Niko Partners has updated its China Games Market 2023 Half-Year report, sharing new projections for the full year. The country is expected to see a rise in video game revenue after its first-ever decline in 2022.

China is gradually softening its stance on the video game approval process. According to the latest forecast from Niko Partners, the local regulator will issue twice as many licenses this year as in 2022.

The Chinese video game market is expected to decline in 2022, according to the latest data by Niko Partners. There are many reasons for the downfall, including lower mobile spending and restrictive regulations.

In 2021, the Chinese console market surpassed the $2 billion mark for the first time, according to Niko Partners. However, most of its revenues are coming from grey market sales.

China’s video game market will surpass $55 billion by 2026, according to the latest Niko Partners report. Analysts expect mobile to still account for the vast majority of total revenue, with the number of domestic players reaching 730 million people.

The console market is still relatively small in China due to its strict regulatory environment. However, domestic indie developers are now trying to fill this content gap by producing more games that appeal to the audience.

According to Niko Partners, in 2021, Tencent has already closed over 50 deals by May. It makes the Chinese company the absolute leader in the gaming investment market. But what makes it act so actively?

Cyberpunk 2077 is a hit in China despite the fact that it’s not officially out in the country.

A new age rating system for video games has been officially implemented in Mainland China today. The authority behind the initiative is called the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association Technical Committee for Group Standardization.

According to a new study by market researcher Niko Partners, there are 720 million gamers in China. 75 percent of those live outside the biggest cities. On a related note, smaller cities generate around 70% of game revenue.

Feng Shixin, the Deputy Director of the Publications Bureau of the Central Propaganda Department, spoke at ChinaJoy (July 31-August 3, 2020) about the video games industry in China.

Niko Partners project that video games in China will bring in over $46.7 billion in 2024.