China Mobile Gaming Revenue 2025: World's Largest Market
China remains the world's largest mobile gaming market, generating 320 billion RMB (approximately 44 billion USD) in revenue in 2025. The market is dominated by Tencent and NetEase, with hit titles like Honor of Kings, Peacekeeper Elite, and Eggy Party driving growth. Chinese game developers are increasingly expanding overseas, with international revenue now accounting for 25% of total earnings.
TL;DR
China's mobile gaming market reached 320 billion RMB in 2025 with 680 million players. Tencent and NetEase combined hold 55% market share. Honor of Kings generated 25 billion RMB in annual revenue. Chinese developers earned 80 billion RMB from overseas markets, with miHoYo's Genshin Impact and HoYoverse titles leading international expansion.
Key Insights
Total Revenue
China's mobile gaming market generated 320 billion RMB (44 billion USD) in 2025, representing 30% of global mobile gaming revenue. The market grew 8% year-over-year despite regulatory headwinds and a maturing player base.
Total Players
China had 680 million mobile gamers in 2025, representing approximately 48% of the total population. The average player spent 1,200 RMB annually on in-game purchases, with the top 10% of spenders accounting for 70% of total revenue.
Honor of Kings Revenue
Tencent's Honor of Kings (Wangzhe Rongyao) remained China's highest-grossing mobile game with 25 billion RMB in annual revenue. The MOBA title has over 200 million MAU and is recognized as one of the most popular mobile games globally.
Overseas Revenue
Chinese game developers earned 80 billion RMB from international markets, up 15% year-over-year. miHoYo's Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero led the charge, generating over 30 billion RMB in combined overseas revenue.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Company | Market Share | Top Game | Revenue | Overseas Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tencent | 35% | Honor of Kings | 112B RMB | 20% |
| NetEase | 20% | Eggy Party | 64B RMB | 25% |
| miHoYo/HoYoverse | 8% | Genshin Impact | 26B RMB | 70% |
| Lilith Games | 4% | AFK Journey | 13B RMB | 80% |
| Others | 33% | Various | 105B RMB | 30% |
Frequently Asked Questions
China's gaming freeze policy, which limits minors to 3 hours of gaming per week (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8-9 PM), has had mixed effects on the market. While it successfully reduced minor gaming time by an estimated 80%, its impact on total revenue has been relatively modest since minors account for less than 5% of total gaming revenue. The policy has however had significant indirect effects: game companies have shifted focus to adult-oriented content and mechanics, social features have become more important as games compete for limited adult leisure time, the policy has accelerated the trend toward casual and midcore games that appeal to broader demographics, and compliance costs (real-name verification, facial recognition) have increased operational complexity. The market has largely adapted, with revenue continuing to grow driven by adult players and international expansion.
The most successful Chinese mobile games internationally include: Genshin Impact by miHoYo (30B RMB annual overseas revenue, available in 40+ languages, top-grossing in Japan, US, and Europe); Honkai: Star Rail by HoYoverse (15B RMB overseas revenue, turn-based RPG with anime aesthetics); AFK Journey by Lilith Games (5B RMB overseas, top-grossing in Southeast Asia and the Middle East); PUBG Mobile (Peacekeeper Elite international version by Tencent, 10B RMB overseas despite being banned in India); and Whiteout Survival by Century Games (3B RMB overseas, strategy genre). Chinese developers have found particular success in anime-style RPGs and strategy games, leveraging China's strong animation industry and deep understanding of mobile monetization mechanics. Japan has emerged as the most lucrative overseas market for Chinese mobile games, followed by the United States and Southeast Asia.