Absolutely Wild! G-bits Gives Away Tens of Millions in Real Estate as the Gaming Giant’s Annual Gala Turns Into a Cash-Shower

As the annual corporate gala season arrives, several major game developers have captured public attention with exceptionally generous rewards.

Recently, photos from the annual gala of G-bits (603444.SH) and its subsidiary Thunder Games circulated widely on social media. According to the images, every full-time employee who had passed probation and was on duty on the day of the event received an iPhone 17 Pro Max. Reports also revealed that Lin Sun, lead planner of G-bits’ game Legend of Staff and Sword, was awarded a residential property worth tens of millions of yuan—a story that quickly surged to the top of trending searches.

Another standout came from Century Huatong (002602.SZ). Its subsidiary Diandian Interactive took an equally eye-catching approach, distributing all gala prizes entirely in cash. The top-tier award reached RMB 18,888 with a 1% winning probability, alongside multiple tiers such as RMB 15,000 and RMB 9,999. Overall, the probability of winning a prize was approximately 58%.

Behind the lavish celebrations lies strong financial performance. In 2025, both G-bits and Century Huatong delivered significant earnings growth. G-bits projected attributable net profit of RMB 1.69–1.86 billion, representing year-on-year growth of roughly 79% to 97%. Century Huatong also reported sharp increases across revenue, profit, and cash flow, with revenue growing for 12 consecutive quarters since 2023 and net profit more than doubling year-on-year for two straight years.

In the gaming industry, performance growth is often driven by blockbuster titles—one hit game can sustain high earnings for years. G-bits’ Ask Tao Mobile and Legend of Staff and Sword, along with Century Huatong’s Whiteout Survival and Kingshot, have been the key engines behind their surging results.

To foster the next blockbuster, many game companies adopt high-compensation and high-bonus strategies to attract and retain top talent. As early as 2022, reports indicated that the lead planner of G-bits’ hit game Yi Nian Xiao Yao was also rewarded with a residential property. In recent years, employee compensation at both companies has continued to rise. In 2024, G-bits’ average annual salary increased 6.34% year-on-year to RMB 710,700, while Century Huatong’s rose 25.77% to RMB 544,100.

Across the broader A-share gaming sector, many companies recorded strong earnings growth in 2025. Combined with a bullish A-share market, gaming stocks saw broad-based gains. From the start of 2025 to date, the Tonghuashun Gaming Index climbed 57.58%, while G-bits and Century Huatong shares surged 105.94% and 277.82%, respectively.

As of February 5, G-bits closed at RMB 432.80 per share, with a market capitalization of RMB 312 billion. Century Huatong traded at RMB 19.42 per share, with a market cap of RMB 1.431 trillion.

Diverging Performance Among A-Share Game Companies

Overall, China’s gaming industry maintained solid growth in 2025. According to the 2025 China Game Industry Report, domestic game market revenue reached RMB 350.789 billion, up 7.68% year-on-year, while the user base grew to 683 million, an increase of 1.35%. Both figures marked record highs.

Against this backdrop, most listed game companies delivered positive results. Among 15 A-share gaming firms that released earnings forecasts, 10 reported profit growth or reduced losses.

Century Huatong ranked first in both scale and growth. Its 2025 consolidated revenue was estimated at around RMB 380 billion, up approximately 68% year-on-year, with attributable net profit of RMB 5.55–6.98 billion, representing growth of 357% to 475%. G-bits’ outlook was similarly impressive. Meanwhile, Perfect World, Glacier Network, Starlight Entertainment, and Shengtian Network each projected net profit growth exceeding 100%.

However, not all companies shared in the boom. Zhangqu Technology and Dianhun Network were expected to swing from profit to loss, with Dianhun posting its first loss since listing. Tomy Cat saw losses widen, projecting a deficit of RMB 1.1–1.4 billion in 2025.

In essence, most A-share game companies still rely heavily on a “blockbuster strategy.” While hit titles can deliver substantial and sustained revenue, their popularity inevitably fades over time. To maintain performance, companies must continuously launch new projects that refresh player interest.

Overseas expansion has also become a major industry trend. In 2025, Chinese developers’ self-developed games generated USD 20.455 billion in overseas revenue, up 10.23% year-on-year and surpassing RMB 100 billion for the sixth consecutive year. Against this backdrop, many firms are accelerating their global expansion.

Century Huatong and G-bits benefited significantly from both new blockbusters and overseas growth. Century Huatong noted that Whiteout Survival reached new highs three years after launch, ranking first on China’s overseas mobile game chart, while Kingshot set rapid growth records in the SLG category and ranked third. Other titles such as Tasty Travels: Merge Games, Endless Winter, and Truck Star also performed strongly.

Driven by these titles, Diandian Interactive rose to second place in the 2025 global mobile game publisher revenue rankings, trailing only Tencent and surpassing NetEase and miHoYo.

G-bits likewise achieved a turnaround through new releases. From 2022 to 2024, aging products weighed on results, with revenue declining from RMB 5.168 billion to RMB 3.686 billion and net profit from RMB 1.461 billion to RMB 945 million. In 2025, however, the launch of Legend of Staff and Sword (Mainland Edition), Wen Jian Chang Sheng, Dao You Lai Wa Bao, and Legend of Staff and Sword (Overseas Edition) reignited growth. The company’s published SLG title Jiu Mu Zhi Ye also performed well, surpassing one million pre-registrations and reaching No.1 on the App Store free game rankings after launch.

During a recent investor call, G-bits stated that it would continue expanding overseas in 2026, including releases of Legend of Staff and Sword and Wen Jian Chang Sheng in Europe and North America, alongside other self-developed and published titles.

In contrast, some A-share game companies face challenges such as aging products, shrinking revenue streams, and delayed new launches, resulting in weaker performance. Zhangqu Technology, for instance, peaked in 2019 with popular titles like One Punch Man: The Strongest and Bleach: Spiritual Pressure Duel, generating RMB 1.617 billion in revenue and RMB 364 million in net profit. Since then, the absence of new blockbuster titles has led to a prolonged downturn, with upcoming projects still in development and yet to contribute to earnings.