China's gaming market reaches 684 million users

(ECNS) -- China’s gaming market generated 188.45 billion yuan ($26.4 billion) in sales revenue in the first half of 2026, up 12.17% year on year, with 684 million users, according to a report released Thursday at the China Digital Entertainment Conference.

Self-developed games earned 163.36 billion yuan domestically, up 16.3%, and $12.37 billion overseas, up 30.2%. The U.S., Japan and South Korea remained top markets.

Revenue from self-developed games in overseas markets reached $12.37 billion, increasing 30.22% year on year. The United States, Japan and South Korea remained the top three markets, accounting for 32.31%, 14.05% and 7.48% of overseas revenue, respectively.

Mobile games dominated with 135.21 billion yuan in revenue, 71.8% of the domestic market. Esports generated 89.62 billion yuan, up 11.1%. Mini program mobile games surged 36% to 31.66 billion yuan.

The report noted AI’s growing role in game development, reshaping both production and gameplay.

(By Helen Mo, intern Liu Shuangjing)