China’s PC online gaming market revenues grew 22 percent to $14.5B in 2014 — MOBAs helped

China’s more open than ever to foreign-made games.

Niko Partners‘ latest market report shows that online PC gaming revenues in China are up 22 percent this year, jumping to $14.5 billion due to an increased demand for online battle arena games and first-person shooters. The Asian games market intelligence says that such growth will continue as foreign game companies find success in the country, helping push revenues to a projected $22.3 billion in 2019.

The firm’s 2015 China’s PC Online Games Market Report shows that while domestic Chinese publishers still rule the MMO segment, foreign companies such as Riot (League of Legends) and Neowiz (CrossFire) are seeing increased adoption as MOBA and FPS games grow in popularity. As a result, e-sports is getting bigger, and professional gamers are becoming cultural icons. This is all happening on top of impressive mobile gaming growth in China.

The market is large enough for both, it seems.

“In 2015 there will be 275 million Chinese PC online gamers eager to connect with friends at home or in I-cafés – roughly equal to 88 percent of the current population of the United States,” said managing partner and founder of Niko Partners Lisa Cosmas Hanson in a statement. “While much of the casual game usage has migrated from PC to the mobile platform, the high quality client-based MMOGs and hardcore webgames continue to generate strong revenue in China’s enormous games market.”