China Approves 86 Games in March, Including Tencent, NetEase Titles

On March 23, China’s video game regulator approved a total of 86 games for release this month, including titles from major companies such as Tencent, NetEase, 37 Interactive Entertainment, Leiting Games, CMGE, Paper Games, Moonton, and BOKE Technology.

The National Press and Publication Administration has released a list of approved games, which includes titles such as NetEase‘s “Mission Zero”, Tencent‘s “Last Knife”, Paper Games’ “Love and Deepspace”, and “Backlight Sneaking”, among others. These games have garnered a lot of attention from players. Moonton, a subsidiary of ByteDance and a game manufacturer focused on global markets, has received approval for “Fantasy and Adventure”, indicating that the game may soon be available in the Chinese market.

On March 20, the administration approved the first batch of foreign online games in China this year, which included 27 titles from companies such as Tencent, NetEase, and Bilibili.

China’s crackdown on online gaming resulted in an 18-month suspension of foreign video game approvals between 2021 and 2022. Regulators resumed issuing publishing licenses to domestic games in April 2022. Currently, the number of games that have been approved for licensing in China is showing signs of stabilization.

According to a research report released by BOCOM International earlier this month, new games are expected to be launched rapidly in the second quarter of this year, potentially improving gaming revenue for companies on a quarterly basis. While the release of new games is expected to provide a short-term boost to revenue, the stable growth of long-term revenue and profit will depend on the quality of the games.

SEE ALSO: NetEase Sees Casual Party Mobile Game Eggy Party Become Popular Among Younger Generations

At the China Game Industry Annual Conference held in February this year, Yang Fang, deputy director of The Publicity Department, stated that the focus of the department for this year is to promote the development of technologies including virtual reality, perceptual interaction, game engines, and motion capture in the gaming industry.