WARSAW, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Behind a mysterious doorway, neon-lit streets and cybernetic mercenaries meet a fantasy world powered by sound. In the Chinese action game Wuthering Waves, players can explore a dreamlike city and take control of characters from the animated series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, including a hacker and a gun-wielding fighter.
The crossover brings together two different gaming worlds. In a recent interview at the offices of CD PROJEKT RED, the Polish developer behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, joint CEO Michal Nowakowski described the collaboration with China's Kuro Games as a partnership that has generated fresh interest in both companies and their games.
The cooperation reflects a broader trend in the gaming industry. Chinese and European companies are increasingly working together in areas ranging from creative development and intellectual property sharing to the production and distribution of gaming equipment. By combining their expertise and understanding of different markets, businesses on both sides are finding new ways to attract players and reach international audiences.
SHARING IP AND CREATIVE EXPERTISE
For Nowakowski, successful cooperation starts with finding a good match between the creative ideas of two companies and the audiences they want to reach.
He sees opportunities for Chinese and European companies to work together through crossovers and by developing games based on each other's intellectual property (IP). IP refers to the characters, stories, fictional worlds and other creative elements owned by a company or brand.
"It has to make sense for the team in China," he said, adding that it must also fit CD PROJEKT RED and its own intellectual property.
He pointed to Black Myth: Wukong, an action-adventure game inspired by Chinese mythology, as an example of how Chinese developers can combine impressive visuals, engaging gameplay and storytelling to create ambitious single-player games.
He said the game's success could encourage more Chinese players to explore similar titles, potentially creating new opportunities for overseas developers.
Sebastian Kalemba, game director of The Witcher IV, also praised Black Myth: Wukong for its combination of mythology and challenging combat.
He noted that cultural traditions can give games a distinctive identity, while universal themes such as love and friendship allow stories to connect with players across different countries and cultures.
The growing international popularity of Chinese games provides a strong foundation for such exchanges. According to the 2025 China Game Industry Report, released by the Game Publishing Committee of the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, overseas sales of China's self-developed games reached 20.455 billion U.S. dollars in 2025.
Cooperation is also taking place through international game development teams, where studios in different countries contribute to the same projects.
At the recently concluded Poznan Game Arena in western Poland, Kamil Sciana, senior communications manager for Central and Eastern Europe at Ubisoft, has said the French game developer and publisher operates two studios in China.
The company's Shanghai and Chengdu studios have contributed to several well-known international game franchises.
The Chengdu studio has worked on Assassin's Creed, an action-adventure series set in different historical periods. The Shanghai studio has collaborated with Ubisoft's Paris team on Just Dance, a music game in which players follow dance moves displayed on screen.
Chinese developers have also brought elements of their own cultural heritage into international projects. Ubisoft Chengdu led the development of Myths of the Eastern Realm, an expansion for the fantasy game Immortals Fenyx Rising that draws inspiration from Chinese mythology.
GROWING THROUGH HARDWARE PARTNERSHIPS
Cooperation between Chinese and European companies is not limited to game development. It is also expanding in the gaming hardware market, where Chinese manufacturers are working with European distributors to introduce keyboards, racing wheels and other accessories to local consumers.
For Chinese gaming peripherals brand MCHOSE, growing recognition among Polish consumers has helped support its expansion in the local market.
Lucas Domzalski, a product manager at the brand's Polish distribution partner, said the company had been selling MCHOSE products for about a year, with demand exceeding expectations.
At the Poznan exhibition, he was particularly surprised by how many visitors already knew the brand through recommendations from friends and other users.
He said the products' wide range of designs and colors appealed to different consumer preferences. With support from MCHOSE, the Polish distributor has been increasing its orders and promoting the brand at local events.
A similar approach is being used by Chinese keyboard brand Keychron, whose products attracted visitors interested in trying different designs and features.
Kamil Pac, a marketing specialist at Keychron's Polish distributor, has said the exhibition gave visitors an opportunity to test the keyboards, compare how they felt to use and find models that suited their individual needs.
Beyond conventional designs, the company also offers keyboards made with materials such as wood, copper and ceramic, providing more choices for enthusiasts who want a distinctive computer setup.
Pac said recommendations from existing users had helped the brand gain popularity. By allowing potential customers to try the products in person, the Polish team could build on that interest and explain the features of different models.
The growing trade in gaming accessories is part of a much larger commercial relationship between China and Europe.
According to Eurostat data updated in October 2026, the European Union imported approximately 805 million euros (about 899 million U.S. dollars) worth of computer keyboards from China in 2025.
Cooperation also extends to racing simulation equipment, which allows players to recreate the experience of driving a real car in a virtual environment.
Chinese simulator equipment manufacturer MOZA Racing has partnered with Italian carmaker Lamborghini to develop an officially licensed gaming steering wheel modeled on equipment used in Lamborghini race cars. The product brings elements of real-world automotive design into virtual racing.
MOZA Racing also reaches Polish consumers through Innpro, an authorized distributor of the Chinese brand.
At the Poznan exhibition, Jagoda Szaton, a product manager at Polish electronics distributor Innpro, said visitors showed considerable interest in testing racing wheels and other simulation equipment.
She said the two companies had been working together for about two years. Regular product launches and technological improvements had helped maintain customers' interest in the equipment.
Szaton described the partnership as smooth and productive. Innpro's product portfolio includes more than 100 brands, the vast majority of them Chinese, she said, adding that the company plans to develop further partnerships with Chinese suppliers.
