Competitive Landscape
Tencent Maintains Leadership as Netease Continues to Gain Share
Video games in China remained highly concentrated in 2025, with the top two companies, Tencent Holdings Ltd and NetEase Inc, accounting for a combined 69% share of retail value sales. Tencent led with 42%, while NetEase followed with 27%.
Mobile-First Franchises Continue to Outperform Hardware-Focused Players
Product innovation in 2025 remained concentrated in mobile and online launches, as evidenced by Tencent and Riot's Valorant Mobile and NetEase's Where Winds Meet, both of which scaled to millions of users shortly after release. By contrast, hardware remained a niche component of the market.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Video Games industry in China with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
If you're in the Video Games industry in China, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Video Games in China report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Video Games in China?
- Which are the leading brands in Video Games in China?
- How are products distributed in Video Games in China?
- How is the rise of e-commerce impacting the retail landscape and traditional outlets?
- What are the key safety regulations to observe in China?
- How has retail disruption following COVID-19 and national lockdown impacted sales?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
- Is it more important to appeal to children or adults?
Video Games in China - Category analysis
Key Data Insights
Video Games Summary
Tencent Drives Engagement as Digital Libraries Eclipse Physical Sales
Live-Service Franchises Sustain Software Dominance
Publishers Refine Mobile Engagement to Drive Spending Efficiency
Publishers Are Expected to Balance Domestic Engagement with Overseas Expansion
Software Is Set to Consolidate Its Dominance over Hardware
Ai and Compliance Are Expected to Reshape Monetisation and Retention Strategies
Tencent Maintains Leadership as Netease Continues to Gain Share
Mobile-First Franchises Continue to Outperform Hardware-Focused Players
Digital Distribution Leaves Store-Based Retail on the Margins
Digital Storefronts and Platform Ecosystems Shape Channel Development
Ai Personalisation and Regulatory Discipline Reshape Innovation
Valorant Mobile and Where Winds Meet Demonstrate the Power of Mobile-First Launches
Continuous Engagement Becomes the Primary Source of Value Creation
Toys and Games in China - Industry Overview
2025 Developments
Key Data Insights
Traditional Toys and Games Outpace Video Games as Premium Demand Accelerates
Collector Demand Reshapes Brand Rankings and Value Creation
Compliance and Channel Divergence Redefine Go-To-Market Strategies
Adult Collectors and Ip Brands Are Expected to Drive Future Value Growth
Compliance Requirements Are Expected to Play a Greater Role in Product Development
Premiumisation Is Expected to Support Resilience Amid Demographic Pressures
Pop Mart and Kayou Reshape Brand Rankings as Collectibles Gain Scale
Tencent and Netease Maintain Leadership through Mobile and Online Gaming
Retail E-Commerce Extends Its Lead as Offline Retail Plays a Supporting Role
Live-Commerce and Experiential Retail Strengthen Consumer Engagement
Collector Demand Shifts Product Development Towards Ip and Engagement
Blind-Box Collectibles, Trading Cards and Mobile Launches Set the Pace
Long-Term Engagement Becomes the Foundation of Value Creation
Country Reports Disclaimer
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Video Games
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- Hand-Held Consoles
- Static Consoles
- Gaming Headsets
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- Computer Games (Physical)
- Console Games (Physical)
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- Computer Games (Digital)
- Console Games (Digital)
- Online Games and Subscriptions
- Mobile Games
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- Console Games (Physical)
- Console Games (Digital)
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- Computer Games (Physical)
- Computer Games (Digital)
- Online Games and Subscriptions
- Mobile Games
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- Computer Games (Game Sales)
- Console Games (Game Sales)
- Online Games and Subscriptions (Game Sales)
- Mobile Games (Game Sales)
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- Computer Games (In-Game Purchases)
- Console Games (In-Game Purchases)
- Online Games and Subscriptions (In-Game Purchases)
- Mobile Games (In-Game Purchases)
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Video Games
This is the aggregation of video games hardware and video games software. Electronic/computerised educational toys such as Speak & Spell and LeapFrog are excluded from video games and included under pre-school. Video gaming population refers to the population that played a game at least once in the last 6 months on any covered platform. This includes players who have not spent any money on game purchases or in-game content purchases.
See all of our definitionsWhy buy this report?
- Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders
- Track key industry trends, opportunities and threats
- Inform your marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales and supply functions
This report originates from Passport, our Video Games research and analysis database.
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