The Chinese game market is the biggest in the world in terms of both revenue size and the number of players. This country is a unique ecosystem with its own platforms, publishers, and strict government regulation.
While this market is characterized by high competition and rapid technological growth, it features an array of specific traits that set it apart from Western markets. Join us in this article as we break down the statistics about video games in China.
Key facts about China’s game market
Home to 1.411 billion people, China is second only to India in terms of population.
Online gaming in China is among the biggest and most rapidly-growing sectors of online business in the world. As of 2022, China was the second-largest online gaming market after the United States. In 2023, 668 million Internet users who played online games were recorded in the country, and the industry was valued at 42 billion USD.
Mobile games dominate the ranking, accounting for over 70% of the overall market. This is due to the country’s high prevalence of smartphone usage and well-developed mobile payment infrastructure.
In 2024, the highest growth in personal expenses was recorded in the PC gaming sphere. 62% of players said they had spent more money this year compared to last year, with 19% stating that they had spent at least 30% more than in the previous year.
Steam has retained its position as China’s number 1 platform of choice for PC game distribution. Overall, players access the international version of Steam without using VPN services. Of those who play premium-class games, 79.5% use Steam.
Mini-games have become one of the main areas of development for mobile projects, which have around 650 million players. According to a survey by Niko, 2/3 of mobile gamers play mini-games either daily or multiple times per week.
Player profile
The main audience for China’s game market comprises people aged between 18 and 35 who live in large cities. 53.8% of gamers are men and 46.2% are women, but the female audience is experiencing steady growth. The average age of Chinese gamers is 35.
China is home to over 660 million active players. On average, Chinese gamers play for around 12.4 hours per week. Over 95% of gamers play mobile games, around 45% play PC games, and approximately 30% use consoles.
A little more data about players in China. Source
Chinese players’ preferences can differ from Western tastes:
- MMORPGs and MOBA games are hugely popular, likely because of the social and teamwork aspects they provide.
- Battle Royale and shooters account for a significant portion of the market. They combine teamwork with a competitive element and are also suitable for mobile devices.
- Casual and hypercasual games dominate the mobile segment. Such games are available for all ages and don’t require a lot of time.
Government restrictions on video games for minors
China has a strict system for regulating minors’ access to games:
- They are only permitted to play for a limited amount of time—90 minutes on weekdays and three hours on weekends. This is reportedly necessary to prevent gaming addiction among teenagers.
- Alongside this, there is a ban on games in place between 10 PM and 8 AM.
- Users must sign up for games with their real personal data—sometimes this even includes facial recognition. Children under the age of 16 are banned from signing up for streaming services.
- Alongside these measures, manufacturers of mobile devices, app stores, and developers have implemented modes for minors. Such features in mobile games and apps restrict user access after a set time limit has been surpassed (with the exception of apps pre-approved by parents).
- In-app purchases are also subject to restrictions — minors cannot spend over 400 yuan (around 60 dollars) on one game within a one-month period.
Other laws
Just like the majority of mass media, games are regulated by the government and the Communist Party of China. Since games are considered a cultural value, additional ministries have a say in their development—the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Radio and Television Administration. These organizations support domestic developers.
All video games are subject to state censorship. Publishers are required to get a license from the NRTA (National Radio and Television Administration) before releasing games. The Ministry of Culture controls the submission of applications and launching of games to the market.
Examples of banned games:
- Hearts of Iron (for “distorting history and damaging China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”).
- I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike (for “intentionally blackening China and the Chinese army’s image”).
Many games are subject to content censorship. Images of skeletons and skulls, for instance, are often removed or substituted. In 2018, the Online Game Ethics Committee was established, which banned or demanded the withdrawal of 9 games (including Fortnite, PUBG, and H1Z1) and also demanded changes be made to 11 games (including Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Diablo 3, and League of Legends).
Developers are fined for launching without state approval, sometimes for sums 5-10 times larger than the game’s revenue. The government gets partial ownership of technology companies (including Tencent).
The year 2021 saw the release of recommendations on limiting LGBT content in games.
Chinese game developers
Not only do Chinese companies dominate the domestic market, they’re also expanding on the international scene — you’ve probably heard of Tencent and NetEase. But we’re not here to talk about only these companies.
- Tencent (owner of WeChat and the world’s largest game publisher)
The world’s largest company in terms of revenue from video games, Tencent holds shares in numerous big-name studios, such as: Riot Games (100%), Epic Games (40%), Ubisoft (5%), and Activision Blizzard (5%).
The publisher of PUBG Mobile and Honor of Kings (Arena of Valor), as well as the development company behind WeChat and QQ — China’s biggest social platforms, which are also integrated with games.
PUBG Mobile. Source
- NetEase (China’s second-biggest publisher)
A famous developer of mobile games and MMOs, this company collaborates with Blizzard to publish their games in China (World of Warcraft, Hearthstone). NetEase also develops its own successful titles: Identity V, Knives Out, Rules of Survival.
Knives Out. Source
- miHoYo (creators of Genshin Impact)
Founded in 2012, this relatively young company is the creator of the incredibly successful Genshin Impact, which has earned over 4 billion dollars. This studio also developed Honkai Impact 3rd and Tears of Themis.
Genshin Impact. Source
- Beijing Perfect World
Specializing in MMORPGs, this is the company behind Perfect World, Jade Dynasty, and Neverwinter Online. It’s a strong player on the domestic market as well as the international stage.
Perfect World. Source
Esports in China
China leads the world in the esport industry. The country has a highly developed system of professional leagues, tournaments, and training facilities. Popular disciplines include League of Legends, Dota 2, and Honor of Kings. Esports enjoy state recognition as an official type of sport, and many universities offer related educational programs.
Popular and successful players include Fly100%, InFi, Jibo, Like, and Liooon.
In 2024, revenue from the Chinese esport industry grew by 4.6% and reached 27.6 billion yuan (3.8 billion dollars).
How do I adapt my project for China?
Games entering the Chinese market must comply with the local cultural norms and values:
- Avoid politically sensitive content
- Adhere to traditional Chinese values
- Where possible, including elements of Chinese culture and mythology would be ideal
- Comply with government content requirements
When localizing games into Chinese, there is a range of important nuances to bear in mind:
- Dialects and language standards
In mainland China, Simplified Chinese (简体中文) is used, as opposed to Traditional—which is widespread in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Studios should account for the regional differences in terminology that exist even within mainland China. Gaming slang in China greatly differs from other regions where Chinese is spoken.
- Technical considerations
Chinese characters require Unicode support, and it’s also necessary to account for vertical text in certain interface elements.
Typefaces must properly display all of the required characters. Games must support pinyin (romanized Chinese characters) as well as handwritten text input.
- Cultural considerations in translation
The names of characters often require cultural adaptation instead of direct translation. Idioms and sayings are best replaced with Chinese equivalents (成语).
Humor must be adapted to fit the Chinese cultural context. Cultural significance is placed on numbers (for example, 4 is considered unlucky whereas 8 is lucky).
- Considerations for various aspects of localization
Dialogs: it’s important to preserve the correct levels of formality and maintain the social hierarchy.
Be sure to consider the time required to read characters when implementing subtitles. It’s also crucial to cast actors with the correct accent in Mandarin Chinese.
All of this requires providing the localization team with the full context and reference materials, explaining the cultural references, and describing the characters’ personalities in order to pick the right tone.
Native speakers are often brought in for localization, since they can help check whether texts sound natural. Testing is also often carried out by Chinese players.
During the translation process, it’s recommended to use glossaries and translation databases to ensure uniformity, carry out reverse translation for quality control, consult with native experts on specific cultural concerns, and bear in mind possible censorship restrictions.
Here at INLINGO, we can handle all of that. Reach out to discuss your project.
