Tencent's international game revenue hits record high for three consecutive quarters
On May 14, Tencent announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2025. The report revealed that Tencent’s gaming business generated revenue of CNY 59.5 billion in Q1, with international market revenue increasing by 23% year-on-year to CNY 16.6 billion, marking its best quarterly performance yet. During the quarter, titles such as PUBG MOBILE, Brawl Stars, and Clash Royale delivered strong results, accelerating the growth of Tencent’s international gaming revenue compared to 2024.
According to data from the Game Publishing Committee, China’s self-developed games achieved USD 4.805 billion in overseas sales in Q1, up 17.92% year-on-year. Overseas revenue has become a significant part of Chinese game developers' income, with companies like Tencent emerging as key players in the global gaming market.
It is reported that Tencent is actively expanding its self-developed games overseas. For example, Delta Force: Hawk Ops, which boasts 12 million daily active users in China, launched its global mobile version, Delta Force, in late April. The game quickly topped the free game charts on the App Store in 169 countries and regions, as well as on Google Play in 125 countries and regions. Within four days of its release, its registered users surpassed 10 million. The game is also planned for release on console platforms to further expand its user base.
Additionally, Tencent is leveraging AI technology to enhance user engagement in long-standing games. For instance, Peace Elite integrated the DeepSeek large model in early March, introducing an AI assistant and AI teammates to provide in-game guidance and companionship, thereby improving player retention. Driven by AI applications, new content updates, and other factors, Peace Elite saw a 16% year-on-year increase in user playtime in March, according to QuestMobile.