China Approves Over 1,275 Games in 2025 as Market Momentum Accelerates
- Sagar Mankar
- Sep 29
- 3 min read
The Chinese gaming regulator (National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA)) has approved over 1,275 games so far for mainland release, marking a 23% year-over-year increase.
For the first nine months of 2025, game approvals reached 1,195 domestic titles and 80 imported games (foreign), reflecting accelerated momentum in the sector.
According to market research firm Niko Partners, approvals are on track to exceed 1,600 games by the end of the year, including more than 100 imported titles.
This forecast aligns with the broader market's robust trajectory, where Niko anticipates the Chinese gaming industry to generate $50.7 billion in revenue this year, driven by mobile dominance, esports expansion, and emerging technologies like generative AI.
Looking further ahead, the market is poised for sustained expansion, with projections estimating $66.66 billion in 2025 and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.13% to reach $107.98 billion by 2030.
Latest Approval Batch
On September 24, 2025, the NPPA approved 145 domestic games and 11 imports. Among the imported titles were several globally recognized releases:
Astro Bot (Sony, PS5)
Dave the Diver (Nexon, PC)
Split Fiction (Electronic Arts, PC and console)
MapleStory Mobile (Nexon)
On the domestic front, the highlight was Honkai: Nexus Anima, a new entry in miHoYo’s popular Honkai series.
Why Does Regulation Still Matter?
Despite the increased approval pace, China’s gaming market remains heavily regulated. The NPPA enforces strict content rules, banning games with politically sensitive themes, depictions of cults, or supernatural elements deemed superstitious.
Only games with NPPA-issued ISBNs can be distributed commercially, and violations can lead to shutdowns or fines. This cautious approach traces back to the 2021 freeze, when new licenses were halted for almost a year, leaving many developers in limbo.
Approvals resumed in April 2022, and by 2024, regulators issued 1,416 licenses—the highest since 2019. A key turning point came in early 2024 when authorities shelved proposals for harsher restrictions that had rattled investors.
Momentum was further boosted by the success of Black Myth: Wukong, the first Chinese-made AAA blockbuster, which sold 20 million copies in its debut month. Its global success encouraged regulators to loosen restrictions and support higher-quality domestic projects.
What’s Next for Chinese AAA Games?
Following Wukong’s success, Chinese studios have doubled down on big-budget projects:
Black Myth: Zhong Kui (Game Science) – announced at Gamescom 2025, aiming for a 2026 release.
Phantom Blade Zero (S-Game) – an action-heavy wuxia RPG expected by late 2025 or 2026.
Where Winds Meet (Everstone Studio) – an open-world martial arts adventure. PS5 exclusive.
Sword and Fairy: Remake expansions (NetEase-backed) – continuing a long-running RPG legacy.
Industry Controversies
Rapid growth has also brought legal disputes. In July 2025, Sony sued Tencent over Light of Motiram, an open-world survival game accused of copying elements from Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West. Sony claims the game mirrors protected elements like robotic beasts, tribal narratives, red-haired protagonists, and even musical motifs, calling it a "slavish clone" after rejecting Tencent's prior collaboration pitch.
Tencent countered by calling the lawsuit an attempt to “monopolize genre conventions” and argued that similarities stem from common post-apocalyptic tropes.
The dispute forced Tencent to delay the game and revise its Steam page in August 2025, spotlighting long-standing concerns about IP protection in the Chinese industry.