China's first AAA game Black Myth: Wukong. [Photo/IC]

From sold-out art exhibitions to global video game releases, Hangzhou — capital of East China's Zhejiang province — is emerging as a key player in China's booming gaming industry.

The Black Myth: Wukong art exhibition in the metropolis, inspired by the hit game of the same name released last year, attracted over 450,000 onsite visitors and some 600 million online views from April to July, highlighting the cultural power of Chinese-made games.

As China's first blockbuster AAA game, Black Myth: Wukong has gained global attention, blending traditional culture like Northwest China's Shaanxi province's storytelling and North China's Shanxi province's architecture with cutting-edge design.

Developed by Hangzhou-based video game developer Game Science, the game exemplifies Zhejiang's strong presence in the global gaming market.

Zhejiang is now home to over 1,500 gaming-related companies, including major players like NetEase, Game Science and Electronic Soul.

In fact, the province houses two companies with over 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) in revenue and seven with a market value topping that threshold. In 2024, the value of Zhejiang's cultural and entertainment service trade, including its gaming exports, hit 4.4 billion yuan, up 15.5 percent year-on-year.

With robust government support — such as Hangzhou's dedicated game publishing services and the newly launched gaming and e-sports innovation center in its Yuhang district — Zhejiang is accelerating its shift from game production to Game+ integration.

This includes gaming combined with tourism, education, healthcare and cultural promotion.

As AI, AR, VR and global IPs reshape the landscape, Zhejiang's game developers are positioned to lead China's next wave of digital cultural exports — taking traditional stories and local creativity to players worldwide.

Developers work together at a game development competition held at the gaming and e-sports innovation center in Hangzhou's Yuhang district. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_7db5c70c53f0]