“Game Going Global” Included in National Top-Level Design for the First Time: China’s Game Industry Ushers in a New Strategic Era

March 13, The official release of the *Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China* (hereinafter referred to as the “15th Five-Year Plan”) has sparked enthusiastic responses within China’s game industry. In this programmatic document outlining the nation’s development blueprint for the next five years, “online games” were prominently mentioned twice as a key emerging cultural force. This marks the official transition of the game industry from the “margins” of sectoral development to the “center stage” of national strategy, ushering in a historic development opportunity.

First Inclusion in Top-Level Design, Establishing the Industry’s Status as a “New Cultural Calling Card”

The 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly states in the chapter on “Building a More Effective International Communication System” the need to “promote the overseas expansion of high-quality online literature, online games, film and television animation, and premium exhibitions.” Simultaneously, in the section on “Accelerating the Development of Cultural Industries,” the plan emphasizes for the first time the need to “guide and regulate the healthy development of online literature, online games, and online audio-visual services.”

This marks not only the first time “online games” have been written into a national five-year plan but also a dual confirmation of their cultural value and economic potential. This milestone shift signifies that the game industry has completed its transformation from being labeled “electronic heroin” to becoming a “cultural ambassador.” It is no longer merely an entertainment product but a new digital cultural calling card that carries forward Chinese culture, tells China’s stories, and promotes international people-to-people exchange. The clear policy guidance injects strong certainty into the industry’s healthy, orderly, and high-quality development.

Unleashing Policy Dividends, Charting the Course for High-Quality Development

The 15th Five-Year Plan’s strategic guidance, emphasizing both “bringing in” and “going global” for the game industry, provides a clear roadmap for its development.

Guiding and Regulating Domestically, Consolidating the Content Foundation: The plan’s emphasis on “guiding and regulating” healthy development implies that the state will further improve long-term management mechanisms, encourage the creation of high-quality products, and optimize the industrial structure. This provides stable policy expectations for game companies, incentivizing them to invest more resources in content innovation and technological R&D. Through the deep integration of culture and technology, they can forge more masterpieces with profound thought, exquisite artistry, and superior production. As China Galaxy Securities pointed out in its research report, focusing on high-quality content will be the primary model for future cultural industry development.

Encouraging “Going Global” Externally, Broadening the International Stage: The explicit inclusion of “game going global” in the plan is a strategic move by the state to promote high-level opening up of the cultural industry. It indicates that Chinese games will leap from simple “product export” to deeper-level “cultural export” and “IP ecosystem export.” This policy endorsement not only enhances the overall image of the industry but also provides strong national credit support for companies expanding into overseas markets, helping them integrate resources and compete globally.

Industry Confidence Soars, Moving Towards a Win-Win for Cultural and Economic Value

The significant policy利好 (favorable conditions) perfectly resonate with the industry’s own robust development momentum. In 2025, the actual sales revenue of China’s game market is estimated to reach RMB 350.789 billion, with the user base exceeding 683 million. Revenue from self-developed games in overseas markets surpassed the RMB 100 billion mark for the sixth consecutive year, reaching USD 20.455 billion. The global success of phenomenon-level products like Black Myth: Wukong has already demonstrated the immense energy unleashed by the perfect combination of Chinese creativity and international aesthetics.

Zhang Bin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and President of the China Cultural Industry Association, pointed out that the core of digital culture going global lies in IP, and the key is innovation. The guidance of the 15th Five-Year Plan perfectly aligns with the new trends of digital culture going global, such as online literature, online dramas, and online games, charting the course for the opening of cultural service trade.

With the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, supporting policies from central to local levels are being rolled out intensively. Major game industry hubs like Guangdong, Shanghai, and Hainan have launched a “full-chain” package of support measures, including tax coordination, special funds, computing power support, and talent cultivation. An ecosystem conducive to the innovative development of the game industry is accelerating its formation.

Forward-Looking Outlook: Games, Becoming China’s New Calling Card to the World

“Game going global,” now enshrined in the national plan, is not only an honor but also a responsibility and a driving force. Looking ahead, China’s game industry is poised to embrace three major new development opportunities:

Deepening Cultural Empowerment: Guided by policy, games will more consciously become vehicles for cultural heritage and innovation. Driven by the twin engines of “technology + culture,” more works, like Arknights: Endfield, will integrate Eastern aesthetics and philosophy into a global language, allowing players worldwide to naturally perceive the charm of Chinese culture through immersive experiences.

Technology-Driven Intelligence: AI technology is reshaping the entire game development process. From shortening production cycles to creating new gameplay mechanics, AI will become the core engine of new quality productive forces in the game industry. Companies that quickly embrace technological change and optimize their organizational structures will capture the dividends of the next growth phase.

Deepening Market Expansion: While consolidating core markets like the US, Japan, and South Korea, the rise of emerging markets such as the Middle East and Latin America offers vast blue oceans for game going global. Whether it’s genre integration innovation (e.g., “SLG+X”) or the normalization of cross-platform deployment, these trends will open new growth avenues for Chinese game developers. Furthermore, channel changes, such as reduced commission rates by platforms like Google and the opening of third-party payments, bring tangible profit and operational flexibility to developers.

Standing at the new starting point of 2026, as the blueprint of the 15th Five-Year Plan unfolds, China’s game industry is entering an unprecedented golden age. Amidst the multiple resonances of policy dividends, technological innovation, and market expansion, games, as this “new Chinese calling card” embodying cultural confidence, will surely illuminate an even broader world stage, telling more vivid and exciting Chinese stories to the globe.

Compiled by: CGGE Editorial Department. Please indicate the source when reprinting.