The Chinese Gaming Market: H1 2026

The Chinese gaming market experienced significant growth during the first half of 2026, with domestic revenue reaching 188.45 billion yuan, a 12.17% increase year-over-year. This expansion was driven primarily by higher revenue per user rather than audience growth, as the total player base remained relatively stable at 684 million. Chinese self-developed titles continue to dominate the domestic landscape, accounting for 86.7% of total revenue and demonstrating a robust growth rate of 16.31%.

Platform performance varied significantly across the industry. Mobile gaming remains the largest segment, contributing 135.21 billion yuan, though PC client games emerged as a major growth driver with a 27.92% year-over-year increase, expanding at three and a half times the rate of mobile. Mini games also showed exceptional momentum, rising 36.01% to reach 31.66 billion yuan. Conversely, browser and console gaming segments faced declines, with console revenue falling 7.06% due to a lack of major domestic hits. For the first time, the report included board games, which generated 3.87 billion yuan, split nearly evenly between digital and physical formats.

Internationally, Chinese developers saw strong performance, with overseas revenue climbing 30.22% to $12.37 billion. The United States, Japan, and South Korea remain the primary export markets, collectively representing over 53% of international revenue. Strategy games continue to lead the export category, followed by a notable surge in the popularity of merge-style games. These findings, compiled by the CADPA game committee and presented at the CDEC conference, reflect a market increasingly focused on high-performing domestic titles and diversified digital distribution channels.