From "One Street" to "One Valley": How Did Guangzhou Forge Itself as China's "Top Gaming Hub"?

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从“一条街”到“一片谷”，广州何以炼成“游戏产业第一城”？

 

With global sales surpassing 28 million copies,

And revenue exceeding 9 billion yuan,

It claimed the title of China’s best-selling premium game of all time,

While also topping global annual sales charts.

Ever since the "Monkey King" swung his golden staff,

Homegrown AAA games stepped firmly into the global spotlight.

 

Yet within a year,

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers—imbued with Eastern mystique—

Wowed the world once again.

Two consecutive AAA blockbusters,

Have proven that the rise of Chinese gaming

Is anything but a fluke.

 

If China's gaming industry were a fierce competition,

There's one province

That has consistently led the pack,

Firmly steering the sector's trajectory.

 

To say Guangdong holds up half of China's gaming industry,

Is hardly an exaggeration.

Over the past five years,

Guangdong's gaming industry

Has steadily accounted for over three-quarters of the national total,

Peaking at over 80% at times.

 

If you want to understand Chinese gaming, look at Guangdong.

And within Guangdong, it's all about Guangzhou.

In 2024,

Guangzhou's gaming revenue topped 140 billion yuan,

Nearly half of the national total.

 

So why is Guangzhou's gaming industry so dominant?

The answer might be hiding on this specific street:

Keyun Road,

hailed as China's "No. 1 Gaming Street,"

Is only 11 kilometers long,

But has spawned 8 industrial parks,

7 publicly listed companies,

And a market value exceeding 100 billion yuan.

At its peak,

Keyun Road generated one-third of China's gaming output.

 

Fantasy Westward Journey, a 20-year classic,

Wuthering Waves, praised publicly by Apple CEO Tim Cook,

And Identity V, selected for the 2026 Asian Games,

These are some of the big names that were born here.

 

With the rapid development of the gaming industry,

Keyun Road started to hit its limits,

And studios began to expand outwards.

 

37 Interactive moved to a new HQ in Pazhou,

Shiyue Network bought land in Tianhe Financial Town,

And NetEase constructed additional office buildings.

 

Guangzhou’s gaming ecosystem,

Almost without notice,

Has evolved from a single street,

Into an entire valley.

 

In 2024,

Huangpu District launched the Greater Bay Area (Huangpu) Gaming Industry Service Center,

And unveiled plans for the "Guangzhou Gaming Valley,"

A 60,000+ sqm project,

With a total investment of 4.5 billion yuan.

 

A space expanded,

So did the industry's imagination.

It is welcoming new business models,

Beyond pure game development.

 

China's esports market

Is steadily growing,

And is expected to surpass 200 billion yuan by 2027.

 

Research from five years ago already showed

Esports contributed over 200 billion yuan to Guangzhou's commercial sector.

 

Now, Guangzhou's "Gaming Valley,"

Is rolling out supportive policies for esports,

Building Wenchong Esports Town,

And developing the city's first specialized esports arena.

 

Guangzhou's advanture in gaming,

Is just like a player exploring an open-world map.

Each step beyond the map's edge,

Unlocks new realms

Of possibility.

（作者：陆秀,柳润瑛,李莹亮 编辑：叶映橙）