Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. The incidence of HCC has increased significantly over the past decade. Radical treatments such as surgical resection, liver transplantation or radiofrequency ablation are only suitable for less than 30% of cases. Solafenib is the first-line therapy for patients with advanced HCC, but the overall survival rate has not improved significantly and there is also the occurrence of high-frequency adverse events. In recent years, with the deep research in the immune microenvironment of liver tissue, immunotherapy is becoming a new standard for advanced HCC globally. Compared to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), immunotherapeutic agents, with higher objective response rates and fewer side effects, may replace sorafenib from standard first-line treatments. The author reviews the current status and progress of immunotherapy for HCC.