Annual Comparison of China's Game Overseas Revenue 2021-2023
In 2023, China's self-developed games generated $16.366 billion in overseas revenue, a decrease of 5.6% from 2022, marking the second consecutive year of decline.
Data Overview
According to the "2023 China Game Overseas Research Report" released by Gamma Data, the actual overseas sales revenue of China's self-developed games in 2023 was $16.366 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 5.6%, continuing the downward trend from 2022. In 2021, it reached a historical peak of $18.013 billion, and has since declined for two consecutive years.
Reasons for Decline
- Global Macroeconomic Weakness: Inflation and rising interest rates have compressed consumer spending power.
- Tighter Privacy Policies: Apple's IDFA policy and Google's related adjustments have increased user acquisition costs and made targeted marketing more difficult.
- Intensified Market Competition: The rise of overseas local developers and emerging market creators has squeezed China's game market share.
- License and Regulation: The pace of domestic game license issuance has affected the timing of companies' overseas expansion.
Regional Market Changes
- US, Japan, South Korea: Still the main markets, but their revenue share has decreased from about 60% in 2021 to about 55% in 2023.
- Emerging Markets: Regions like Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia have grown rapidly, with breakthroughs in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Brazil through localized operations.
- European Market: Maintained steady growth but with a smaller share.
Genres and Companies
- RPG and SLG: Still the main overseas genres, but casual, hyper-casual, and hybrid monetization games (e.g., Genshin Impact) have also contributed significant revenue.
- Leading Companies: Mihoyo (Genshin Impact, Honkai series), Tencent (PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings International), and NetEase (Knives Out, etc.) continue to lead, while small and medium-sized companies have performed well in emerging tracks such as simulation management.
Future Outlook
With the application of AI tools in game development and marketing, as well as the release of dividends from emerging markets, China's game overseas revenue is expected to stabilize and rebound in 2024. However, factors such as geopolitical risks and exchange rate fluctuations still need attention.
(The above content is based on public industry reports and estimates. Actual data is subject to official releases.)
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