Niko Partners: Chinese games market surpasses $50bn in 2025
China's games market reached $51.8 billion in 2025, with Niko Partners projecting growth to $59.8 billion by 2030 driven by mini-games and generative AI integration.
China's games market crossed the $50 billion threshold for the first time in 2025, reaching $51.8 billion with a 5.4% year-on-year increase, according to a new report from Niko Partners.
The research firm projects continued expansion, estimating the market will grow by 4% in 2026 to $53.9 billion. By 2030, the industry is expected to generate $59.8 billion, reflecting a five-year compound annual growth rate of 2.9%.
Player engagement is also on the rise. The Chinese player base is projected to reach 769 million by 2030, while average weekly playtime is expected to increase to 15.8 hours, up from 14.1 hours last year. Niko Partners attributes this growth to stronger-than-expected performance from both newly launched titles and legacy evergreen games.
Mini-games represent a major growth segment, with 80% of Chinese players engaging in the genre. This category accounts for nearly 20% of mobile game spending. Additionally, nearly half of players use short video apps to discover new games and information across platforms.
The report highlights that 66% of Chinese players use various methods to bypass the country's internet censorship. Among respondents, 30.8% play on global servers, 33.6% use gaming accelerators, and 21.9% use VPNs.
Regulatory context has also shifted. Earlier this year, China included video games in its 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (2026-2030). Games were previously categorized as digital cultural products.
Niko Partners identified five key trends for the market over the next five years: growth in niche genres, increased out-of-app monetisation, regulatory improvements, higher consumer spending on premium PC and console titles, and the integration of generative AI. The firm noted that Chinese games companies are rapidly embracing generative AI across development pipelines and player-facing features, alongside a broader boom in user-generated content platforms.
While the rapid expansion of generative AI infrastructure has driven demand for RAM and semiconductor components, Niko Partners stated that ongoing innovation, regulatory clarity, and robust player engagement continue to support long-term market growth in China.
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