What was once considered a niche interest has evolved into one of Southeast Asia’s most influential consumer forces.
Across the region, gaming and anime communities are no longer just audiences for entertainment. They have become highly engaged consumer groups whose interests increasingly shape how brands design products, build experiences and connect with customers.
For Liam Cheng, regional marketing head of Southeast Asia and Middle East at Ugreen, this shift has fundamentally changed how technology brands approach collaborations with major entertainment franchises. Drawing from the company’s latest partnership with HoYoverse for the Ugreen × Honkai: Star Rail collection, Cheng said fan communities today expect far more than traditional co-branding efforts.
“Gaming and anime communities have evolved from niche subcultures into a defining cultural force across Southeast Asia, and fan expectations have rightfully evolved right along with them,” Cheng told Philstar.com in an interview.
The changing landscape became clear following Ugreen’s earlier collaboration with Genshin Impact. According to Cheng, the project revealed just how passionate gaming communities across Southeast Asia have become, both online and offline.
“When you create products that tie into characters, we’ve seen much stronger engagement across social discussions, user-generated content and purchase interest than with many traditional lifestyle or product-focused campaigns,” he explained.
What stood out most, Cheng added, was that fans were not simply looking for products carrying the logo of a popular franchise. Instead, they expected collaborations to feel authentic to the source material while also serving a meaningful purpose in their everyday lives. Those lessons directly informed Ugreen’s approach to its latest collaboration with Honkai: Star Rail. Rather than focusing solely on collectibles, the company aimed to create practical technology accessories that incorporate visual elements and design assets from the video game while maintaining the brand’s product functionality.
“The biggest challenge was finding the right balance between authenticity and practicality. We didn’t want to create a product that was simply collectible. We wanted something fans would genuinely enjoy using every day,” said Cheng.
Throughout the product development process, Ugreen worked closely with Honkai: Star Rail, combining the latter’s visual elements with their expertise in charging technology, craftsmanship and user experience.
The growing influence of fandom-driven consumer behavior also reflects a broader generational shift across Southeast Asia. Cheng noted that many people who grew up playing games and watching animated series have entered adulthood with significant purchasing power, bringing their interests with them into mainstream culture.
“From what we’ve observed, many fans are looking for collaborations that go beyond superficial co-branding. They want collaborations that let their favorite IPs fit naturally and meaningfully into their everyday lives. The value isn’t just in owning a collectible; it’s in having a piece of the world they love be part of their regular routine, whether that’s a charger on their work desk or a power bank they carry every day,” Cheng said.
Beyond the products themselves, fan expectations now extend to how brands participate within their communities.
According to Cheng, today’s fans want brands to engage in the spaces where communities already gather, whether through conventions, fan meetups or online ecosystems. They are looking for shared experiences rather than one-way marketing campaigns.
That trend influenced Ugreen’s decision to showcase its Honkai: Star Rail collection during HoYo Fest 2026 across six Southeast Asian markets, including the Philippines. The events allow fans to see the products firsthand while participating in a larger celebration of the games and characters they enjoy.
“From a brand perspective, one of the core principles of marketing is connecting with the right audience in the right environment, and that’s why participating in HoYo Fest is an important part of how we engage with the Honkai: Star Rail community,” said Cheng.
He emphasized that the company’s presence at the event is not driven solely by sales objectives. Instead, it serves as an opportunity to build stronger connections of the collaboration. Beyond visibility, community events provide insights that are difficult to obtain through digital analytics alone.
While online campaigns provide data on reach and engagement, face-to-face interactions allow brands to gather feedback that often cannot be measured through reports and spreadsheets. These conversations help companies better understand what fans value and can influence future collaborations.
“Nothing replaces the value of standing on the event floor, talking directly to players and hearing their unfiltered thoughts in real time. These insights help shape our future brand collaborations, enabling us to create products that resonate more deeply with fans and deliver the experiences they truly want,” Cheng said.
The shift reflects how collaborations between technology brands and entertainment franchises are evolving across Southeast Asia. Rather than treating fans as passive consumers, companies are increasingly looking for ways to involve communities more directly in the creative process and build experiences that extend beyond the products themselves.
The Philippines, in particular, remains one of the markets that Ugreen sees as especially important within the region’s gaming landscape. Cheng described Filipino gamers as highly engaged users who regularly move between multiple devices throughout their day, creating demand for technology products that are both practical and personal.
“What sticks with people is knowing the brand understands how they actually use tech in their own lives. That kind of thoughtful, utility-first collaboration is how we build long-term trust with Filipino gamers, rather than just driving a temporary spike in attention.” Cheng noted.
Looking ahead, Cheng sees opportunities for brands and entertainment franchises to create deeper engagements with fans, whether through more immersive community experiences or products that become a natural part of everyday routines.
As gaming communities continue to grow across the region, he believes successful collaborations will be shaped not only by the strength of an intellectual property, but also by how well brands understand the communities surrounding it.
“At the end of the day, these collaborations are never just about co-branding. They’re about meeting fans where they are, and bringing the worlds they love into the tech they use every single day,” he concluded.