Shanghai's online gaming industry delivers robust results

Shanghai's online gaming industry generated 170.7 billion yuan ($25.02 billion) in sales revenue in 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of 9.6 percent, surpassing the national average growth rate of 8.4 percent. Revenue from overseas markets reached 30.3 billion yuan, up 13.7 percent year-on-year.

Throughout the year, Shanghai-based gaming companies scooped multiple prestigious awards at major domestic and international industry conferences, underscoring the growing global influence of Shanghai-developed products.

The city's esports sector also maintained its leading position nationwide, with sales revenue of about 6.68 billion yuan. More than 4,000 esports competitions and events were held in Shanghai in 2025.

In May, Shanghai hosted the inaugural Esports Asian Champions League, which drew more than 140 million views worldwide. Nearly half of the competitors at the Esports Shanghai Masters were overseas players.

The International 2026 is scheduled to be held in Shanghai from Aug 13 to 23, marking the 15th anniversary of the tournament and its return to the city after 2019.

"We will deeply integrate elements of traditional Chinese culture into the competition's content and combine them with Shanghai-style culture, using digital methods to showcase the charm of Shanghai, its time-honored brands, and city landmarks," said Huang Xiao'ou, vice-president of Perfect World Esports.