HONG KONG, Nov 15 Reuters China39;s Tencent Holdings said thirdquarter revenue climbed 10, as its games business staged a robust recovery from a regulatory crackdown on the country39;s tech sector and online advertising sales surged.

Sales for the world39;s largest video game company and operator of the WeChat messaging platform came in at 154.6 billion yuan 21.4 billion in line with market forecasts for the three months to end September, its third straight quarter of revenue growth.

Last year was one of the toughest years for Chinese video game companies after a regulatory crackdown that began in 2021 led to an eight monthlong freeze in licences for new games and more restrictions on playing time for minors. Tencent ended up posting its firstever annual revenue decline.

This year has been much better for the industry after regulators began resuming granting game licences.

Tencent39;s domestic games revenue for the quarter grew 5, driven by titles such as the multiplayer roleplaying game Lost Ark and shooting game Valorant, developed by Riot Games both of which Tencent recently launched for the first time in China.

In August, the video games sector raked in combined revenue of 29.2 billion yuan, the highest level in at least 20 months, according to CNG, a governmentbacked industry data firm.

Tencent39;s online advertising business reported a 20 jump in revenue thanks to strong demand for advertising in its video content.

Its fintech business, its secondlargest…