Chinese games shift focus to innovative cultural experiences

SHI YU/CHINA DAILY

China's game developers are 拍地快讯宁波新闻网becoming a more visible part of the global games market — not only through downloads and revenue, but through the everyday cultural details that players encounter in-game. A recent report by the mobile analytics firm AppsFlyer, the State of Gaming for Marketers 2026, notes that Chinese game companies' overseas user-acquisition spending rose 22 percent year-on-year and made up 35 percent of global game-app acquisition spend. Those numbers point to a simple reality: going abroad is no longer an occasional experiment for leading studios. It is becoming a regular line of business — supported by clearer policies, more specialized services and a growing ecosystem.

Policy support has been an important ingredient. In April 2025, China's Ministry of Commerce and other departments released the Work Plan for Accelerating the Comprehensive Pilot Program for Expanding Opening-up of the Service Sector, which explicitly called for developing game exports and building a full chain from intellectual property creation to development, publishing and overseas operations.

The next month, four departments jointly issued the 2025-26 catalog of key national cultural export enterprises and projects, which included major game companies and a list of featured titles. There were 98 game-related companies in the list, alongside 15 flagship titles designated as key export projects. These measures provide policy certainty and channel capital, talent and services toward the sector.

Local governments have followed suit. Guangdong province has promoted industry alliances and export-oriented clusters. Zhejiang province has introduced measures that cover approval efficiency, compliance guidance and intellectual property protection. Beijing has explored dedicated service zones and streamlined pathways linked to export-related approvals. Together, these layered policies form a practical support system for Chinese games entering global markets.

But policy alone does not explain the appeal of Chinese games abroad. Games are powerful cultural carriers. In recent years, a large number of Chinese titles featuring traditional cultural elements have been exported, making cultural empowerment a real competitive edge.

Genshin Impact, for example, introduced the "Lantern Rite" festival inspired by Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, updating it annually with storylines and gameplay rooted in traditional customs. For global players, it has become a highly anticipated in-game celebration — one that introduces Chinese culture through experience rather than explanation.

Similarly, Black Myth: Wukong chose cultural confidence over convenience in its overseas localization. Instead of translating "Wukong" as "Monkey King", the game retains the pinyin "Wukong", prompting many players to seek out the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West on their own. In this way, Chinese games are moving cultural exports from content delivery to innovation in narrative and presentation.

Success abroad also requires sensitivity to cultural diversity. Chinese developers increasingly embrace a localization strategy. Companies such as 37 Interactive Entertainment tailor distribution and operations by region, emphasizing different genres in different markets. Its studios adapt seasonal content to fit local holidays such as Christmas. Deep localization has proven decisive.

The world-building in Genshin Impact illustrates the point. Its fictional continent, Teyvat, includes regions inspired by different cultures — drawing from medieval Europe, and blending motifs from South Asia, North Africa, and beyond. Players worldwide find something familiar, while the game keeps a coherent identity.

Others take similar approaches. Moonton's Mobile Legends brings Chinese mythological heroes into the same arena as characters inspired by Southeast Asian legends. Attention to regional preferences — embedded in characters, visuals, music and events — helps Chinese games connect with players across cultures.

At the same time, some challenges remain. Tighter regulations on user protection and content compliance are major obstacles. Talent shortage, especially people who combine cultural literacy, technical skills and global experience, also constrains growth, as do gaps in digital distribution capabilities in some markets.

Looking ahead, the next wave of expansion will come from refined operations in emerging markets, genre hybridization and micro-innovation, and above all, AI-driven development and marketing.

Game exports have already become a meaningful pillar of China's cultural trade. In 2025, overseas sales of China's self-developed games reached $20.46 billion, up 10.23 percent year-on-year, exceeding 100 billion yuan ($14.52 billion) for the sixth consecutive year. Mobile games contributed $18.48 billion, growing 13.16 percent.

As gaming converges with AI, engines and virtual reality, its impact will extend beyond entertainment. Through "games + AI + diverse industries", Chinese game exports may become a bridge between the virtual and real-world economies while opening new pathways for Chinese culture to engage the world in the digital age.