《Market Wisdom》Benefiting from sustained robust domestic and overseas demand, optimized policy environment, and technology breakthroughs, the mainland gaming industry is embracing development opportunities, with industry growth momentum accelerating.
*Dual growth in mainland gaming market size and user base, promising revenue and profit potential for the sector*
The expansion of the mainland gaming market continues. According to the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, the sales revenue of the mainland gaming market reached 188.45 billion yuan (RMB, same below) in the first half of 2026, representing a year-on-year increase of 12.17%, while the user base surpassed 684 million, setting a new historical high. This growth trend is primarily driven by the successive launch of multiple games and the stable performance of classic popular titles. According to Niko Partners, a global gaming market research firm, the size of the mainland gaming market is expected to gradually rise from 347.5 billion yuan in 2025 to 401.2 billion yuan in 2030, with the number of gaming users further increasing to 769 million. The dual growth in market size and user numbers provides strong momentum for the sector's overall revenue and profitability.
*Regulatory expansion and AI technology advancements support mainland gaming industry development*
The mainland government is supporting high-quality development of the gaming industry from two dimensions: market access and productivity innovation. First, game license approvals continue to expand. According to data from the National Press and Publication Administration, a total of 917 domestic game licenses were approved in the first half of 2026, a 21% year-on-year increase, with the normalization of approvals significantly enhancing market supply. In addition, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology can significantly shorten development cycles and reduce costs. According to data from Gamma Data and Sina.com, the maturity of AI technology has greatly reduced the time required for game design background and beautification tasks, cutting design time from 3 to 5 days down to just minutes, and compressing the overall development cycle from dozens of days to within a week. It is estimated that by 2030, AI will bring up to 84.6 billion yuan in new value to the mainland gaming market, significantly enhancing the industry's production efficiency and innovation capabilities.
*Continued growth in overseas revenue from mainland games, forming a second growth curve*
In recent years, the mainland gaming industry has actively expanded into overseas markets, becoming a key growth driver. According to statistics from the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, mainland game developers generated actual overseas sales revenue of 12.372 billion (USD, same below) in the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 30.22%, marking the fastest growth rate in six years. According to market research firm Market Research Future, the global gaming market is expected to grow from 297.98 billion yuan in 2025 to 1,038.94 billion yuan in 2035, with a compound annual growth rate of 13.30%. As mainland gaming companies continue to achieve breakthroughs in technological R&D and content innovation, overseas markets are becoming a new engine driving long-term industry development. Overall, under the combined effect of multiple favorable factors, the mainland gaming industry has entered a new stage of high-quality development, and its future prospects are promising.
Source: China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, Niko Partners, National Press and Publication Administration, Gamma Data, Sina.com, Market Research Future
《ICBC (Asia) Securities Business Division Analyst, Yip Tsz Hang》
*The author is a Securities and Futures Commission licensed professional and does not hold any of the aforementioned shares
*Articles published in "Economic Times" under named or anonymous authorship reflect the personal opinions of the authors and do not represent the stance of "Economic Times"; "Economic Times" serves as a platform providing free expression of views.
*Dual growth in mainland gaming market size and user base, promising revenue and profit potential for the sector*
The expansion of the mainland gaming market continues. According to the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, the sales revenue of the mainland gaming market reached 188.45 billion yuan (RMB, same below) in the first half of 2026, representing a year-on-year increase of 12.17%, while the user base surpassed 684 million, setting a new historical high. This growth trend is primarily driven by the successive launch of multiple games and the stable performance of classic popular titles. According to Niko Partners, a global gaming market research firm, the size of the mainland gaming market is expected to gradually rise from 347.5 billion yuan in 2025 to 401.2 billion yuan in 2030, with the number of gaming users further increasing to 769 million. The dual growth in market size and user numbers provides strong momentum for the sector's overall revenue and profitability.
*Regulatory expansion and AI technology advancements support mainland gaming industry development*
The mainland government is supporting high-quality development of the gaming industry from two dimensions: market access and productivity innovation. First, game license approvals continue to expand. According to data from the National Press and Publication Administration, a total of 917 domestic game licenses were approved in the first half of 2026, a 21% year-on-year increase, with the normalization of approvals significantly enhancing market supply. In addition, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology can significantly shorten development cycles and reduce costs. According to data from Gamma Data and Sina.com, the maturity of AI technology has greatly reduced the time required for game design background and beautification tasks, cutting design time from 3 to 5 days down to just minutes, and compressing the overall development cycle from dozens of days to within a week. It is estimated that by 2030, AI will bring up to 84.6 billion yuan in new value to the mainland gaming market, significantly enhancing the industry's production efficiency and innovation capabilities.
*Continued growth in overseas revenue from mainland games, forming a second growth curve*
In recent years, the mainland gaming industry has actively expanded into overseas markets, becoming a key growth driver. According to statistics from the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, mainland game developers generated actual overseas sales revenue of 12.372 billion (USD, same below) in the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 30.22%, marking the fastest growth rate in six years. According to market research firm Market Research Future, the global gaming market is expected to grow from 297.98 billion yuan in 2025 to 1,038.94 billion yuan in 2035, with a compound annual growth rate of 13.30%. As mainland gaming companies continue to achieve breakthroughs in technological R&D and content innovation, overseas markets are becoming a new engine driving long-term industry development. Overall, under the combined effect of multiple favorable factors, the mainland gaming industry has entered a new stage of high-quality development, and its future prospects are promising.
Source: China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, Niko Partners, National Press and Publication Administration, Gamma Data, Sina.com, Market Research Future
《ICBC (Asia) Securities Business Division Analyst, Yip Tsz Hang》
*The author is a Securities and Futures Commission licensed professional and does not hold any of the aforementioned shares
*Articles published in "Economic Times" under named or anonymous authorship reflect the personal opinions of the authors and do not represent the stance of "Economic Times"; "Economic Times" serves as a platform providing free expression of views.
