Tencent posts 22% profit surge on AI momentum
Tencent’s high-margin gaming and ad units bankroll ambitious AI expansion, as Q1 profit climbs 22% despite capital spending spike.
Revenue rose 13% YoY to RMB180 billion (USD25.1B), driven by growth across gaming, advertising, and cloud services.
AI integration across WeChat and ad tech platforms accelerated, with tools like the Yuanbao LLM enhancing user experience and creator productivity.
WeChat MAUs reached 1.4 billion, reflecting steady platform engagement as Tencent embeds AI into core services like Search and Official Accounts.
Non-IFRS operating profit climbed 18% YoY to RMB69.3B (USD9.7B), lifting margins to 39% despite heavier AI-related investment.
Marketing services revenue jumped 20% YoY, supported by generative AI tools for automated ad creation and deeper user-insight targeting.
Tencent, China's most valuable internet company, operates across social media (Weixin/WeChat), gaming, video, music streaming, fintech, and cloud services.
Over the past year, the company has pivoted from a post-COVID revenue normalization phase toward a more AI-forward trajectory.
Coming off a strong Q4 2024, Tencent entered 2025 with clear signals of double-digit growth across its value-added services (VAS), fintech, and marketing arms amid a volatile domestic macro backdrop.
Revenue mix
Value-added services (VAS) clocked RMB92.1 billion, up 17% YoY, driven by both domestic and international games.
Domestic gaming revenue surged 24% YoY, led by hits like Honour of Kings and Peacekeeper Elite, while new titles like DnF Mobile and Delta Force delivered strong initial monetization.
Delta Forcealone hit 12 million daily active users (DAU) by April, making it the top new mobile game by DAU in the last three years.
International gaming revenue climbed 23% YoY to RMB16.6B, propelled by franchises such as Brawl Stars and PUBG MOBILE, signaling Tencent’s growing resilience beyond China’s regulatory scope.
Marketing services—formerly “online advertising”—rose 20% YoY to RMB31.9 billion, as Video Accounts, Mini Programs, and WeChat Search delivered higher engagement.
AI upgrades to Tencent’s ad tech stack, including generative image/video tools and digital human live-streaming hosts, appear to be gaining commercial traction.
FinTech and Business Services revenue grew 5% YoY to RMB54.9B, paced by upticks in consumer lending, wealth management, and enterprise cloud demand.
While growth was more muted compared to VAS and ads, the unit maintained margin discipline.
User metrics
Combined monthly active users (MAU) of Weixin and WeChat reached 1.402 billion, a 3% YoY increase and still growing sequentially.
However, QQ’s mobile MAU fell 3% YoY to 534 million, a continued indication of aging user cohorts.