Shanghai increases support for gaming and esports

Shanghai has introduced a new package of measures to support its gaming and esports industry, focusing on financing, talent, technology, cultural content, international expansion, and esports events.

01 Support for growth

Shanghai plans to launch a dedicated gaming industry investment fund with an initial target of 500 million yuan ($72.76 million), aimed at supporting small and early-stage teams.

The city will also support universities in establishing game-related programs, offer more than 1,000 internships each year for college students, and create a talent pool for the esports industry.

The policy also builds on Shanghai's existing industry clusters. Xuhui, Yangpu, and Jing'an, three districts already known for strong gaming and esports activity in the city, will receive additional funding support, with qualified parks and incubators eligible for up to 5 million yuan annually. The aim is to strengthen the wider industry ecosystem, including art, music, and intellectual property operations, while providing startup teams with one-stop services and integrated spaces for creation, display, and daily life.

02 Gaming as culture and technology

Shanghai is backing the use of artificial intelligence in game development, alongside investment in core tools such as game engines and compatibility solutions for domestic graphics hardware.

The city is also encouraging the development of games produced in Shanghai that draw on traditional Chinese culture and distinctive Shanghai elements. Its broader "gaming plus" strategy promotes the application of gaming technology in fields such as healthcare and education, while encouraging collaboration with Shanghai's time-honored brands and other parts of the real economy. The package also includes stronger intellectual property protection.

03 A bigger global role

Another key component of the package is Shanghai's plan to build a one-stop service platform for companies expanding overseas. According to the policy, the platform will offer support in areas such as localization, legal compliance, payment services, and data analysis.

Shanghai also aims to elevate major industry events such as ChinaJoy and the China International Game Developers Conference into world-class platforms, attracting more outstanding overseas companies and international organizations to establish a presence in the city.

That international push also extends to esports. Building on Shanghai's status as the world's first city to host all three top-tier global esports events, the city will further upgrade its esports competition system. It will continue to host major international tournaments, including The International for DOTA 2, with support of up to 3 million yuan for a single event. At the same time, it plans to cultivate homegrown competitions such as the Shanghai Esports Masters, while supporting club development, promoting esports standards, and bringing high-quality recreational esports events into the public cultural service system.

04 A strong industry base

The new measures build on an already solid foundation. In 2025, Shanghai's online gaming industry generated 170.7 billion yuan in revenue, up 9.57 percent year on year, while overseas revenue reached 30.3 billion yuan, up 13.7 percent. Titles such as Honkai: Star Rail and Infinity Nikki have also helped raise the international profile of games developed in Shanghai.

Taken together, the measures reflect Shanghai's push to become a globally influential hub for gaming and esports.