- China gave licenses to over 1400 video games in 2024, a record-high tally since 2019.
- Over 100 foreign games were a part of this number.
- Video game sales in the country also rose by 7%, making it a successful year.
China and censorship are tales as old as time itself, and this courtesy also extends to the gaming industry. Only a handful of foreign titles are approved for release in the Asian country each year, and the National Press and Publication Administration (NPAA) keeps a close eye on which titles make the cut.
However, the agency has approved over 1,400 games this year, the highest number in China for over five years.
Why This Matters: China easing its grip on video game licenses is good news for the industry as the country is the second-largest market in the world, and the more video games it gets, the better.
The NPAA approved 122 domestic titles and 13 foreign video games in December, bringing the total up to 1,416 for the entire year. This is a huge leap from 2023, when only 1,075 video games were approved for commercial release in China.
Furthermore, 1,306 domestically produced games and 110 foreign titles were given the NPAA stamp in 2024. In contrast, a mere 977 local games and 98 international ones were cut last year, meaning video game development in China has seen a surge.
The Chinese government has strict guidelines on which titles will be commercially available in the country, as well as age restrictions. People under the age of 18 can only play games between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends and other holidays.
The gaming environment has improved in China recently, as only 500 titles made the cut in 2022 after some restrictions imposed by the government the year before came into effect.
2024 also ends up as the year with the highest number of games approved since 2019, which saw 1,500 titles get the nod from NPAA after a government restructure in 2018, in which a whopping 2,000 video games were approved in China.
With China’s first AAA title, Black Myth: Wukong, also debuting successfully last year, it’s obvious why the world’s second-largest market for video games is slowly warming up to the medium. With video game sales in the country also increasing by 7%, the future of the industry looks bright in China.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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