The AI competition has entered the second half of 'application competition'. In the gaming scene, the application of AI has transitioned from experimental exploration to systematic development and implementation.

Article author, source: AIBase

On March 18, Tencent Holdings (00700.HK) released its financial report for the fourth quarter and full year of 2025. As a core business, gaming has shown steady growth, with annual gaming business revenue reaching 241.6 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 22%. Among them, the annual revenue of games in the domestic market increased by 18% year-on-year to 164.2 billion yuan. The annual revenue of games in the international market surpassed 10 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 33%, setting a new historical record.

Specifically for Q4, the domestic market game revenue increased by 15% year-on-year, reaching 38.2 billion yuan, mainly due to the revenue growth of (Delta Operation) and (Valorant) (on PC and mobile), as well as the incremental revenue contribution from (Tide of Echoes); the international market game revenue increased by 32% year-on-year, reaching 21.1 billion yuan, mainly from the revenue growth of games under Supercell and (PUBG Mobile), as well as the overseas incremental revenue contribution from (Tide of Echoes).

The financial report also specifically mentioned that game AI is effectively accelerating content production, improving user experience, and enhancing marketing effectiveness. Currently, multiple games under (Honor of Kings), (Game for Peace), and (Delta Operation) have applied AI to enrich player experience and enhance game quality.

Among them, (Game for Peace) has announced that the cumulative number of users who have experienced all AI NPC gameplay in the game has reached 111 million, with a peak daily active user count of 17.7 million, a single match message interaction volume of 70 rounds, and a microphone activation rate of nearly 75%, further enhancing player participation.

AI competition has entered the second half of the "application battle". In game scenarios, the application of AI has also shifted from experimental exploration to systematic development pipeline implementation. At the global game developers conference that just concluded last week, Tencent's AI application-related sharing reached 21 sessions, covering the entire chain of the industry, including game development, gameplay, and operation, leading the global exploration of game AI applications. With interactive characteristics, real-time feedback mechanisms, and the demand for digital content iteration, games are becoming one of the most imaginative landing scenarios for AI.