PC and console platforms are seeing record revenue growth, highlighted by a 32% increase in Steam’s premium segment and the strong market performance of Battlefield 6.
See it on page 3Mobile gaming growth is slowing despite reaching 50 billion downloads in 2025, with hybrid-casual titles now serving as the primary drivers of incremental revenue.
See it on page 22Shooter games on PC and console have reached a download plateau, indicating that new releases are cannibalizing existing player bases rather than expanding the total market.
See it on page 13Retention-focused live-ops, including multi-tier season passes and expedition-style rewards, have become the most reliable revenue drivers for RPG, action, and simulation genres.
See it on page 35Strategy games are the only mobile genre experiencing download growth, fueled primarily by 4X titles from Eastern developers.
See it on page 23Casual mobile titles are struggling with declining day-7 retention, posing a significant risk to the long-term lifetime value of players in that category.
See it on page 24Advertising strategies are shifting toward high-attention formats like rewarded and playable ads, with major titles like Battlefield 6 utilizing multi-platform campaigns across YouTube, Reddit, and Facebook.
See it on page 64The 2026 State of Gaming analysis demonstrates a shifting landscape in which mobile gaming remains the largest driver of downloads—approximately 50 billion in 2025—but its growth rate is slowing. Revenue, however, continues to climb as monetization models mature and lifetime value deepens, especially within hybrid‑casual titles that now generate the most incremental income. In contrast, PC and console platforms experience record revenue growth, with Steam’s premium segment up 32 % and blockbuster releases such as Battlefield 6 capturing significant market share from incumbents. Shooter downloads on these platforms have plateaued, suggesting new titles are primarily cannibalizing existing audiences rather than expanding the category.
Genre‑specific dynamics reveal that strategy games are the only mobile genre to grow in downloads, driven by 4X titles from Eastern developers. Action and shooter games dominate PC/console gains, while hyper‑casual remains the largest download engine but shows a notable lift in time spent, particularly in Tier 2 markets. Casual titles face declining day‑7 retention, indicating a stickiness challenge that could erode long‑term player value.
Live‑ops and acquisition strategies have evolved toward retention‑focused events, multi‑tier season passes, and expedition‑style rewards. These mechanisms now represent the most reliable revenue drivers across competitive genres such as RPG, action, and simulation. Advertising spend remains concentrated on social channels—YouTube, Facebook/Instagram—and high‑attention formats like video, playable, and rewarded ads. Battlefield 6’s pre‑launch spend surpassed Call of Duty titles, leveraging Facebook, Reddit, and desktop display, while its post‑launch strategy pivoted to YouTube with cinematic, celebrity‑hook creatives.
Geographically, the U.S. market shows a skew toward lifestyle and puzzle categories despite lower IAP shares, whereas casino titles exhibit higher spend‑to‑revenue efficiency. Overall, the industry is moving from acquisition toward deeper monetization per user, with indie shooters and simulation titles gaining traction amid intense competition in the shooter segment.
