Gamification has been widely integrated into foreign language learning to enhance students’ motivation, engagement, and learning performance. Despite a growing body of studies demonstrating the effectiveness of gamified foreign language learning, a systematic review using a scientific and reliable approach to identify the developmental trajectory and research focus in this field remains limited. To address this gap, this study provides a comprehensive overview of gamified foreign language learning through bibliometric analysis. Following the PRISMA framework, a total of 214 peer-reviewed journal articles published from 2016 to 2025 were extracted from the Scopus database and analyzed through bibliometric and keyword co-occurrence analysis. The results revealed that research on gamified foreign language learning has entered a rapid expansion phase. However, research in this field is mainly concentrated in a limited number of regions, institutions, and journals, with a particular emphasis on EFL higher education contexts. Additionally, four major research themes were also discussed in this study. In conclusion, this study clarified the research landscape of gamified foreign language learning and highlighted the need for more theory-informed, context-diverse, and pedagogically grounded research in future studies.
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