Steam has established itself as a global gaming platform, and recent statistics reveal that more than 66% of users do not have English as their primary language. Mandarin, specifically simplified Chinese, has surpassed English as the most used language, reaching 33.7% of players compared to 33.5% who use English, according to a report presented at the Global Developer Conference 2025.
Black Myth: Wukong has been a great catalyst for the Asian market
This trend is largely due to the growing popularity of games like Black Myth: Wukong, which has revitalized the national video game market in China, attracting a larger number of users to PC and console gaming. Developers in the region claim that this interest has been a long-term desire and that they are now seeing a real opportunity to launch large-scale titles.
Iconic games like Genshin Impact, Infinity Nikki, and Honkai: Star Rail have achieved remarkable success, solidifying the impact of Chinese companies in the industry. Tencent, a gaming giant in China, has a strong presence in this ecosystem, influencing various areas of video game development and distribution.
Additionally, Japanese developers have highlighted the enormous capacity of the Chinese industry, mentioning that it uses ten times more resources and labor than Japan for its projects. This greater financial and human commitment allows for more innovative and bold ideas to emerge, something that, they say, would not always be accepted in the Japanese context.
Mandarin is not only widely spoken in China, but also in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Vietnam, which increases its use on gaming platforms. This phenomenon could continue, as the number of Mandarin speakers continues to rise, altering the landscape of global gaming in the coming years.
