and Naruto. The company also introduced its first lineup for international audiences, including Free Fire collectible cards created with Garena and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) cards developed in collaboration with Moonton Games.
Free Fire, the global battle royale mobile title launched in 2017, ranked as the world's most downloaded game for three consecutive years and regained the top spot in 2024. Its flagship tournament, the Free Fire World Series (FFWS), set a record in 2021 with 5.4 million peak concurrent viewers—the highest in mobile esports history. The Free Fire trading card collection will launch globally in September.
MLBB, an international 5v5 MOBA title released in 2016, is now available in over 135 countries with more than 1.5 billion cumulative users. As the leading MOBA title in overseas markets, it dominates charts in Southeast Asia and has been featured at the Southeast Asian Games and the Esports World Cup. Kayou's new line ties closely to the game's universe while incorporating Southeast Asian themes, boosting fan engagement and collectible value. The MLBB collection is also slated for worldwide release.
Kayou plans to use flagship overseas product lines such as Free Fire and MLBB to build a "localized IP + collectible ecosystem" model. With Asia as its launchpad, the company will expand this model into other regions with strong demand for global IP-driven collectibles.
Expanding into Mature Markets: Spotlight at the Tokyo Toy Show
Held at Tokyo Big Sight from August 28 to 31, the Tokyo Toy Show brought together nearly 1,000 exhibitors and over 90,000 attendees. As Asia's longest-running professional toy fair, now in its 59th edition, the event is a cornerstone for innovation and trendsetting in the global toy and collectibles industry.
Widely regarded as one of the world's top ten toy fairs, the Tokyo Toy Show is a platform where Disney, Mattel, Bandai and other global brands showcase their latest releases. This year, Kayou joined that lineup, presenting its newest global portfolio, connecting with international partners, and gaining insights into evolving fan preferences.
At the show, Kayou featured a wide array of IP-based collectibles, including trading cards, figures, acrylic stands, and badges. With strong product design and an integrated supply chain, Kayou's booth became a destination for buyers and collectors from around the world.
In Japan's toy and collectibles market, trading card games (TCG) are the fastest-growing category, hitting 302.463 billion yen (approx. USD 2.05 billion) in 2024, according to the Japan Toy Association. With iconic brands like Pokémon, Bandai, Takara Tomy, Konami, and Bushiroad leading the category, Kayou's Tokyo debut marks an important opportunity to enter one of the most competitive segments in the hobby industry.
Following its 2024 partnership with Hasbro, Kayou introduced the first Japanese-language edition of its My Little Pony trading card game and hosted live demo play at its booth. The game's unique mechanics, distinctive artwork, and premium production quality drew strong reactions from attendees, reinforcing Kayou's product development expertise and global outlook.
By participating in both Indonesia and Japan, Kayou demonstrated a differentiated global market strategy: rolling out localized and accessible products in emerging markets while reinforcing its premium positioning in established ones. Together, these events highlight a two-track strategy—driving growth in developing regions and pushing product innovation forward in mature markets—marking a major step forward in Kayou's international expansion.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Kayou Showcases Global Expansion Strategy with Major Debuts in Indonesia and Japan
Kayou Showcases Global Expansion Strategy with Major Debuts in Indonesia and Japan
ALULA, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the official opening of Desert X AlUla 2026, the landmark fourth edition of the international, open-air biennial exhibition. Arts AlUla, in collaboration with Desert X, welcomes visitors to experience a stellar line-up of Saudi and international multi-generational artists whose site-responsive earthworks, sculptures, and installations will engage in a powerful dialogue with the awe-inspiring landscapes and layered heritage of AlUla.
As a premier destination rich in ancient history and breathtaking nature, AlUla, located in Northwest Saudi Arabia, solidifies its position on the global stage as a dynamic, emerging land art destination with Desert X AlUla, the region's first public art biennale, and a key highlight of the AlUla Arts Festival.
The 2026 edition of Desert X AlUla brings together 11 acclaimed artists whose diverse works reflect a wide spectrum of ideas, materials, and traditions. From monumental kinetic sculpture to sound-based explorations above and below ground, each commission is deeply rooted in relationships to AlUla's distinctive environment, further cementing Desert X AlUla's reputation as a globally significant platform for site-responsive land art.
Desert X AlUla runs until February 28, 2026, as a cornerstone of the annual AlUla Arts Festival. Curated by Wejdan Reda, Zoé Whitley, with artistic direction by Neville Wakefield, and Raneem Farsi, its fourth edition explores 'Space Without Measure.' Inspired by Kahlil Gibran, the theme fosters contemplation of imagination within AlUla's natural settings. The exhibition, set in the desert canyons of AlUla, serves as a pre-opening programme for Wadi AlFann, offering a pivotal glimpse into AlUla's plans to create a permanent land art 'Valley of the Arts.'
Hamad Alhomiedan, Director of Arts & Creative Industries at the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), said: "At Desert X AlUla 2026, audiences will engage with art that deeply converses with AlUla's unique landscapes and rich heritage. These compelling commissions highlight AlUla's dynamic transformation into a major global destination, where ancient and contemporary expressions converge. This exhibition is part of our broader revitalisation of AlUla as a culturally rich destination to live, work and visit and integral to positioning AlUla in the global dialogue of contemporary art and as a precursor to monumental projects like Wadi AlFann."
Participating artist/artworks are:
- Sara Abdu, A Kingdom Where No One Dies: Contours of Resonance
- Mohammad Alfaraj, What was the Question Again?
- Mohammed AlSaleem, The Thorn, AlShuruf Unit, The Triangles, Flower Bud, and Al Ahilla (courtesy of Royal Commission for Riyadh City)
- Tarek Atoui, The Water Song
- Bahraini-Danish, Bloom
- Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Imole Red
- Agnes Denes, The Living Pyramid
- Ibrahim El-Salahi, Haraza Tree
- Basmah Felemban, Murmur of Pebbles
- Vibha Galhotra, Future Fables
- Héctor Zamora, Tar HyPar
For further information, please contact:
Sabrine.Shaw@bursonglobal.com
AlUlaArtsFestival@bursonglobal.com
Multimedia gallery:
High-resolution photos of all 11 artists and their artworks can be found here.
About AlUla and Arts AlUla
Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.
The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages. AlUla Old Town Village, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes was developed from at least the 12th century and has been revitalised as the vibrant hub for visitors and residents.
The creation of Arts AlUla within The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is a commitment to crafting the next chapters in a millennia of artistic creation – celebrating cultural inheritance and shaping a future inspired by artists built be artists. The work of Arts AlUla seeks to preserve this legacy: fuse the old with the new; the local with the international, keeping the arts central to the spirit of AlUla as a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage.
Wadi AlFann, meaning 'Valley of the Arts,' will be a global cultural destination for land art, unveiling from 2028 onwards, where era-defining works by artists from around the world will be permanently sited in the monumental landscape of AlUla, the extraordinary desert region of north-west Saudi Arabia.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Desert X AlUla 2026: monumental land art exhibition opens in the ancient oasis of AlUla
