Analysis of Chinese Animation Gamers in the First Half of 2025: Gen Z Dominance, Cross-IP Consumption Boom, and Breakout Success of Domestic IPs

Market Scale and User Base

In the first half of 2025, China’s animation gaming market (including anime-style mobile games, single-player titles, and interactive adaptations) reached 230 million users, a 12% year-on-year increase, accounting for 31% of the total gaming market. According to the China Digital Entertainment Industry Mid-Year Report, revenue in this segment hit 28.7 billion RMB, with mobile games contributing 78%, while PC/console gaming surged 45% YoY, driven by blockbusters like Black Myth: Wukong.

Core User Demographics

Gen Z Takes Center Stage

Players aged 18-30 made up 67% of the audience, with female gamers surpassing 52% for the first time (compared to 43% in 2019). Data shows this group averages 1.8 hours of daily playtime, with 61% engaging in fan-created content—far higher than other gaming genres.

Paying for “Emotional Value”

A 58% payer rate reflects players’ demand for deeper connections:

Character design (42%) > Story depth (35%) > Art style (23%)

Limited-edition skins and virtual companionship systems (e.g., Tears of Themis’ “AI Boyfriend” feature) saw a 27% YoY increase in spending.

Cross-Media Consumption Goes Mainstream

71% of animation gamers purchased real-world crossover products (e.g., bubble tea, cosmetics), while 45% were influenced by in-game characters. Genshin Impact’s collaboration with Cadillac—selling 1,000+ pre-orders for the “Keqing Custom Model”—highlighted virtual IPs’ real-world economic impact.

Content Trends: The Golden Age of Domestic IPs

Tech Meets Culture: UE5-powered titles like Demon Girl’s Illustrated Handbook and Blades of the Guardians blended ink-painting aesthetics with AAA graphics, boosting interest in traditional Chinese themes by 19%.

Narrative Innovation: Sci-fi RPG Heart of the Galaxy used “multi-path storytelling + interactive novels” to achieve an 83% repurchase rate for premium chapters.

Global Influence: HoYoverse’s Zenless Zone Zero drew 41% of revenue overseas, with Western players embracing Chinese cyberpunk aesthetics beyond expectations.

Challenges & Controversies

Homogenization Risks: Among 73 new anime-style games, 61 relied on “gacha + open-world” formulas, signaling player fatigue.

Regulatory Adjustments: Minors’ “emotional spending” (e.g., virtual tipping) sparked policy debates, prompting some studios to trial “cooling-off periods” for impulsive purchases.

Outlook for H2 2025

With AI-generated character customization (AIGC) and game adaptations of hit animations like The Island on the horizon, the industry is shifting toward “immersive transmedia experiences.” Analysts note: “Those who master the fusion of emotion and technology will dominate the next era.”

(Sources: Gamma Data, iResearch, corporate earnings reports, and targeted surveys.)