GITNUXREPORT 2026

Video Games Industry Statistics

Video games earned $184 billion last year with mobile leading and billions playing worldwide.

Min-ji Park

Research Analyst focused on sustainability and consumer trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

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Statistic 1

Global gamers aged 18-34: 40% in 2023.

Statistic 2

Women represent 46% of gamers worldwide in 2023.

Statistic 3

US gamers under 18: 21% in 2023 ESA survey.

Statistic 4

65% of US adults play games in 2023.

Statistic 5

Average gamer age globally: 32 years in 2023.

Statistic 6

54% of gamers are parents worldwide.

Statistic 7

Mobile gamers skew younger: 40% under 24.

Statistic 8

PC gamers average age: 34 years.

Statistic 9

Console gamers: 48% female in US.

Statistic 10

Gamers with college degree: 37% in US.

Statistic 11

Urban gamers: 60% globally.

Statistic 12

Hispanic gamers in US: 20% of total.

Statistic 13

African American gamers in US: 12%.

Statistic 14

Gamers playing daily: 52% worldwide.

Statistic 15

Casual gamers: 70% prefer mobile.

Statistic 16

Core gamers: 30% multi-platform.

Statistic 17

28% of gamers are over 50 years old.

Statistic 18

Female mobile gamers: 50% in 2023.

Statistic 19

Male PC gamers dominate at 64%.

Statistic 20

Teens (13-17) gaming 9+ hours/week: 38%.

Statistic 21

Average AAA game development cost: $200-300 million in 2023.

Statistic 22

Average indie game budget: $50,000-$500,000.

Statistic 23

GTA V development cost: $265 million.

Statistic 24

Cyberpunk 2077 dev cost: over $300 million.

Statistic 25

Marketing costs equal 50-100% of dev budget for AAA.

Statistic 26

Global game devs: 340,000 professionals in 2023.

Statistic 27

Unity engine used by 50% of mobile devs.

Statistic 28

Unreal Engine in 30% of top games.

Statistic 29

Average game dev cycle: 3-5 years for AAA.

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Mobile game dev time: 6-12 months average.

Statistic 31

Layoffs in 2023: 10,500 game workers affected.

Statistic 32

Crunch time reported by 60% of devs.

Statistic 33

Remote work: 40% of devs full-time remote.

Statistic 34

AI tools used by 25% of devs in 2023.

Statistic 35

Female devs: 24% of workforce.

Statistic 36

US game devs: 120,000 employed.

Statistic 37

Canada game industry employees: 50,000.

Statistic 38

Japan devs: 12,000 studios.

Statistic 39

EU game devs: 100,000 workers.

Statistic 40

China game companies: 1,000+ major studios.

Statistic 41

Esports audience reached 532 million in 2023.

Statistic 42

Esports revenue: $1.38 billion in 2023.

Statistic 43

League of Legends Worlds 2023 viewership: 6.94 million peak.

Statistic 44

Valorant Champions 2023 peak viewers: 1.1 million.

Statistic 45

Dota 2 The International 2023 prize pool: $3.1 million.

Statistic 46

Fortnite World Cup 2023 prize: $4 million.

Statistic 47

CS:GO Major 2023 peak viewers: 1.8 million.

Statistic 48

Esports sponsorship revenue: $665 million in 2023.

Statistic 49

Mobile esports viewers: 200 million.

Statistic 50

Twitch esports hours watched: 5 billion in 2023.

Statistic 51

Top esports org revenue: T1 $68 million.

Statistic 52

Faker (LoL) earnings: $1.81 million career.

Statistic 53

Global esports market projected $1.87 billion 2025.

Statistic 54

PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2023: $3 million prize.

Statistic 55

Street Fighter 6 EVO 2023 entrants: 5,279.

Statistic 56

Rocket League Championship peak viewers: 368k.

Statistic 57

Esports betting market: $1.3 billion turnover.

Statistic 58

Women in esports pros: 5%.

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NA esports revenue share: 30%.

Statistic 60

China esports audience: 350 million.

Statistic 61

The global video games market generated $184.4 billion in revenue in 2023.

Statistic 62

Mobile games accounted for 49% of global games revenue at $90.4 billion in 2023.

Statistic 63

PC games revenue reached $41.5 billion in 2023, growing 1% year-over-year.

Statistic 64

Console games generated $52.1 billion in revenue in 2023.

Statistic 65

In-app purchases made up 75% of mobile games revenue in 2023.

Statistic 66

Global games market ad revenue was $31.9 billion in 2023.

Statistic 67

Premium games sales contributed $24.6 billion globally in 2023.

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The games market is projected to reach $189 billion in 2024.

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SuperData reported $181.3 billion in global games revenue for 2023.

Statistic 70

Video game spending in the US hit $58.6 billion in 2023.

Statistic 71

Nintendo's revenue from games reached $12.6 billion in FY2023.

Statistic 72

Tencent's gaming revenue was $32.1 billion in 2023.

Statistic 73

Sony's gaming revenue grew to $24.9 billion in FY2023.

Statistic 74

Microsoft Gaming revenue was $21.5 billion in FY2024 Q1-Q3.

Statistic 75

EA's net revenue reached $7.38 billion in FY2024.

Statistic 76

Ubisoft's net bookings were €1.65 billion in FY2024.

Statistic 77

Activision Blizzard revenue was $8.7 billion in 2023 pre-acquisition.

Statistic 78

Global games market grew 0.9% YoY in 2023 per Newzoo.

Statistic 79

Digital downloads accounted for 94% of PC/console revenue in 2023.

Statistic 80

Subscriptions and live services generated $25.2 billion in 2023.

Statistic 81

China games market revenue was $45.2 billion in 2023.

Statistic 82

US games market revenue hit $47.8 billion in 2023.

Statistic 83

Japan games revenue was $20.1 billion in 2023.

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Europe total games revenue reached $27.4 billion in 2023.

Statistic 85

Brazil games market grew to $3.0 billion in 2023.

Statistic 86

Global games market expected to grow at 2.8% CAGR to 2027.

Statistic 87

Fortnite generated over $5 billion in revenue since launch by 2023.

Statistic 88

Roblox earned $3.5 billion in revenue in 2023.

Statistic 89

Candy Crush Saga lifetime revenue exceeded $20 billion by 2023.

Statistic 90

Pokémon GO revenue reached $1.1 billion in 2023.

Statistic 91

There were 3.24 billion active gamers worldwide in 2023.

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Mobile gamers numbered 1.85 billion in 2023.

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PC gamers totaled 916 million in 2023.

Statistic 94

Console gamers reached 620 million in 2023.

Statistic 95

56% of the global population are gamers in 2023.

Statistic 96

Weekly gamers worldwide: 3 billion in 2023.

Statistic 97

US gamers: 192 million in 2023.

Statistic 98

China gamers: 688 million in 2023.

Statistic 99

Average gamers play 8.4 hours per week globally.

Statistic 100

2.8 billion mobile gamers expected by 2025.

Statistic 101

Steam monthly active users averaged 132 million in 2023.

Statistic 102

PlayStation Network monthly active users: 118 million in 2023.

Statistic 103

Xbox Live monthly active users: 120 million in 2023.

Statistic 104

Nintendo Switch online users: 38 million subscribers in 2023.

Statistic 105

Roblox daily active users: 70 million in Q4 2023.

Statistic 106

Fortnite monthly active users: 230 million in 2023.

Statistic 107

League of Legends monthly players: 160 million in 2023.

Statistic 108

Minecraft monthly active users: 140 million in 2023.

Statistic 109

GTA Online monthly active users: 15 million in 2023.

Statistic 110

PUBG Mobile monthly active users: 30 million in 2023.

Statistic 111

Call of Duty monthly players: 100 million in 2023.

Statistic 112

Among Us peak concurrent players: 450,000 on Steam in 2023.

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Forget everything you thought you knew about a niche hobby, because with over half the planet now playing and the industry generating nearly $200 billion a year, the numbers prove video games are the world's dominant form of entertainment.

Key Takeaways

The global video games market generated $184.4 billion in revenue in 2023.
Mobile games accounted for 49% of global games revenue at $90.4 billion in 2023.
PC games revenue reached $41.5 billion in 2023, growing 1% year-over-year.
There were 3.24 billion active gamers worldwide in 2023.
Mobile gamers numbered 1.85 billion in 2023.
PC gamers totaled 916 million in 2023.
Global gamers aged 18-34: 40% in 2023.
Women represent 46% of gamers worldwide in 2023.
US gamers under 18: 21% in 2023 ESA survey.
Average AAA game development cost: $200-300 million in 2023.
Average indie game budget: $50,000-$500,000.
GTA V development cost: $265 million.
Esports audience reached 532 million in 2023.
Esports revenue: $1.38 billion in 2023.
League of Legends Worlds 2023 viewership: 6.94 million peak.

Video games earned $184 billion last year with mobile leading and billions playing worldwide.

Demographics

Global gamers aged 18-34: 40% in 2023.
Women represent 46% of gamers worldwide in 2023.
US gamers under 18: 21% in 2023 ESA survey.
65% of US adults play games in 2023.
Average gamer age globally: 32 years in 2023.
54% of gamers are parents worldwide.
Mobile gamers skew younger: 40% under 24.
PC gamers average age: 34 years.
Console gamers: 48% female in US.
Gamers with college degree: 37% in US.
Urban gamers: 60% globally.
Hispanic gamers in US: 20% of total.
African American gamers in US: 12%.
Gamers playing daily: 52% worldwide.
Casual gamers: 70% prefer mobile.
Core gamers: 30% multi-platform.
28% of gamers are over 50 years old.
Female mobile gamers: 50% in 2023.
Male PC gamers dominate at 64%.
Teens (13-17) gaming 9+ hours/week: 38%.

Demographics Interpretation

Forget the basement-dwelling stereotype; today's average gamer is a 32-year-old parent with a decent shot at having a college degree, who is statistically just as likely to be crushing candy on a phone as they are commanding a console, proving that gaming is no longer a niche hobby but a mainstream, cross-generational pastime as diverse as it is pervasive.

Development

Average AAA game development cost: $200-300 million in 2023.
Average indie game budget: $50,000-$500,000.
GTA V development cost: $265 million.
Cyberpunk 2077 dev cost: over $300 million.
Marketing costs equal 50-100% of dev budget for AAA.
Global game devs: 340,000 professionals in 2023.
Unity engine used by 50% of mobile devs.
Unreal Engine in 30% of top games.
Average game dev cycle: 3-5 years for AAA.
Mobile game dev time: 6-12 months average.
Layoffs in 2023: 10,500 game workers affected.
Crunch time reported by 60% of devs.
Remote work: 40% of devs full-time remote.
AI tools used by 25% of devs in 2023.
Female devs: 24% of workforce.
US game devs: 120,000 employed.
Canada game industry employees: 50,000.
Japan devs: 12,000 studios.
EU game devs: 100,000 workers.
China game companies: 1,000+ major studios.

Development Interpretation

The modern games industry is a fascinating and contradictory beast, spending more on a single blockbuster than most indie developers will see in a lifetime, yet it's powered by a global community of hundreds of thousands of passionate creators who are chronically under pressure and still figuring out how to work smarter, not just harder.

Esports

Esports audience reached 532 million in 2023.
Esports revenue: $1.38 billion in 2023.
League of Legends Worlds 2023 viewership: 6.94 million peak.
Valorant Champions 2023 peak viewers: 1.1 million.
Dota 2 The International 2023 prize pool: $3.1 million.
Fortnite World Cup 2023 prize: $4 million.
CS:GO Major 2023 peak viewers: 1.8 million.
Esports sponsorship revenue: $665 million in 2023.
Mobile esports viewers: 200 million.
Twitch esports hours watched: 5 billion in 2023.
Top esports org revenue: T1 $68 million.
Faker (LoL) earnings: $1.81 million career.
Global esports market projected $1.87 billion 2025.
PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2023: $3 million prize.
Street Fighter 6 EVO 2023 entrants: 5,279.
Rocket League Championship peak viewers: 368k.
Esports betting market: $1.3 billion turnover.
Women in esports pros: 5%.
NA esports revenue share: 30%.
China esports audience: 350 million.

Esports Interpretation

The esports industry has built a stadium for half a billion fans, but it's still figuring out how to get most of them to buy a ticket.

Market Revenue

The global video games market generated $184.4 billion in revenue in 2023.
Mobile games accounted for 49% of global games revenue at $90.4 billion in 2023.
PC games revenue reached $41.5 billion in 2023, growing 1% year-over-year.
Console games generated $52.1 billion in revenue in 2023.
In-app purchases made up 75% of mobile games revenue in 2023.
Global games market ad revenue was $31.9 billion in 2023.
Premium games sales contributed $24.6 billion globally in 2023.
The games market is projected to reach $189 billion in 2024.
SuperData reported $181.3 billion in global games revenue for 2023.
Video game spending in the US hit $58.6 billion in 2023.
Nintendo's revenue from games reached $12.6 billion in FY2023.
Tencent's gaming revenue was $32.1 billion in 2023.
Sony's gaming revenue grew to $24.9 billion in FY2023.
Microsoft Gaming revenue was $21.5 billion in FY2024 Q1-Q3.
EA's net revenue reached $7.38 billion in FY2024.
Ubisoft's net bookings were €1.65 billion in FY2024.
Activision Blizzard revenue was $8.7 billion in 2023 pre-acquisition.
Global games market grew 0.9% YoY in 2023 per Newzoo.
Digital downloads accounted for 94% of PC/console revenue in 2023.
Subscriptions and live services generated $25.2 billion in 2023.
China games market revenue was $45.2 billion in 2023.
US games market revenue hit $47.8 billion in 2023.
Japan games revenue was $20.1 billion in 2023.
Europe total games revenue reached $27.4 billion in 2023.
Brazil games market grew to $3.0 billion in 2023.
Global games market expected to grow at 2.8% CAGR to 2027.
Fortnite generated over $5 billion in revenue since launch by 2023.
Roblox earned $3.5 billion in revenue in 2023.
Candy Crush Saga lifetime revenue exceeded $20 billion by 2023.
Pokémon GO revenue reached $1.1 billion in 2023.

Market Revenue Interpretation

The video game industry, where mobile games rake in nearly half of a staggering $184.4 billion pie largely through in-app purchases, proves the world is increasingly willing to pay for virtual candy while still finding billions more for consoles and PCs.

Player Numbers

There were 3.24 billion active gamers worldwide in 2023.
Mobile gamers numbered 1.85 billion in 2023.
PC gamers totaled 916 million in 2023.
Console gamers reached 620 million in 2023.
56% of the global population are gamers in 2023.
Weekly gamers worldwide: 3 billion in 2023.
US gamers: 192 million in 2023.
China gamers: 688 million in 2023.
Average gamers play 8.4 hours per week globally.
2.8 billion mobile gamers expected by 2025.
Steam monthly active users averaged 132 million in 2023.
PlayStation Network monthly active users: 118 million in 2023.
Xbox Live monthly active users: 120 million in 2023.
Nintendo Switch online users: 38 million subscribers in 2023.
Roblox daily active users: 70 million in Q4 2023.
Fortnite monthly active users: 230 million in 2023.
League of Legends monthly players: 160 million in 2023.
Minecraft monthly active users: 140 million in 2023.
GTA Online monthly active users: 15 million in 2023.
PUBG Mobile monthly active users: 30 million in 2023.
Call of Duty monthly players: 100 million in 2023.
Among Us peak concurrent players: 450,000 on Steam in 2023.

Player Numbers Interpretation

Nearly half the planet is now joyfully ignoring reality by gaming, and if we added up their virtual playtime, humanity would have collectively spent over 1,700 years per week in another world since 2023.

Sources & References

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