On the last night of 2025, just like every year, I sat down at my computer right on time, opened Bilibili, and waited patiently for the platform to serve up its carefully crafted New Year’s Eve gala.
While other satellite TV galas were still featuring the hottest stars of the moment, the Bilibili production team took a fresh approach by adapting a selection of anime, video games, and TV shows beloved by audiences from the 1980s to the 2000s, weaving them into a nearly five-hour cultural extravaganza that perfectly resonated with the nostalgia and aesthetic sensibilities of the younger generation.
What excites me most is the growing gaming presence at Bilibili’s New Year’s Eve galas over the past two years. Gaming IPs that would never get a chance to appear on other mainstream TV galas are becoming a major highlight of Bilibili’s event, giving more gamers a sense of belonging as the New Year approaches.
At last year’s New Year’s Eve gala, popular game IPs such as *The King of Fighters*, *Black Myth: Wukong*, *Pokémon*, and *Naraka: Bladepoint* took the stage one after another. Among them, the breathtaking stage production of *Black Myth: Wukong* left the deepest impression on me. With the script rewritten by producer Feng Ji and meticulously choreographed by the production team, the performance was a faithful recreation of the game and became one of the most eye-catching acts of the evening.
One of the most eye-catching acts at last year's gala
The game IPs featured at this year's New Year's Eve gala were no exception:
In the *DNF* segment, 8 million warriors rallied to face their arch-nemesis, Dyrig, who had returned to strike again; on the *Genshin Impact* stage, Travelers set off from Nordkale to the sound of music, reminiscing about the heartwarming moments from their five-year journey across the continent of Teyvat;In the *Plants vs. Zombies* segment, the audience, carried along by Wang Feng’s singing, “swayed along” with the game’s classic characters, blending fun with nostalgia…
These game-themed shows not only gave players a New Year’s surprise, but also helped spread the appeal of gaming to the general public.
Although the New Year’s Eve gala took place two days ago, the excitement has yet to die down. Real-time bullet comments have surpassed 10 million, and views of user-generated videos on the platform have exceeded 100 million, with these figures continuing to rise rapidly.
Within the community, players who watched the show marveled at how quickly time flies and how they’ve long since outgrown their rookie days; some were taken on a trip down memory lane, recalling the carefree days of raiding dungeons in the game; and many more expressed their best wishes for the New Year, noting that ringing in the New Year alongside fellow enthusiasts is truly a wonderful experience…
01
The virtual world of the game is brought to life on stage
It is no easy task to accurately capture the virtual world of a game, bring it to life on a three-dimensional stage, and connect with both gamers and general audiences through the right performance techniques. Every aspect—from developing the show’s concept and designing the stage set to selecting the right performers—requires careful consideration.
Judging by the stage performances of *DNF*, *Genshin Impact*, and *Plants vs. Zombies*, the lively atmosphere at the event sparked players' desire to express themselves through bullet comments.
- DNF: Celebrating Our 18th Anniversary
In 2026, *DNF* will celebrate its 18th anniversary, and the performances at the gala served as the opening act for this “coming-of-age” celebration. The *DNF* D'Riggi raid theme song, *To the Warriors*, performed by Hu Yanbin, evoked memories of players’ passionate youth spent in *DNF*.
In fact, Hu Yanbin has deep ties to *DNF* and is a familiar face to players.
Earlier, Hu Yanbin composed the song "Moonlight" for the animated series *Qin's Moon*, and its lyrics were later selected by *DNF* designers as the theme for the Level 35 Epic Katana "Moonlight."In 2019, as *DNF* celebrated its 11th anniversary, the collaboration between the two parties deepened further: Hu Yanbin performed the theme song "Gunfire Show" for the Male Gunner class and engaged in a virtual dialogue with the game’s iconic NPC, Selia, during the 11th-anniversary gala.
Given this background, it was only natural to choose Hu Yanbin to perform "Salute to the Warriors." Furthermore, "Salute to the Warriors" is actually an adaptation of Hu Yanbin’s song "Salute to Myself, Not for Anyone Else." With its high-energy style, the song—rewritten to pay tribute to the warriors’ (players’) journey—can be described as an epic ode to the youth of 8 million warriors.
To recreate the game’s atmosphere, the opening of the stage featured a massive AR projection of the boss Dyrig, depicting the intense scene of players teaming up to battle the boss. The backup dancers were all dressed in suits, a nod to the well-known meme “suit-wearing raid parties.” The overall effect was thrilling and perfectly captured the passion and excitement of *DNF*.
- Genshin Impact: Looking Back on Five Years, Embarking on a New Journey
The *Genshin Impact* stage opens with the lighthearted song “Sleeping with the Moon,” whose operatic, soothing melody, combined with the pristine white stage design, transports players to Nordkale, the Moon-Blessed Land in the northwest of the continent of Teyvat.
For many players, the appearance of the *Genshin Impact* IP at the New Year’s Eve gala likely came as a surprise. Earlier rumors in the community that “Bilibili and miHoYo were at odds and that traffic to miHoYo games was being throttled” now seem completely off the mark.
Returning to the show itself, "Sleeping Under the Moon" is the theme song for the Version 6.0 character Colombina. The original song was performed by Norwegian singer AURORA, and this version features Chinese lyrics sung by Stephy Chang. Interestingly, Stephy Chang’s signature song is "Aurora."
On a stage transformed into the Silver Moon Garden, Stephy Chang sat upon a radiant crescent moon, dressed in a long white gown and wearing a moon-shaped crown. As the mist cleared and the lights dimmed, the moon’s pristine whiteness was further accentuated. Her ethereal voice echoed across the stage, like a warm greeting carried across the biting cold wind.It was as if a traveler had unlocked the Silver Moon Garden, encountering the maiden for the very first time.
The Girl is a major character in *Genshin Impact* whose introduction has been long anticipated in the main storyline. Ever since her debut in the interlude trailer, she has been shrouded in an air of cool mystery, and her popularity remains sky-high. After years of anticipation, she is finally set to join the gacha pool in the "Moonlit Chapter 4" update. The New Year’s Eve gala serves, to some extent, as a clever way to build excitement for the new update.
Immediately afterward, the main stage screen echoed with repeated calls of “Traveler,” and Wang Zhengliang took the stage to perform *The Road Home*, the theme song for *Genshin Impact*’s fifth anniversary. At that moment, an animated video on the main screen retraced the players’ journey from Mondstadt, through Liyue, to Inazuma… and finally to the newly opened region of Nordkale.
As the song played, the audience’s thoughts drifted across the continent of Teyvat, revisiting the memories of their five-year journey. Seeing row after row of “Genshin Impact Launch” comments scroll by, I could fully understand the excitement and pride Genshin Impact players must be feeling right now.
Genshin Impact's creative showcase closely ties into the main storyline of "Between the Sky and the Moon" and the game's fifth-anniversary celebration. It opens with iconic scenes from the new version and reaches its climax with a deeply meaningful theme song, evoking endless emotion.
- Plants vs. Zombies: Rocking Out with a Childhood Classic
The *Plants vs. Zombies* show opened with an a cappella rendition of the game’s iconic theme song. The melodious, crystal-clear vocals instantly transported me back to my childhood.
On stage, Wang Feng performed his signature song "Let's Swing," which perfectly complemented the game's design of plants swaying from side to side. Dancers dressed as classic zombies heated up the atmosphere with their superb moves. Throughout the performance, classic characters such as the Little Mushroom, Dave on his lawnmower, and zombie dancers took the stage one by one to perform.
The audience members, dressed as sunflowers, swayed and danced along with the music, becoming part of the stage performance. The atmosphere was filled with joy.
Although the stage designs for the three games vary in style, the production of each show is meticulously crafted to capture the essence of the respective game IPs. In particular, thanks to the professional performances by renowned singers, even those who aren’t gamers can appreciate the charm of these game IPs.
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A vibrant content community where passion never fades
As a dedicated Bilibili user who has earned the "Four-Year Perfect Attendance Award," I’ve definitely noticed that Bilibili’s gaming content features plenty of exclusive highlights.
Take the "Game Preview" segment, which focuses on the first reveals of single-player games, for example. This year, highly anticipated domestic AAA titles such as *Return to Tang*, *Sword of the Ancient*, and *The Legend of Sword and Fairy 4 Remastered* have chosen to make their exclusive debuts through this segment. Often, simply releasing a teaser poster for a new game is enough to spark extensive discussion among industry professionals and players alike.
For example, I saw that the trailer for *Return to Tang* has racked up over 15 million views; and the first trailer for *Sword of the Ancient* has attracted nearly 5,000 comments…
In a sense, the "Play First, Watch Later" series has become a barometer for new domestic single-player games. This is not only because the supply of high-quality domestic games is experiencing a boom, but also thanks to Bilibili’s well-established gaming content ecosystem.
There is a large community of game content creators on Bilibili, particularly those focusing on classic games.
Remember the "Battle for Shanghai" that emerged in *Absolute Submarine 2* earlier this year? As other cities in the game fell one after another, the Shanghai-based city became humanity’s last stronghold. Players spontaneously used Bilibili as their base of operations, linking up to form a fully-fledged live-streaming command center.
Veteran players of *Absolute Submarine 2* are streaming live on Bilibili, fighting fiercely on the front lines like warriors ready to die for their cause, while their teammates in the rear are actively recording gameplay clips, posting battle reports from the front lines, and encouraging more casual players to join the defense. The "Shanghai Campaign" is proving to be a fierce and intense battle.
The bold and ingenious moves pulled off by Chinese players have left overseas *Absolute Submarine 2* players speechless. In fact, many of them have been inspired by the fan-made videos circulating online and have joined the “International Brigade” to defend Shanghai together.
The popularity of "The Battle of Shanghai" quickly spread beyond the gaming community and into the public eye, even making headlines on Shanghai TV News.
The story of players from around the world coming together to secure victory in the campaign is still widely talked about on Bilibili.
It’s not just popular online games; there are also countless creators working tirelessly on single-player games.
When I played *The Last of Us Part II* (PC version) on the highest difficulty, the mandatory encounters left me in agony, and I kept getting stuck.After carefully studying Dai’s walkthrough videos, I was able to replicate his tactics almost flawlessly and quickly beat the game on the highest difficulty. With a year still to go before the release of *Blade & Soul: Zero*, “Blade & Soul scholars” on Bilibili are already using a magnifying glass to dissect every clue hidden behind each trailer, giving players who’ve been eagerly awaiting the game’s launch a little something to tide them over.
A vibrant community culture has encouraged players to express their passion for games more freely. As the year draws to a close, preparations for the player-organized New Year’s Gala have already begun. What’s more, I’ve seen groups of dedicated fans of games that have already shut down their servers coming together to put on performances for the New Year’s Gala—driven purely by their love for the game.
Even though the game has been offline for two years, some players are still organizing a Lunar New Year gathering for *Phantom Book*.
As the above examples clearly demonstrate, high-quality game content sparks creativity within the player community, and an active player community, in turn, generates remarkable creativity that feeds back into the game ecosystem, creating a virtuous cycle.
In particular, games that once shone with a unique charm have ultimately been taken offline and shut down, whether due to market challenges or a lack of resources. Yet the players in the community have never forgotten them; even years later, they continue to create fan-made content, keeping the spirit of the game alive. For the developers, this is perhaps the greatest consolation.
Watching the Bilibili New Year’s Eve Gala, I saw anime and manga game IPs leap into the real world, striking a chord and moving the audience. I think being a game content creator is pretty wonderful.
原创文章，作者：游茶妹儿，禁止转载：https://youxichaguan.com/en/archives/195242
