L10N Journal

Game Translation User Research: Groundwork, New Research, and Prospects

Miguel Á. Bernal-Merino — 2025-12-29

In this paper, we survey selected tenets of an emerging program in video game translation studies – Game Translation User Research (GTUR). Explicitly aligned with Games User Research (GUR), GTUR seeks to capture in a systematic way how translation feeds into the experience of video game users. Drawing on examples, we probe some of the relevant conceptual and terminological distinctions that contextualize the thematic issue this article introduces, featuring papers from an international lineup of scholars who showcase new user-centric video game translation research.

Localization playability: Users’ perception in the English translation of the Chinese game “Depersonalization”

Jemma Louise Stafford — 2025-12-29

This article examines the role of the written word in the localization of Depersonalization (Meow Nature 2019/2024), a Chinese-developed role-playing game (RPG), and its broader implications for the localization of Chinese-developed RPGs from a player reception perspective. Using a novel approach of analyzing netnographic data from Steam reviews in tandem with post-hoc playtest interviews, this brief reception study explores how written elements (visual-verbal/visual-non-verbal) influence perceptions of localization. The findings indicate that while written elements contribute to player reception, it does not function independently but interacts with visual and auditory elements. Steam reviews highlight translation concerns more frequently than play tester interviews, suggesting differences between post-hoc reflection and in-actu gameplay experiences. Play testers primarily noted issues when their experience was disrupted or provoked humor, whereas Steam reviewers provided broader critiques. Applying cultural schema theory, this article argues that player expectations, shaped by prior gaming experiences and community discourse, significantly influence perceptions of localization quality. The research underscores the need for a holistic approach that considers both textual accuracy and multimodal coherence. Future research should examine how different game genres and player demographics shape localization reception and how online discourse influences perceptions of translation quality.

Translating the Player Experience: Exploring Immersion in the Context of Videogame Localization

George Vasilikaris — 2025-12-29

Over the past two decades, video games have established themselves as a par excellence medium of immersive storytelling, aiming to provide unique experiences to players around the globe. Although video game localization has only relatively recently been recognized as a distinct translation modality, the field has matured rapidly since the early 2010s (Mangiron, 2018). Research to date has largely focused on its defining features and on the analysis of localization models and processes, while, more recently, a limited number of user-centered approaches have emerged, elucidating how localization shapes gaming experiences across cultures (e.g., Bernal-Merino, 2014; Bernal-Merino et al., 2023; Deckert & Hejduk, 2024; O’Hagan, 2019). By contrast, research on both video games and video game localization within the Greek context remains largely unexplored, creating a significant research gap. In light of this, the present paper seeks to shed light on the landscape of video game localization in Greece and to examine whether translators’ choices can hinder or enhance player experience and the sense of immersion. Specifically, this paper reports on a qualitative study of immersion involving 10 League of Legends (Riot Games, 2009–present) players, who volunteered their perspectives by providing feedback on selected in-game quotations through semi-structured interviews.

A Player Reception Study of Black Myth: Wukong: The Translation of Culturally Specific In-game Items

Dariush Robertson — 2025-12-29

The English and Chinese video game markets are the largest worldwide, resulting in high demand for localization between these languages. In the Chinese-to-English direction, this has traditionally involved highly culture-specific video games based on Chinese history or inspired by Chinese literature, which were often approached through text-only, lower-budget partial localizations. These practices have gained increasing academic attention in recent years. More recently, however, several higher-budget titles have been localized into English and widely publicized on the global stage, the most prominent being Black Myth: Wukong, an action role-playing game (ARPG) inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. This study investigates the approaches used to translate culturally specific in-game items with interactive properties and examines how players have received these translations. By integrating elements of corpus design with player reception research, the study demonstrates that foreignizing strategies can enhance a sense of cultural immersion, while domesticating strategies can facilitate a smoother interactive gaming experience. It also shows that attempting to achieve both simultaneously presents significant challenges. Moreover, the strong tendency toward foreignizing approaches challenges the notion that such games have been localized in a traditional sense and instead points to a more hesitant “journey west.”

Audience and Player Preferences Regarding the Cultural Localization of (Non)Interactive Multimedia Products in Iran

Amir Arsalan Zoraqi — 2025-12-29

Existing survey-based user-centric game localization studies lack a detailed approach to audience preferences regarding the cultural aspects of (non)interactive multimedia localization. Thus, the present study seeks to provide an account of the culturalization preferences of the Persian audience in the context of video games and movies. By providing 209 Persian-speaking participants with a 23-item questionnaire based on content subject to modification in video games and movies (religious issues, sociocultural issues, and sociopolitical references), the results showed that the existing culturalization practices in Persian multimedia localization do not align with Persian audience preferences, except in dealing with sociopolitical references made to Iran. Demographic factors such as gender, age, and consumption habits influenced preferences, alongside strong correlations between views on game and movie localization and negative perceptions of censorship’s impact on quality. These findings have implications for more informed Persian game localization decisions, both for agencies and for policymakers.

Final Variable

Mária Koscelníková — 2025-12-29

The Final Variable section introduces the following publications:

Translation Studies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence;

Teaching Translation in the Age of Generative AI: New Paradigm, New Learning?;

Confronting Digital Dilemmas in Translator and Interpreter Training.