ChinaJoy offers Britain a timely reminder: don't miss China's gaming boom

As thousands of players, developers, and investors gather in Shanghai this weekend for ChinaJoy, one of the world's largest gaming and digital entertainment exhibitions, Britain should be paying close attention.

The event is more than a showcase of new games. Over the past two decades, it has become a barometer of China's growing influence in the global gaming industry and a marketplace where international partnerships are forged – ChinaJoy 2026 is expected to attract nearly 900 exhibitors from 39 countries.

For the United Kingdom, which has long prided itself on world-class game development talent, it presents an opportunity to rethink how it engages with one of the industry's biggest players.

China is no longer just a vast consumer market. It is a global producer of gaming innovation. Chinese-developed games generated more than $20 billion in overseas revenue in 2025, while companies such as Tencent, NetEase, and Game Science have become influential names across the global industry. Titles including Black Myth: Wukong have demonstrated that Chinese studios can compete at the highest level in creativity, technology and commercial success.

Britain, meanwhile, remains home to some of the world's most respected developers, universities and creative talent. Yet maintaining that competitive edge requires more than heritage. It requires investment, international collaboration and a policy environment that welcomes both.

That is where Britain needs to do more. The UK's Video Games Expenditure Credit has helped support domestic production, but many industry participants argue that the scheme remains unnecessarily complex. Simplifying incentives and making them more accessible would benefit British studios while making the country a more attractive destination for overseas investors, including those from China.

Investment is hardly a new phenomenon. Chinese companies have already demonstrated confidence in Britain's gaming ecosystem through acquisitions and partnerships, including investments by Tencent, NetEase, and SkyMoon in UK studios. These deals have helped create jobs, support innovation, and connect British developers with global markets.

Yet commercial investment is only one side of the relationship. Chinese participation at major British gaming events remains surprisingly limited. While Chinese executives have served on advisory boards, relatively few Chinese companies have exhibited prominently in the UK, and Chinese-developed games have been underrepresented in major British industry awards despite their growing international influence.

As ChinaJoy opens its doors in Shanghai, it's great to see a UK delegation supported by the Department for Business and Trade and UK Interactive Entertainment, comprising 25 video games businesses, attending the fair. This is not simply about recognition. Industry events are where business relationships begin, investment decisions are made, and creative collaborations emerge.

There is strong demand for high-quality games across China and the Asia-Pacific region. Countries that combine creative talent with openness to international investment will be best placed to benefit. The UK already possesses the creativity; now it needs to do more to attract videogame investment from China.

Robert Salter is a Director at Blick Rothenberg, a leading audit, tax and business advisory firm in London.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.