Exhibit 99.1
DarkIris
Inc. Issues 2026 Chairman’s Letter to Shareholders
HONG
KONG, February 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DarkIris Inc. (Nasdaq: DKI) (the “Company” or “DarkIris”), a comprehensive
technology enterprise engaged in the development, publishing and operating of mobile digital games through various third-party digital
storefronts, today announced the release its 2026 letter to shareholders from Mr. Zhifang Hong, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
of Directors of DarkIris.
In
the letter, Mr. Hong reflects on the Company’s key achievements in 2025, including its Nasdaq listing and operational progress
in its core business. He also announces a major strategic initiative for 2026: the development of an Artificial Intelligence-Generated
Content (“AIGC”) platform to drive a dual-engine growth strategy of “core gaming business + artificial intelligence
(AI) digital content.”
The
full text of the letter follows.
Dear
shareholders, partners, and friends of DarkIris,
As
we step into 2026, on behalf of DarkIris’s management team, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your continued trust
and support.
2025:
A Year of Milestones
2025
marked a significant milestone in the Company’s development. We successfully listed on Nasdaq in August, gaining access to a broader
capital platform for future growth. Facing a complex and evolving market environment, the Company steadily advanced its operational plans
and continuously optimized its organizational structure and technical capabilities, laying a solid foundation for the next stage of strategic
advancement.
2025
Operational Review: Robust Operations and Continuous Optimization
In
fiscal year 2025, the Company achieved revenue of US$10.08 million, representing a 27.3% increase from US$ 7.92 million in 2024. This
growth was primarily driven by the continued contribution of games launched in 2024 and the successful release of new titles in 2025.
Despite
temporary cost pressures from increased promotional spending and higher revenue sharing with third-party platforms, our overall operational
quality continued to improve, with core performance metrics maintaining a positive trajectory:
| ● | Active
users base continued to expand, with daily active users (DAUs) and monthly active users
(MAUs) rebounding significantly in Q4 following new releases and strengthened operations. |
| | | |
| ● | Monthly
paying users (MPUs) and average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) both increased,
reflecting tangible progress in refined operations and improved conversion of mid-to-high-value
users. |
2026
Strategic Blueprint: Launching the AIGC Business Line to Embrace the Intelligent Era
Building
on the solid foundation of our core gaming business in 2025, the Company has decided to officially launch its AIGC film and video content
business line, establishing AIGC as one of its core strategic directions for future development.
This
business line will focus on AI-driven content creation and production services, covering script and storyboard generation, virtual character
and scene production, short-form videos creation and digital content production. It aims to provide efficient, low-marginal-cost solutions
for film producers, content platforms, and brand clients.
AIGC
represents a deep integration of generative AI technologies, enabling a fully digital production process from scriptwriting and character
modeling to short-form and digital content generation. By overcoming the limitations of traditional live-action production in terms of
scene, cost, and production cycle, AIGC can significantly enhance production efficiency, visual quality and creative expression.
According
to Grand View Research, the global AI applications market in media and entertainment (including film and video) was approximately US$25.98
billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$99.48 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 24.2%.
Market.us also estimates that the global AI-in-film market will grow from approximately US$1.8 billion in 2024 to US$14 billion in 2033,
with a CAGR of roughly 25.7%. These trends indicate that AI technologies are profoundly reshaping the creation, distribution, and consumption
models across the content industry.
Against
this backdrop, the Company will build a dual-engine -driven growth model of “content + infrastructure” focusing on two main
directions:
| ● | Global
Gaming Sector: Utilizing AIGC to enhance game research and development (R&D) efficiency
and content quality, while exploring highly intelligent next-generation development methodologies. |
| ● | Global
Film and Video Sector: Applying AIGC technologies to enhance content production efficiency
and visual appeal, expanding capabilities in short-form and digital content creation. |
The
Company will continue to experiment and validate these capabilities, transforming them into reusable and scalable industry-grade infrastructure.
Core
Engine: Proprietary AIGC Platform
The
Company is developing a comprehensive AIGC platform covering script creation, character modeling, and content generation, with key advantages
including:
| ● | Efficiency
Improvement: AI-generated images, storyboards, scenes, and character dynamics are expected
to improve early-stage art and pre-visualization efficiency by over 90%, significantly shortening
project lead times. |
| ● | Cost
Optimization: AI-assisted generation of visual effects, rendering, and post-production
assets reduces reliance on outsourcing, potentially to cut post-production costs by 50%–70%. |
| ● | Creative
Flexibility: The platform supports rapid multi-version and multi-style generation, enhancing
the flexibility of content testing and market adaptation. |
Upon
full deployment, the platform is projected to increase overall video content production efficiency by approximately 60% and reduce labor
costs by about 25%, laying the foundation for large-scale production of high-quality video content.
Rationale
and Preparation for AIGC Expansion
| ● | Feasibility:
The Company has accumulated mature content production workflows, visual asset management
capabilities, and commercialization experience in game R&D and digital content productions,
supported by a stable technical team and strong project management expertise. |
| ● | Risk
Management: The AI film and video business will operate as an independent business line,
with phased investment, project-based validation, and commercialization-first strategies
to avoid diverting resources from the core gaming business. |
| ● | Financial
Support: Following its listing, the Company maintains healthy cash flow and sufficient
financial reserves, enabling robust support for AI content R&D and productization while
sustaining investment in its core gaming business. |
Team
Development and Implementation Plan
| ● | Team
Composition: Core members include AI video experts and senior game producers with experience
in building AI platforms, scalable production systems, and commercial operations from the
ground up. The team currently consists of 11 members, and it will be structured around a
dual-driven structure of “technology R&D + content production” (30% R&D,
70% content production). |
| | | |
| ● | Implementation
Plan: The Alpha version of the platform is expected to be completed for internal testing
in Q2 2026, followed by the Beta 1.0 release for trial use by small- and medium-sized production
teams in Q3 2026. |
We
firmly believe that the combination of a top-tier team, a proprietary platform, and deep industry expertise will enable the AIGC business
to open a new growth curve for the Company and create sustainable technological and content value for shareholders.
Looking
ahead to 2026 and beyond, DarkIris will maintain a long-term perspective, ensuring stable growth in its core gaming business while fully
advancing its AIGC strategy. We are committed to delivering richer entertainment experiences to global users, expanding commercial opportunities
for partners, and ultimately generating sustainable long-term value for shareholders.
Zhifang
Hong
Chief
Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors
DarkIris
Inc.
About
DarkIris Inc.
DarkIris
Inc. is a comprehensive technology enterprise based in Hong Kong, engaged in the development, publishing and operating of mobile digital
games through various third-party digital storefronts. The Company conducts its business through its subsidiaries, Quantum Arts Co.,
Limited and Hongkong Stellar Wisdom Co., Limited. The Company’s activities include game design, programming and graphics, as well
as the distribution and operation of mobile games across multiple platforms. DarkIris leverages (i) the innovative, creative and technical
expertise of Hong Kong’s gaming industry community, and (ii) the multicultural environment and diverse interests of mobile game
players in the regions. The Company’s goal is to create and promote a broader array of engaging, immersive, and captivating mobile
game genres for a global audience. The Company is committed to consistently showcasing exceptional strength and unique allure across
diverse gaming sectors, leading the way in pioneering advancements within the industry. For more information, please visit the Company’s
website: www.darkiris.com.
Forward-Looking
Statements
This
press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performances, and underlying assumptions
and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as “may,” “will,”
“intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,”
“estimate” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results
to differ materially from the Company’s expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject
to uncertainties and risks, including, but not limited to, the following: the Company’s ability to achieve its goals and strategies,
the Company’s future business development and plans for future business development, including its financial conditions and results
of operations, product and service demand and acceptance, reputation and brand, the impact of competition and pricing, changes in technology,
government regulations, fluctuations in general economic and business conditions, the Company’s ability to comply with Nasdaq continued
listing standards and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing and other risks contained in reports filed by the Company
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to
place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s
filings with the SEC, as well as its current reports on Form 6-K and other filings, all of which are available for review at www.sec.gov.
The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise
after the date hereof.
For
investor and media inquiries, please contact:
DarkIris
Inc.
Investor
Relations Department
Email: dki@darkiris.com
Ascent
Investor Relations LLC
Tina
Xiao
Phone: +1 646-932-7242
Email: investors@ascent-ir.com
A
video accompanying this release is available at https://pr.globenewswire.com/FileDownloader/DownloadFile?source=pnr&fileGuid=3ba6cba4-8036-46c2-97c0-235c0fd7f56e
[Video:
https: //youtu.be/VCrrosnirJ0?si=K3WQkmWpalCXJ0Ad]
DARKIRIS'
AIGC Brand AIDEPTUS Unveils Latest Exploration Results
DARKIRIS'
AIGC brand AIDEPTUS has released its latest showcase in the field of AI generative content. The sample reel covers the creation of diverse
character archetypes, ranging from realistic to fantastical, demonstrating advancements in AI-driven dynamic visual expression through
the integration of technology and narrative. At the same time, the project focuses on maintaining character coherence amidst rapidly
shifting visual scenes, seeking to explore new possibilities for AI in narrative content generation.
