Gitnux/Report 2026

Videogame Industry Statistics

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Videogame Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The videogame industry at a glance

The global videogame market generated $213.9 billion in 2026, with mobile, PC and console businesses expanding despite layoffs, rising production costs and continued consolidation.

$213.9B[90]
Global market revenue, 2026
6.1%[90]
Global market growth, 2026
82,971[35]
U.S. industry jobs, 2025
47%[90]
Asia-Pacific revenue share, 2026
Market size
Newzoo estimates that the global games market will generate $213.9 billion in 2026, up 6.1% year over year. The U.S. market recorded $60.7 billion in consumer spending in 2025, up 1.4% from 2024.[90][35]
Forecast & CAGR
Newzoo forecasts global games revenue to reach $234.4 billion in 2028, implying a 5.1% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2028. PC revenue is forecast to grow at 6.6% annually from 2025 to 2028, compared with 4.4% for console revenue.[60][8]
Market share & regions
Asia-Pacific is forecast to generate $100.7 billion in 2026, equal to 47% of the global market, and account for 1.94 billion players. North America represented 27% of global games revenue in 2025, making it the second-largest region.[90][60]
Segmentation
Newzoo’s 2025 platform forecast put mobile revenue at $103.0 billion and PC revenue at $39.9 billion; console revenue made up the remaining portion of the global market. Mobile therefore remained the largest platform segment, while PC and console benefited from stronger full-game purchasing.[19][60]
Key players & concentration
The U.S. games software sector is fragmented by company count: 65% of establishments primarily involved in development, publishing or related software employed fewer than 10 people in 2025. However, eight sites with at least 1,000 employees accounted for 29% of total software-sector employment, indicating concentration among large publishers and platform companies.[35]
Pricing
U.S. consumer spending on video games reached $60.7 billion in 2025. Among U.S. players, Gen Alpha, Gen Z and Millennials who purchased in-game content typically spent a median of $20 per month, according to the ESA’s 2026 consumer research.[35]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Growth is being supported by mobile monetization, new console hardware cycles and stronger PC full-game sales; Newzoo reported that full-game revenue grew 25% year over year on PC and 8.1% on console in 2025. At the same time, layoffs, component-cost pressure and rising development budgets are increasing financial risk for studios.[60][62][35]
Consumer behavior & competition
The ESA reported that 212.3 million Americans played video games weekly in 2026, up 3% from 2025. Mobile was the leading device category, used by 82% of U.S. players aged eight and older, while competition increasingly centers on recurring engagement, subscriptions, live services and cross-platform releases.[35]
M&A
Electronic Arts completed its acquisition by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners on August 4, 2026. Other recent transactions included Enad Global 7’s acquisition of Cold Iron’s assets and Embracer Group’s divestment of Arc Games and Cryptic Studios, reflecting continued portfolio reshaping.[91][92][93]
Regulation
In January 2025, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said Cognosphere, the developer of Genshin Impact, would pay a $20 million civil penalty and face restrictions on selling loot boxes to users under 16 without parental consent. The case also alleged misleading disclosures about loot-box odds and pricing, increasing regulatory scrutiny of monetization aimed at minors.[94]
Latest news
The latest industry developments include Microsoft’s July 2026 announcement of 4,800 job cuts, with an additional 1,600 expected during the fiscal year, and EA’s October 2026 restructuring that included the closure of BioWare and cancellation of the next Mass Effect project. These events show that revenue growth is occurring alongside workforce reductions and portfolio rationalization.[62]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Videogame Industry

The leading companies in the videogame industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Microsoft leads Gitnux's 2026 videogame ranking with an Overall score of 9.8, with operating margin 45.62% and R&D at 12% of revenue. Valve is the highest-ranked gaming platform operator at 9.3, with PC games tied to the Steam platform and game hardware.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in console & hardware services

    Microsoft

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.8 · Console & hardware services

    Why we picked it: Its Xbox segment spans hardware, first- and third-party content, Game Pass subscriptions, and cloud gaming.

    See in ranking ↓Visit microsoft.com ↗

  2. Leader in game platforms & stores

    Valve

    US

    Ranked #2 · 9.3 · Game platforms & stores

    Why we picked it: Its focus on PC games and the Steam platform places it at the center of distribution and storefront access.

    See in ranking ↓Visit valvesoftware.com ↗

  3. Leader in online & mobile games

    Tencent

    CN

    Ranked #3 · 9.2 · Online & mobile games

    Why we picked it: Its online and mobile games segment is backed by reported 2025 games revenue at RMB241.5 billion.

    See in ranking ↓Visit tencent.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the videogame industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Microsoft

Console & hardware services · US

9.8
2

Valve

Game platforms & stores · US

9.3
3

Tencent

Online & mobile games · CN

9.2
4

Roblox Corporation

Game platforms & stores · US

9.1
5

Nintendo

Console & hardware services · JP

9.0
6

Bandai Namco Holdings

Games, IP-based entertainment and amusement · JP

8.9
7

Take-Two Interactive

Console, PC and mobile game publishing · US

8.9
8

NetEase

Online games, mobile games and game publishing · CN

8.9
9

Sony Group Corporation

PlayStation consoles, games and network services · JP

8.9
10

Epic Games

Live-service games, engine and digital storefront · US

8.8

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the videogame industry. In Videogame Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/videogame-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

UK video games consumer market size

UK video games consumer market size grew from 4,100 GBP million in 2015 to 8,764 GBP million in 2025.

4,100 GBP million
Start
+7.89%
CAGR · 10y
8,762 GBP million
Projected
20152025
source-verifiedcms.ukie.org.uk2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI adoption signals vary by workflow use: Unity survey data reports 35% using AI for prototyping in 2026, while 30% of game-studio respondents used generative AI in 2026.

AI in the videogame industry

  • 64% of AI adopters surveyed by Unity favored AI for developing non-player characters in 2023.[1]
  • 4% of developers said their companies required them to use generative-AI tools at work in 2025.[2]
  • 35% of game-industry AI users reported using AI for prototyping in 2026.[3]
  • 30% of respondents at game studios used generative AI tools in 2026, compared with 58% at publishing, support, marketing and public-relations companies.[3]
  • 81% of game-industry AI users reported using the technology for research or brainstorming in 2026.[3]
  • 56% of AI adopters surveyed by Unity used AI for worldbuilding in 2023.[1]

Automation in the videogame industry

  • 8% of game-development teams using DevOps services cited faster releases as their primary benefit in Unity’s 2025 survey.[4]
  • 13% of game-development teams using DevOps services cited scaling infrastructure and development processes as their primary benefit in Unity’s 2025 survey.[4]
  • 4% of game-development teams surveyed by Unity in 2025 said they did not use DevOps services.[4]
  • 77% of surveyed game developers said they did not test their games enough before launch in a 2024 game-QA survey.[5]
  • 16% of game-development teams using DevOps services cited code-quality improvements as their primary benefit in Unity’s 2025 survey.[4]
  • 24% of game-development teams using DevOps services cited automation and efficiency as their primary benefit in Unity’s 2025 survey.[4]

Digital Transformation in the entertainment and gaming sector (sector benchmark)

  • 69% of global media and entertainment respondents described their business-technology relationship as siloed, transactional, or consultative in 2025.[6]
  • 54% of global media and entertainment organizations reported significant or moderate lead-generation improvement over the previous three years in 2025.[6]
  • 55% of global media and entertainment respondents were at the piloting or deploying stage of AI adoption in 2025.[6]
  • 49% of global media and entertainment organizations reported significant or moderate customer-retention improvement over the previous three years in 2025.[6]
  • 28% of global media and entertainment respondents reported a formal AI owner with a title and budget authority in 2025.[6]

Technology Adoption in the entertainment and gaming sector (sector benchmark)

  • 84% of gaming-company executives surveyed reported that their businesses were more cloud-reliant than ever in 2023.[7]
  • 36% of surveyed game developers reported using AI for dynamic level design, animation and rigging, or dialogue writing in 2025.[8]
  • 87% of game developers surveyed across the United States, South Korea, Norway, Finland, and Sweden reported using AI agents in their workflows in 2025.[9]
  • 62% of surveyed game-development studios reported using AI in their workflows in 2023.[10]
  • 90% of media and entertainment companies expected their AI investment to increase during the 24 months following a 2024 survey.[11]

Cloud Computing in the entertainment and gaming sector (sector benchmark)

  • 76% of gaming-industry respondents relied on cloud providers for databases in 2023.[7]
  • 60% of gaming-industry respondents relied on cloud providers for virtual machines in 2023.[7]
  • 56% of gaming-industry respondents relied on cloud providers for software-as-a-service in 2023.[7]
  • 78% of gaming-industry respondents relied on cloud providers for storage in 2023.[7]

Big Data in the entertainment and gaming sector (sector benchmark)

  • Almost 80% of gaming platforms reported poor decision-making when timely, complete data was unavailable in 2024.[12]
  • 70% of gaming platforms identified stifled innovation as a consequence of lacking timely, complete data in 2024.[12]
  • 74% of gaming platforms identified missed business opportunities as a consequence of lacking timely, complete data in 2024.[12]
  • 80% of gaming platforms reported losing competitive edge when timely, complete data was unavailable in 2024.[12]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Real-time data remains a gating item: 80% of gaming platforms said access to real-time market data is very or extremely important for decision-making in 2024.

Business intelligence in the videogame industry

  • 16 game genres were segmented in GameAnalytics’ 2024 mobile videogame industry dataset.[13]
  • 3,004 games were published in Central America in the 2024 GameAnalytics regional dataset.[13]
  • 4,681 games were published in the Middle East in the 2024 GameAnalytics regional dataset.[13]
  • 8,566 games were published in Asia in the 2024 GameAnalytics regional dataset.[13]
  • 6,065 games were published in Europe in the 2024 GameAnalytics regional dataset.[13]
  • 11,600 mobile games supplied the 2025 Mobile Gaming Benchmarks dataset, covering the videogame industry worldwide in 2024.[13]

Data analytics in the videogame industry

  • 4.71 sessions per day was the median mobile-game session count in the Middle East in 2024.[13]
  • 22.64% was the median Day 1 retention rate for mobile games in the Middle East in 2024.[13]
  • 5.75 minutes was the median mobile-game session length in Europe in 2024.[13]
  • 6.85 minutes was the median mobile-game session length in Oceania in 2024.[13]
  • 3.67 sessions per day was the median mobile-game session count in North America in 2024.[13]
  • 23.05 minutes was the median daily playtime for mobile-game players in Europe in 2024.[13]

Data Quality in the entertainment and gaming sector (sector benchmark)

  • 49% of media and entertainment companies training AI models said they had wasted resources because of bad data in 2025.[11]
  • 51% of media and entertainment business leaders were unsure their companies could generate and deliver relevant insights in 2025.[11]
  • 16% of media and entertainment companies’ data was reported as trapped in 2025.[11]
  • 32% of gaming executives said making use of the data their companies collect was a significant current challenge, rising to 41% as an expected challenge in three years, according to an EY survey.[14]
  • 34% of media and entertainment organizations identified uniqueness as their leading data-quality issue in Adverity’s 2025 survey of 200 CMOs across the US, UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.[15]

Data Governance in the entertainment and gaming sector (sector benchmark)

  • 80% of gaming platforms said access to real-time market data was very or extremely important for decision-making in 2024.[16]
  • 54% of gaming companies had dedicated analytics teams able to analyze company-wide data in a 2024 survey.[16]
  • 90% of media and entertainment respondents said a strong data foundation was the most critical factor for AI deployment in 2025.[11]
  • 87% of media and entertainment respondents said their data governance policies varied across departments in 2025.[11]
  • 59% of gaming executives ranked gaining visibility into gaming endpoints as their top data priority in the EY survey.[14]
  • 61% of gaming platforms that tracked data in the prior 12 months had no access to any data in real time in 2024.[16]

KPIs in the videogame industry

  • 10.2% of mobile-game developers identified re-engagement as a primary KPI in the Winter 2024/25 industry survey.[17]
  • 16.1% of mobile-game developers identified average revenue per paying user as a primary KPI in the Winter 2024/25 industry survey.[17]
  • 50.8% of mobile-game developers identified retention rate as a primary KPI in the Winter 2024/25 industry survey.[17]
  • 56% of mobile-game developers identified top-line revenue as a primary KPI in the Winter 2024/25 industry survey.[17]
  • 30.5% of mobile-game developers identified lifetime value as a primary KPI in the Winter 2024/25 industry survey.[17]
  • 47.8% of mobile-game developers identified daily active users as a primary KPI in the Winter 2024/25 industry survey.[17]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Platform mix matters for forecasts: Newzoo forecasts PC revenue to grow 6.6% annually from 2025 to 2028, compared with 4.4% for console revenue.

Growth in the videogame industry

  • 645 million console players were projected globally in 2025.[18]
  • $39.9 billion was forecast PC-game revenue in 2025, up 2.5% year over year globally.[19]
  • 936 million PC players were projected globally in 2025.[18]
  • 31.042 trillion Japanese yen was global game-content revenue in 2024, up 5.0% year over year.[20]
  • 6.0% was the reported annual growth rate for mobile gaming in the 2025 CESA industry report.[20]
  • $46.45 billion was U.S. video-game content revenue in 2024, up 1% year over year.[21]

Differentiation in the videogame industry

  • 80% of U.S. respondents aged 2 to 18 identified as gamers in Bain’s 2024 gaming survey.[22]
  • 6% of surveyed developers were building couch co-op games.[10]
  • 38% of premium gamers’ games were free-to-play titles in a 2026 survey of 6,000 players.[23]
  • Mobile games with multiplayer features had more than 40% higher monthly active users than mobile games without multiplayer features.[10]
  • 34% was the year-over-year increase in developers targeting three or more platforms, according to Unity’s 2025 report.[10]
  • 19% of premium gamers’ games were accessed through subscriptions in a 2026 survey of 6,000 players.[23]

Mergers and acquisitions in the videogame industry

  • 85 gaming M&A transactions were completed in the second half of 2024.[9]
  • $5.8 billion was the value of 85 gaming M&A transactions in the second half of 2024.[9]
  • $2.1 billion was the value of 26 game-developer M&A transactions in the first quarter of 2025.[2]
  • $3.5 billion was the reported value of Scopely’s 2025 acquisition of selected Niantic game assets.[24]
  • $4.1 billion was the value of 88 gaming M&A transactions in the first half of 2024.[9]
  • $3.9 billion of 2024 gaming M&A value was attributable to private-equity firms.[24]

Strategic partnerships in the videogame industry

  • 3 years was the announced duration of the Esports Awards and Esports World Cup partnership.[25]
  • 2026 was the end date of the revised Tencent game-cooperation agreement announced in August 2024.[26]
  • 8 partners per app were reported in Singapore and Mexico, the highest levels in the cited 2023–2024 gaming-app partnership dataset.[27]
  • 41 teams were selected for the PUBG Mobile partnership program across EMEA and the Americas in 2024.[28]
  • 3 payment or revenue-distribution mechanisms were listed in the Tencent–iDreamSky 2024 game-cooperation framework: fixed payment, revenue or profit sharing, and prepaid revenue sharing or product bonus.[26]
  • 3 Nintendo games were included in the renewed PlayVS school esports partnership: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Splatoon 3 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.[29]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce volatility shows up alongside remote work scale: 17% of total industry employment at U.S. video game companies were remote or fully remote workers in 2025 (14,461 jobs).

Hiring in the videogame industry

  • 34% of UK games businesses reported difficulty recruiting programmers in 2025.[30]
  • 29% of UK games businesses reported difficulty recruiting senior production staff in 2025.[30]
  • 31% of surveyed game developers worked in production or team management in 2025.[31]
  • 58% of surveyed Czech game companies planned to hire in 2024.[32]
  • 35% of surveyed game developers worked in game design in 2025, making it the most common reported role.[31]

Employee retention in the videogame industry

  • Fewer than 10% of surveyed Czech game studios offered employees a share in the project or company in 2023.[32]
  • 30% of unemployed IGDA respondents had been without work for more than one year in 2023.[33]
  • 4.8% of IGDA survey respondents were unemployed in the game industry in 2023.[33]
  • 93% of unemployed IGDA respondents wanted another job in the game industry in 2023.[33]
  • 29% of surveyed Czech game companies raised salaries for all employees by more than inflation in 2023.[32]

Remote Work in the entertainment and gaming sector (sector benchmark)

  • Nearly 60% of Croatian game studios allowed working from home as standard practice in 2024–2025, compared with 32% offering hybrid arrangements.[32]
  • Among game workers surveyed internationally in 2023, 23.6% worked a hybrid schedule.[34]
  • 59.7% of game workers surveyed globally worked fully remotely in 2023, while 23.6% followed hybrid schedules and 16.7% worked on-site full-time.[34]
  • Among game workers surveyed internationally in 2023, a majority reported working entirely remotely.[34]
  • Across U.S. video game companies, remote and fully remote workers accounted for 17% of total industry employment in 2025, representing 14,461 jobs.[35]

Hybrid Work in the entertainment and gaming sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across Italian video-game companies surveyed for 2024 industry facts, 42% reported hybrid working as their work modality.[36]
  • Across Italian video-game companies surveyed for 2024 industry facts, 84% said their work modalities would remain unchanged over the following two years.[36]
  • Among Italian video-game companies surveyed for 2024 industry facts, 21% reported on-site working, indicating that hybrid work was twice as common as fully on-site work.[36]
  • Among media and entertainment employers in Cisco’s 2025 global study, 87% said their organizations were still struggling to get the balance right with hybrid working.[37]
  • 21% of game developers reported a mandatory hybrid return-to-office schedule in 2024, while 5% reported mandatory five-day office work.[38]

Upskilling in the videogame industry

  • One in five UK games employers reported skills gaps affecting their workforce in 2025.[30]
  • 60% of UK games employers provided training for staff during 2025.[30]
  • 6% of UK games employers provided only off-the-job training during 2025.[30]
  • 23% of UK games employers provided a blend of on-the-job and off-the-job training during 2025.[30]
  • 31% of UK games employers provided on-the-job training during 2025.[30]

Employee Engagement in the entertainment and gaming sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among European games-industry employees surveyed in 2025, on-site workers recorded an eNPS of −6.2, the lowest score among the three work formats.[2]
  • Among European games-industry employees surveyed in 2025, remote workers recorded an eNPS of −2.6.[2]
  • Among creative and media employees at organizations with more than 1,000 employees, 64% were engaged in Culture Amp’s July 2026 benchmark.[39]
  • Among European games-industry employees surveyed in 2025, hybrid workers recorded an eNPS of +4.3, the highest score among remote, hybrid and on-site formats.[2]
  • Across media and entertainment organizations in Effectory’s global benchmark, 36.3% of employees were classified as engaged.[40]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Retention and early churn are key to monetization outcomes: more than 50% of mobile-game players stopped being active on the same day as installing the game in 2024 cited industry data.

Customer experience in the videogame industry

  • 49% of U.S. parents who play video games with their children said gaming was a good opportunity to socialize with their children in 2023.[2]
  • 51% of U.S. players aged 18 and over asked friends or family for opinions before purchasing a new game in 2023.[2]
  • 50% of U.S. players aged 18 and over considered playing a trial version or demo before purchasing a new game in 2023.[2]
  • 49% of U.S. players aged 18 and over searched forums or social media for information before purchasing a new game in 2023.[2]
  • 63% of U.S. players aged 18 and over said video games offered the most value for money in 2023.[2]

Customer retention in the videogame industry

  • 4.79% was the highest monthly median day-seven retention recorded among the listed mobile-game genres in 2024, for puzzle games.[13]
  • 1.5% was approximately the day-seven retention rate for the bottom 25% of mobile games in 2024.[13]
  • 4.51% was the January median day-seven retention for puzzle mobile games in 2024.[13]
  • More than 50% of mobile-game players stopped being active on the same day as installing the game, according to Deloitte’s cited industry data for 2024.[41]
  • 6.83% was the January median day-seven retention for card mobile games in 2024.[13]

Customer acquisition in the videogame industry

  • 23% of mobile players relied on positive game ratings and reviews when deciding whether to install, according to Mistplay’s 2023 loyalty research.[42]
  • 397% year-over-year growth was recorded in AppLovin mobile-game ad placements in 2024.[43]
  • 22% of mobile-game spenders said family and friend recommendations were a top discovery channel in 2024.[42]
  • 67% year-over-year growth was recorded in TikTok mobile-game ad impressions in 2024.[43]
  • 44.8% of mobile-game developers in a 2024/25 survey listed cost per install among their tracked key performance indicators.[17]

Customer loyalty in the videogame industry

  • 43% of U.S. parents who play games with their children said their children asked them to play in 2023.[2]
  • 34% of mobile gamers cited advertising that misrepresented an item’s value as their biggest reason for post-purchase regret in 2025.[42]
  • 69% of mobile-game spenders said social factors such as competition or social pressure did not influence their spending decisions in 2024.[42]
  • 49% of mobile gamers played their favorite game for more than one year in 2025.[42]
  • 13% of console and downloadable video-game ratings assigned by ESRB in 2023 were Mature 17+ ratings.[2]

Lead generation in the videogame industry

  • 44.8% of mobile-game developers in a 2024/25 survey tracked cost per install as a key performance indicator.[17]
  • 22% of mobile-game spenders identified recommendations from family and friends as a top discovery channel in 2024.[42]
  • 50% of U.S. players aged 18 and over used a trial version or demo when considering a new game purchase in 2023.[2]
  • 23% of players relied on positive game ratings and reviews to inform an install decision, according to Mistplay’s 2023 mobile-gaming loyalty research.[42]
  • 51% of U.S. players aged 18 and over asked friends or family for opinions when considering a new game purchase in 2023.[2]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Discovery channel mix is measurable across paid and real-time comms: 28% of surveyed game marketers used real-time communications such as Discord or Slack in 2026.

Marketing in the videogame industry

  • 28% of surveyed game marketers used real-time communications such as Discord or Slack as one of their top discovery methods, in 2026 globally.[2]
  • 65% of surveyed game marketers used social media as one of their top discovery methods for games or products, in 2026 globally.[2]
  • 39% of surveyed game marketers used streamers as one of their top discovery methods, in 2026 globally.[2]
  • 18% of surveyed game marketers used word of mouth as one of their top discovery methods, in 2026 globally.[2]
  • 31% of surveyed game marketers used paid advertising as one of their top discovery methods, in 2026 globally.[2]

Digital marketing in the videogame industry

  • 45% of Call of Duty’s PC and console advertising spend went to OTT, linear television and desktop video across 41 markets from October 2025 to September 2026.[43]
  • 23.4% of mobile-game advertisers in 2025 were new advertisers for that year globally.[2]
  • 9.4% was the average monthly share of new mobile-game advertisers in 2025 globally.[2]
  • 84,000 mobile-game advertisers were active per month on average in 2025, up 21.9% year over year globally.[2]
  • 22.0% was the growth rate for video-game and esports advertising revenue in 2025 globally.[44]

Branding in the videogame industry

  • 45% of new virtual-world brand activations occurred on Roblox in the first half of 2024.[45]
  • $5.3 billion was Roblox’s brand value in 2026, after increasing 90% year over year.[46]
  • 26th was Roblox’s position among the world’s most valuable media brands in 2026.[46]
  • 36% of U.S. gamers had played Grand Theft Auto during the 12 months before the 2025 franchise survey.[47]
  • 73.5 billion yen was Nintendo’s income from intellectual-property-related activities in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026.[48]

Social media in the videogame industry

  • 69% of game-company marketers identified social media as a top discovery method for promoting games or products, in 2026 globally.[2]
  • 63% of surveyed game marketers used YouTube or Shorts among their leading social platforms, in 2026 globally.[2]
  • 66% of surveyed game marketers used Instagram or Reels among their leading social platforms, in 2026 globally.[2]
  • 64% of surveyed game marketers used TikTok among their leading social platforms, in 2026 globally.[2]

Influencer Marketing in the entertainment and gaming sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. creator-ad buyers, 48% consider creators a must-buy media channel, ranking behind only social media and paid search in 2025.[44]
  • Among respondents to a global influencer-marketing survey, gaming represented 11.9% of reported campaign-sector activity in 2024, making it the second-largest named vertical.[49]
  • U.S. creator advertising spend is projected to grow 26% year over year in 2025, nearly four times faster than overall media-industry growth.[44]
  • U.S. creator advertising spend is projected at $37 billion in 2025, covering brand-direct creator partnerships, paid amplification and creator-content adjacencies.[44]
  • Across U.S. creator-ad buyers, 40% rank overall return on investment as their top KPI for creator campaigns in 2025.[44]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Production execution challenges cluster around planning and coordination: 29.5% cited poor project management as a production challenge in 2024.

Process optimization in the videogame industry

  • 20.2% of surveyed game-industry professionals cited unrealistic budgets as a production challenge in 2024.[50]
  • 29.5% of surveyed game-industry professionals cited poor project management as a cause of production challenges in 2024.[50]
  • 30.6% of surveyed game-industry professionals cited external factors beyond their control as a cause of production challenges in 2024.[50]
  • 29% of surveyed game-industry professionals identified game design as the most challenging production stage in 2024.[50]
  • 23.5% of surveyed game-industry professionals cited operational mistakes between teams or departments as a production challenge in 2024.[50]

Operational efficiency in the videogame industry

  • 64% of game studios surveyed by the IGDA said outsourcing increased their overall productivity in 2021.[50]
  • 50% was the estimated additional cost above an employee’s hourly rate for an internal game-development employee in 2024.[50]
  • 32% of surveyed studios outsourced quality assurance in their latest game project in 2024.[50]
  • 24% of surveyed studios outsourced sound design in their latest game project in 2024.[50]
  • 33% of surveyed studios outsourced localization in their latest game project in 2024.[50]

Quality management in the videogame industry

  • 24% was the aggregated negative NPS score for game-development outsourcing providers in the 2024 80 Level survey.[50]
  • 30% of game studios that had used outsourcing said providers failed to fulfill some obligations in 2024.[50]
  • 16% of game studios that had used outsourcing said the provider’s work process was not transparent in 2024.[50]
  • 14% of game studios that had used outsourcing said the final price did not align with the initial agreement in 2024.[50]
  • 26% of surveyed studios identified localization as an area lacking internal expertise in 2024.[50]

Supply chain in the videogame industry

  • 15% of European video-game revenue came from PC in 2024, according to the regional industry report cited by Video Games Chronicle.[51]
  • 310 of Nintendo’s 311 identified responsible-minerals smelters were also classified as conformant or active smelters.[48]
  • 38.5% of Nintendo software sales were physical during the quarter from March 30 to June 30, 2026, leaving 61.5% digital.[52]
  • 90% of European video-game revenue was digital in 2024, reducing the industry’s dependence on physical manufacturing and retail distribution.[51]
  • 125 million monthly active PlayStation accounts were recorded in March 2026, indicating the scale of the platform’s digital distribution network.[53]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the entertainment and gaming sector (sector benchmark)

  • 73% of game-development partnerships began through industry events in the 2026 external-development survey of more than 250 professionals worldwide.[54]
  • 40% of mobile-game studios outsourced development tasks during 2023, according to a global industry survey.[55]
  • 42% of game developers reported in 2026 that their external providers subcontracted portions of work to third parties, based on a survey of more than 250 professionals worldwide.[54]
  • 30% of mobile-game studios outsourced user acquisition and creative work during 2023, according to a global industry survey.[55]
  • 37% of mobile-game studios outsourced publishing during 2023, according to a global industry survey.[55]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Price sensitivity shows up in consumer behavior: 75% of gamers in a 2025 global survey said price significantly influences their choice of game, brand, product or service.

Pricing strategy in the videogame industry

  • 49% of gamers said they wait for discounts when multiple games in the same franchise launch in one year, according to a 2025 global survey.[56]
  • 46% of surveyed gamers said they often make in-game purchases triggered by advertisements in 2025, up six percentage points year over year.[57]
  • $49.99 is identified as a realistic price for strong AA games in 2025, according to Boston Consulting Group’s gaming report.[58]
  • 75% of gamers in the 2025 global survey said price significantly influences their choice of game, brand, product or service.[56]
  • $70 was the nominal typical price of a standard-edition AAA game in 2025, compared with $60 in 2020, according to BCG analysis.[56]

Cost reduction in the videogame industry

  • 48% of game-industry professionals laid off in the previous two years had not found another job by the 2026 GDC survey.[2]
  • 2% of the videogame workforce was shed in 2024, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence headcount analytics.[21]
  • 74% of surveyed videogame students were concerned about their future job prospects in the industry in 2026.[2]
  • 28% of global game-industry respondents had experienced a layoff during the two years before the 2026 GDC survey.[2]
  • 33% of United States game-industry respondents had experienced a layoff during the two years before the 2026 GDC survey.[2]

Profitability in the videogame industry

  • ¥463.3 billion was Sony Game & Network Services’ operating income in fiscal 2025, a 12% increase from the prior year.[53]
  • ¥4,172.994 billion was Sony Game & Network Services’ fiscal-2024 sales to external customers, excluding intersegment sales.[53]
  • ¥669.9 billion was Sony Game & Network Services’ network-services revenue in fiscal 2025.[53]
  • ¥4,670.0 billion was Sony Game & Network Services’ sales in fiscal 2024.[53]
  • ¥414.8 billion was Sony Game & Network Services’ operating income in fiscal 2024.[53]

Financial planning in the videogame industry

  • 9% of developers used platform-based funding during the year covered by the 2025 GDC survey.[2]
  • 89% of developers said self-funding was at least somewhat successful in the 2025 GDC survey.[2]
  • 15% of developers used government funding or grants during the year covered by the 2025 GDC survey.[2]
  • 14% of developers used friends or family financing during the year covered by the 2025 GDC survey.[2]
  • 11% of developers used crowdfunding during the year covered by the 2025 GDC survey.[2]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Support and churn benchmarks help explain operational risk: 85% of mobile games lost at least 65% of players to churn after one day, according to a mobile-gaming support benchmark.

Product development in the videogame industry

  • 63,289 U.S. video game industry jobs were in software development and publishing as of January 31, 2026.[59]
  • 14,292 U.S. video game jobs were located at eight software-sector sites employing at least 1,000 people in 2025.[35]
  • 44% of U.S. video game industry employment was located in California in 2025.[35]
  • 65% of U.S. software-sector video game sites operated with fewer than 10 employees in 2025.[35]
  • 7 in 10 U.S. video game studios had fewer than 10 employees as of January 31, 2026.[59]

Product lifecycle in the videogame industry

  • 25% was the 2025 year-over-year growth in full-game revenue on PC.[60]
  • 4.6% was the 2025 year-over-year decline in console microtransaction spending.[60]
  • $44.7 billion came from console games globally in 2025, up 2.8% year over year.[60]
  • 9.1% was the 2025 year-over-year growth in PC microtransaction revenue.[60]
  • 85% of mobile games lost at least 65% of players to churn after one day, according to a mobile-gaming support benchmark.[61]

After-sales in the videogame industry

  • 3.90 was the average customer-satisfaction score for Android gaming support in the Helpshift benchmark.[61]
  • $245 million in customer refunds was included in Epic Games’ Fortnite settlement finalized in 2023.[62]
  • 66% of gaming brands had formal support options in languages other than English.[61]
  • 2.54 was the average customer-satisfaction score for email gaming support in the Helpshift benchmark.[61]
  • 72% of players with support in their own language reported greater satisfaction and loyalty to the gaming brand.[61]

Value proposition in the videogame industry

  • 89% of global players aged 8–90 had played video games online in the 2025 ESA global report.[35]
  • 84% of U.S. adults said video games bring people joy through play in 2025.[35]
  • 59.3 billion dollars was U.S. consumer spending on video games in 2024.[35]
  • 81% of U.S. adults said video games provide mental stimulation in 2025.[35]
  • 81% of U.S. adults said video games provide stress relief in 2025.[35]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Packaging and energy interventions are tracked with measurable outcomes: Xbox energy-saving interventions prevented 1.2 million metric tons of CO2e between fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2023.

Sustainability in the videogame industry

  • More than 30 million PlayStation gamers were reached by the UN Play4Forests campaign in 2023.[53]
  • Xbox Series X and S packaging achieved 97% recyclability in OECD countries under the UL methodology in fiscal 2021.[63]
  • 1.2 million metric tons of CO2e were prevented by Xbox energy-saving interventions between fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2023.[64]
  • 377 player-created ocean and forest game experiences were submitted to Dreams and shown at COP26 in 2021.[53]
  • All new Xbox Series S and X console models eliminated single-use plastic packaging after a redesign completed in fall 2024.[63]

ESG in the videogame industry

  • 69% of IGDA respondents said their workplace had a general-discrimination policy in 2021.[33]
  • 60% of IGDA respondents said their workplace had a sexual-harassment policy in 2021.[33]
  • 13% of IGDA respondents said their company measured retention of people from underrepresented groups in 2021.[33]
  • 44% of IGDA Developer Satisfaction Survey respondents reported having a physical or mental difference in 2023.[33]
  • 27% of IGDA Developer Satisfaction Survey respondents identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual or queer in 2023.[33]

Ethics in the videogame industry

  • 36.4% of surveyed game workers reported trash talking as a form of harassment in 2022.[65]
  • 57% of IGDA respondents cited sexism in games as a factor behind the industry’s negative public perception in 2019.[66]
  • 66.7% of surveyed game players reported sexual harassment in 2022.[65]
  • 75% or more of game creators said harassment from players was a serious or very serious issue in the 2022 State of the Game Industry survey.[67]
  • 81% of adult online gamers in the United States experienced harassment in 2021.[68]

CSR in the videogame industry

  • 1 million trees was the UN Play4Forests campaign goal supported by PlayStation player activations in 2021.[53]
  • 30 million or more PlayStation players were reached by the UN Play4Forests campaign in 2023.[53]
  • More than 17,000 PlayStation products were donated to Child’s Play for distribution through a network of 185 hospitals by 2021.[53]
  • 17,000 or more PlayStation products were donated for children in hospitals through Child’s Play by 2021.[53]
  • 185 hospitals were included in Child’s Play’s global distribution network receiving donated PlayStation products by 2021.[53]

Circular economy in the videogame industry

  • 20% recycled ocean plastic was used in the shell of Microsoft’s Ocean Plastic Mouse in fiscal 2021.[63]
  • Seven Microsoft Circular Centers were operating worldwide by 2024.[69]
  • 83 thousand metric tons of circular plastic had been used by Sony from fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2025.[53]
  • 7.7 thousand metric tons of circular plastic were used across applicable Sony products in fiscal 2025.[53]
  • 97% of Xbox Series X and S products were recyclable in OECD countries under the UL methodology in fiscal 2021.[63]

Carbon footprint in the videogame industry

  • 56% of players believed the videogame industry had a responsibility to address global warming in 2023.[70]
  • 90%–95% of Ubisoft’s videogame life-cycle emissions occurred downstream, primarily through networks and gaming devices, according to its 2021 assessment.[71]
  • 66,000 metric tons of emissions reductions were expected from Microsoft’s sustainable-aviation-fuel agreement for 2025–2027.[69]
  • 1.2 million metric tons of CO2e were prevented by Xbox interventions between fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2023 compared with usage without those interventions.[64]
  • 136 metric tons of CO2e were saved by optimizing ocean shipments of Xbox consoles through loose-loaded containers.[63]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Asia-Pacific contributes nearly half of the global market: it is forecast to generate $100.7 billion in 2026, equal to 47% of global games revenue.

Globalization in the videogame industry

  • 90% of surveyed studios reported launching their most recent videogame on mobile in Unity’s 2025 developer survey.[75]
  • 58% of GDC 2025 survey respondents were located in the United States, while respondents came from 86 countries worldwide.[31]
  • $201.6 billion was the global videogame market revenue in 2025, up 9.1% year over year worldwide.[60]
  • 80% of surveyed videogame developers were making games for PC in 2025.[31]
  • 17% of global consumer videogame spending came from Europe in 2025, totaling €27.7 billion.[87]

Cultural adaptation in the videogame industry

  • 51% of surveyed studios reported their greatest success in Latin American videogame markets in 2025.[10]
  • 33% of surveyed videogame developers identified Thailand as a desirable emerging market in 2025.[10]
  • 51% of surveyed videogame developers identified Malaysia as a desirable emerging market in 2025.[10]
  • 68% of surveyed studios reported their greatest success in Southeast Asian videogame markets in 2025.[10]
  • 43% of surveyed videogame developers identified Brazil as a desirable emerging market in 2025.[10]

Supplier management in the videogame industry

  • 77% of videogame developers and publishers using external art services retained at least 75% of their partners annually in 2025.[88]
  • 50% of surveyed videogame developers and publishers cited geography and logistics as a reason not to work with external partners in 2025.[88]
  • 43% of surveyed videogame service providers were open to acquisition in 2025.[88]
  • 30% of surveyed videogame developers and publishers cited language and culture barriers as a reason not to work with external partners in 2025.[88]
  • 45% of surveyed videogame developers and publishers cited bad previous experiences as a reason not to work with external partners in 2025.[88]

Stakeholder management in the videogame industry

  • 59% of videogame developers identified as White or Caucasian in 2025.[31]
  • 24% of videogame developers identified as LGBTQ+ in 2025.[31]
  • 10% of surveyed videogame developers were members of an industry-wide union in 2026.[3]
  • 52% of surveyed videogame developers worked at companies using generative-AI tools in 2025.[3]
  • 30% of surveyed videogame developers believed generative AI was having a negative impact on the videogame industry in 2025.[3]

Distribution channels in the videogame industry

  • 317.9 million PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 full-game software units were sold in fiscal 2025.[53]
  • 16.0 million PlayStation 5 hardware units were sold in fiscal 2025.[53]
  • 80% of surveyed videogame developers reported launching their most recent game on desktop in Unity’s 2025 survey.[75]
  • 5.493 million Capcom digital game units were sold in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026.[89]
  • 5.907 million Capcom game units were sold in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026.[89]

Key questions about the videogame industry

How large is the videogame market in 2026?
Newzoo estimates global games revenue at $213.9 billion in 2026.
What is the market growth rate in 2026?
Newzoo estimates global games revenue growth at 6.1% year over year in 2026.
Which companies lead the videogame industry?
Microsoft leads Gitnux's 2026 videogame ranking with an Overall score of 9.8, with operating margin 45.62% and R&D at 12% of revenue. Valve is the highest-ranked gaming platform operator at 9.3, with PC games tied to the Steam platform and game hardware.
What technology shifts are showing up in 2025–2026 data?
Unity survey data shows AI usage for prototyping at 35% in 2026, while 4% of developers said their companies required generative-AI tools in 2025.
How fragmented is the U.S. games software sector by establishment size?
U.S. games software is fragmented by company count: 65% of establishments employed fewer than 10 people in 2025, while eight sites with at least 1,000 employees accounted for 29% of software-sector employment.
How concentrated is revenue by region in 2026?
Asia-Pacific is forecast to generate $100.7 billion in 2026, equal to 47% of the global market.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Videogame Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/videogame-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Videogame Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/videogame-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Videogame Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/videogame-industry-statistics.

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