Import Games are being approved every two months in China

China’s National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) approved 15 import games on August 2, 2024, granting them the coveted ISBN for domestic publication. This takes the number of import game approvals in 2024 YTD to 76, which means it’s about to pass the 76 titles approved in 2021, has already surpassed the 44 approved in 2022, and is also on track to surpass the 98 approved in 2023. “Import games” refers to titles developed or owned by a non-China based entity. All video games require a license (ISBN) from the NPPA before they can be officially operated in the country, although we note that loopholes often allow for Chinese gamers to access non-approved games. We explain this in depth in our China Games Regulations Report.

Here are some highlights from the August 2nd batch:

A Rainbow Six game has been approved for mobile and PC. The Rainbow Six franchise has a unique history in China as Rainbow Six Siege was never officially approved and was even banned from being broadcast on game live streaming platforms. The approval of the IP in China, which we believe is for the 2025 Rainbow Six Mobile game and will be operated by Tencent, is a positive development for Ubisoft in China.
NetEase has obtained licenses for two games based on Marvel IP, including Marvel Snap (Second Dinner) and Marvel Rivals (self-developed). NetEase and Marvel announced a partnership in 2019 to develop games and other entertainment content based on Marvel IP. Snap already released overseas and was received positively, while Rivals is currently undergoing testing.
Nintendo has also received licenses for Mario Golf: Super Rush and Paper Mario: The Origami King, which will be distributed by Tencent for the China version of the Nintendo Switch. Tencent and Nintendo officially launched the Nintendo Switch in China in December 2019. According to our China Gamer Behavior & Market Insights 2024 report, the Nintendo Switch is the bestselling current generation console in China.
Two notable Japanese IPs also received licenses, Final Fantasy and Dynasty Warriors. A mobile game based on Final Fantasy XIV is being developed by Tencent and Square Enix and was approved. A mobile game based on Dynasty Warriors 8 developed by Century Network, TCI Play and Koei Tecmo was also approved.

Here are some other key takeaways from import game approvals this year:

There have been 4 batches of import game approvals this year: February, April, June and August. Based on the trend of one batch every two months, we expect a further 30+ games to be approved by the end of the year, taking the total to over 100 and surpassing 2023’s total import game approvals (98).
Mobile, being the largest platform in China, accounts for the highest number of import game approvals issued in 2024 at 49. Cross platform games follow at #2 with 11, while PC and console lag behind with 9 and 7 respectively.
Obtaining a license in China can be extremely lucrative. Multiple titles over the past year have found success in China after receiving a license. Valorant (Riot Games) recently surpassed 1 million peak concurrent users and has become a top PC esports game in the country. Dungeon & Fighter: Origins (Nexon), which only released in May of this year, has already surpassed $1 billion in player spending.

Niko Partners offers a number of reports and services to stay up to date on the China video game market:

NikoIQ: Stay up to date on game approvals, the top internet café games, esports tournaments and all the latest news and analysis on the China games market.

China Games & Streaming Tracker: Track games, streamers, fans, tips, and more across China’s leading game live streaming platforms.

China Gamer Behavior & Market Insights Report: Get access to our three part report series that includes our market model and five year forecast, gamer survey insights, and market analysis.