Library

Why Xbox Took Call of Duty out of Game Pass

Microsoft’s decision to remove Call of Duty from day-one Game Pass availability stems from data indicating that the franchise failed to drive subscription growth while simultaneously cannibalizing premium game sales. Analysis of market intelligence from Newzoo reveals that while the inclusion of Black Ops 6 in the service generated a temporary 71% surge in monthly active users on Xbox, this engagement did not translate into sustained revenue growth. Conversely, the platform observed flat-to-negative revenue performance during the same period, suggesting that subscription access directly substituted for individual unit purchases. The scope of this analysis covers the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, and Spain, tracking revenue and player engagement across the Call of Duty HQ ecosystem from late 2023 through early 2026. Data shows that the subsequent release, Black Ops 7, failed to replicate the engagement gains of its predecessor, with Xbox monthly active users falling 52% from the Black Ops 6 peak. This reversion to previous engagement levels, coupled with a sharp decline in overall franchise revenue, prompted Microsoft to adjust its strategy. In response to these findings, Microsoft has opted to delay the inclusion of new Call of Duty titles in Game Pass by approximately one year and has implemented a reduction in subscription pricing. This strategic pivot aims to protect premium sales revenue and improve the financial health of the brand. While the franchise maintains a significant player base, the data confirms that the majority of revenue and engagement remains concentrated on the PlayStation platform, reinforcing the necessity for a more traditional sales model to bolster the Xbox bottom line.

market-analysis console first-person-shooter+1

GamesIndustry.bizApr 2026

Report

Roblox’s Age-Based Accounting

Roblox has introduced a new Age-Based Account system, a dual-tier framework designed to restrict access to communication features and specific content for users under 16. The initiative categorizes users into two groups: Roblox Kids, for ages 5–8, and Roblox Select, for ages 9–15. These accounts feature default chat restrictions and enhanced parental controls, which gradually loosen as users age. To ensure content safety, experiences must now undergo identity verification for developers, real-time testing by users over 16, and formal rating assignments, with plans to integrate International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) standards. This policy shift follows significant global regulatory and legal pressure, including scrutiny and bans in various countries and high-profile litigation regarding child safety. While the company frames the move as a proactive evolution of its safety infrastructure, it acknowledges that regulatory environments are a primary driver of its policy agenda. The platform’s confidence in these measures is bolstered by advancements in age-assurance technology, which now reports an accuracy range of approximately 1.4 years for under-18 users. Since the implementation of age verification, over 50% of the platform's user base has completed the check. The scope of this transition covers the global Roblox ecosystem, with the full rollout scheduled for June 2026. By aligning its safety protocols with established standards like COPPA and various social media age-limit proposals, the company aims to establish a consistent, industry-leading approach to child protection. While these measures represent a significant investment in trust and safety, the long-term effectiveness of the system remains subject to how users navigate potential workarounds and whether these changes will satisfy the demands of international safety regulators.

market-analysis monetization roblox+1

Video Games Industry MemoApr 2026

Report

AppMagic: Friendslop Games in 2025 and Their Retention

The 2025 landscape for "friendslop" games—a genre characterized by cooperative, social-focused gameplay—reveals a market defined by high initial sales volume but notably low long-term player retention. These titles, which typically retail at low price points between $5 and $20, have achieved significant commercial success on Steam. In 2025, four of the top ten best-selling games by units sold fell into this category, including R.E.P.O. with 18.5 million copies and Peak with 15.4 million. Data indicates that the average 30-day (D30) retention for games in this genre is approximately 3%. This figure is significantly lower than industry benchmarks for other multiplayer titles; for comparison, Dead by Daylight maintains an 11.3% D30 retention rate, while Phasmophobia, a foundational title for the genre, holds a 5.3% rate. While some niche titles like Ball x Pit have managed to outperform the genre average with 4.7% retention, the general trend remains one of rapid player churn. The analysis concludes that this low retention is an inherent feature of the friendslop model rather than a failure of design. Because these games prioritize accessible, core gameplay loops over complex meta-progression or long-term engagement systems, they are optimized for short-term social experiences. Players engage with these titles intensely for a brief period before moving on to new releases. This development strategy allows teams to focus resources on immediate fun, which, combined with low entry costs, fosters high initial adoption and player forgiveness regarding the lack of long-term content.

market-analysis retention mobile+1

AppMagicApr 2026

Report

The Surprising Percentage of Steam Games Not Actually Bought on the Platform

A significant portion of Steam game sales occurs outside the platform, a trend particularly prevalent among high-profile titles. Analysis of Steam review data reveals that while the median percentage of off-platform reviews—which include purchases from third-party key stores, retail, and promotional copies—is approximately 12%, some major releases see this figure climb to between 30% and 45%. This phenomenon is largely driven by consumers seeking discounts on expensive, highly anticipated games through reputable third-party key retailers, allowing publishers to bolster sales volume without sacrificing margins to Steam’s platform fees. The research, which examined paid Steam titles with over $1 million in gross revenue released within the last 12 months, indicates a clear correlation between a game's price point and the volume of off-platform acquisitions. While indie breakout hits typically show lower percentages of off-platform reviews, larger publishers frequently leverage third-party stores to distribute keys, effectively bypassing Steam’s direct monetization for a significant share of their total sales. These findings suggest that while Steam remains a primary hub for discovery, the actual transaction often occurs elsewhere, complicating traditional sales forecasting. Beyond the analysis of Steam key distribution, the industry landscape continues to evolve with shifts in subscription models, such as Xbox Game Pass, and platform-specific discovery strategies. For instance, smaller developers are increasingly utilizing platforms like Itch.io to cultivate early communities and secure initial feedback, though such platforms serve different strategic purposes compared to the broader reach of Steam. Ultimately, the data underscores a complex, fragmented digital marketplace where third-party key stores play an essential, albeit often overlooked, role in the commercial success of modern video games.

market-analysis player-behavior game-publishing+2

GameDiscoverCoApr 2026

Report

We Need Freecash Back on Apple and Google Play Stores

The removal of the rewards platform Freecash from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in April 2026 represents a significant point of contention regarding the classification of rewarded user acquisition models. While mainstream media outlets have frequently categorized the platform as a fraudulent scheme, this characterization fails to account for the nuances of the rewarded advertising ecosystem. The platform’s operational model, which facilitates high-spend user acquisition through verifiable engagement, is fundamentally distinct from traditional deceptive practices. Although the application faced legitimate regulatory challenges concerning rapid scaling, broad privacy disclosures, and inconsistent affiliate marketing oversight, these issues reflect growing pains within a complex industry segment rather than an inherent intent to defraud. The industry’s current narrative relies on an overly simplistic interpretation of compliance failures, ignoring the platform’s high user satisfaction ratings and its reliance on substantial, legitimate advertising investment. The exclusion of Freecash from major mobile marketplaces highlights a growing friction between evolving store guidelines and the business models of third-party reward platforms. By conflating compliance-related friction with malicious intent, the current regulatory environment risks stifling a legitimate sector of the digital economy that relies on incentivized user growth. Ultimately, the restoration of Freecash to major mobile platforms is presented as a necessary step to foster a more balanced understanding of the rewarded user acquisition category. Addressing the platform's previous shortcomings through improved compliance infrastructure would allow for a more accurate assessment of its value proposition. A shift away from the prevailing scam narrative is essential to distinguish between platforms that prioritize genuine user engagement and those that operate with truly fraudulent intent, ensuring that mobile marketplaces remain accessible to diverse and innovative advertising models.

user-acquisition monetization mobile+2

Brutally HonestApr 2026

Report

Games and Numbers: April 7 - April 21, 2026

This bi-weekly industry update provides a comprehensive overview of performance milestones for PC, console, and mobile titles between April 7 and April 21, 2026. The primary objective is to track commercial success, player engagement, and development trends across the global gaming landscape, utilizing data from developer announcements, investor presentations, and third-party analytics firms. Key findings highlight significant sales achievements across various platforms. Hazelight Studios reached a cumulative milestone of 50 million copies sold across its portfolio, while Mortal Kombat 1 surpassed 8 million units. Recent releases also demonstrated strong momentum: Crimson Desert achieved 5 million sales in 27 days, and Pragmata reached 1 million copies within two days of launch. Additionally, the pirate-themed title Windrose sold 1 million copies in six days, and Quarantine Zone: The Last Check reached the same 1-million-unit milestone within three months. The report also details player base growth and development economics. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 expanded its total audience to 12 million players, and the Frostpunk series surpassed 11 million. Financial insights reveal that Bungie’s Marathon incurred development costs between $200 million and $250 million, generating $55 million in its first three weeks. On the mobile front, Konami’s eFootball surpassed 1 billion downloads, and the long-running title War Robots reached 325 million registered players. Market interest remains high for upcoming releases, evidenced by significant wishlist and pre-order activity. Graveyard Keeper 2 secured 400,000 wishlists in under a week, while Totally Secure Airport reached 400,000 wishlists with strong engagement in the United States, Germany, Brazil, and Russia. Furthermore, Forza Horizon 6 recorded 511,000 pre-orders on Steam one month prior to its scheduled release.

market-analysis game-publishing global

GameDev ReportsApr 2026

Report

German Gaming Market in 2025

The German gaming market experienced a return to growth in 2025, with total revenue increasing by 4% to reach €9.382 billion. This recovery follows a period of decline in 2024, driven largely by robust performance in the hardware sector and the continued expansion of subscription-based services. The analysis, which incorporates data from YouGov Shopper—utilizing a sample of 25,000 individuals—alongside insights from Nielsen IQ and Sensor Tower, provides a comprehensive overview of the industry's financial health across hardware, software, and service segments. Hardware sales served as a primary catalyst for the market's positive trajectory, rising 12% to €3.403 billion. Console revenue saw a significant 26% surge to €1.021 billion, fueled by the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, while PC gaming hardware and accessories also posted gains of 7% and 13%, respectively. Conversely, the subscription and cloud services segment achieved a notable milestone, surpassing €1 billion in revenue for the first time. This sector has demonstrated consistent long-term growth, more than doubling its value from €461 million in 2019 to €1.031 billion in 2025. Despite the overall market growth, traditional game sales faced downward pressure, falling 1% to €4.948 billion, with unit sales for physical and digital games declining by 13%. However, the industry remains heavily reliant on recurring revenue models, as in-game purchases grew by 1% and now account for 84% of total market revenue. These findings highlight a shifting landscape where hardware innovation and service-based monetization models are increasingly offsetting the stagnation in standalone game unit sales.

market-analysis market-forecast germany

GameDev ReportsApr 2026

Report

Everything You Want to Know About Shortform Video & Games

Short-form video content has emerged as a primary driver for PC and console game discovery, currently serving as a key discovery method for 36% of players. This shift highlights the growing importance of mobile-optimized video platforms—specifically TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts—in reaching audiences that traditional media and forums no longer capture effectively. The analysis emphasizes that short-form video is not merely a promotional tool but a critical mechanism for distilling a game’s core hook for a broader, often non-hardcore, audience. Platform-specific nuances dictate the success of game content. Instagram Reels excels with visual-heavy, cozy, or horror titles and prioritizes sharing, while TikTok reaches the youngest, most mainstream demographic, making it ideal for social and cooperative games. Conversely, YouTube Shorts attracts a more critical, hardcore audience that engages with gaming terminology and niche titles. Creators in this space generally fall into three categories: gameplay creators who repurpose stream highlights, showcase creators who utilize trailers and B-roll to highlight hooks, and aesthetic-focused creators who integrate games into lifestyle-oriented content. The findings are supported by data from Jestr, which tracked 100 million payout-compatible views in March 2026 across these platforms. While short-form video is highly effective for dynamic genres like puzzle, horror, and co-op games, it is less suited for strategy or titles that lack strong visual appeal. Ultimately, the industry is encouraged to leverage these creator archetypes to bridge the gap between niche gaming bubbles and the general public, as many players remain unaware of even prominent indie releases without the viral exposure provided by short-form platforms.

market-analysis user-acquisition marketing+2

GameDiscoverCoApr 2026

Report

Top Roblox Games in 2025

The Roblox platform experienced significant growth throughout 2025, substantially outperforming the broader global games market. Driven by Gamefam RoMonitor Stats, the data indicates that annual revenue reached $4.9 billion, a 36% year-over-year increase, while total bookings rose 55% to $6.8 billion. User engagement metrics also saw marked expansion, with total time spent in games climbing 69% to 123.8 billion hours and daily active users averaging 126.5 million, representing a 53% increase over the previous year. The platform demonstrated a high capacity for rapid scaling, as evidenced by the emergence of new hits such as Grow a Garden, Steal a Brainrot, and 99 Nights in the Forest, which achieved record-breaking visit counts shortly after their respective launches. However, these titles often faced sharp declines in popularity following their initial peaks. In contrast, established experiences like Brookhaven RP and Blox Fruits maintained consistent presence in the top 10 rankings throughout the entire year, highlighting a dichotomy between viral, short-lived hits and enduring platform staples. A notable trend throughout 2025 was the increasing concentration of audience attention. The share of total visits held by the single most popular game grew from 22% in the first quarter to 43% by the fourth quarter. By the end of the year, the top three games accounted for over 70% of all visits among the top 10 titles. This shift suggests a maturing ecosystem where a small number of dominant experiences capture a disproportionate share of user engagement, even as the platform continues to facilitate the rapid rise of new, high-traffic content.

market-analysis roblox global+2

NewzooApr 2026

Report

Top Games on Steam and Consoles: March 2026

This analysis examines the performance of top video game releases across Steam and major console platforms during March 2026. Utilizing data from GameDiscoverCo, the findings highlight significant commercial successes and regional market trends, focusing on both unit sales and revenue generation for new and established titles. Slay the Spire 2 emerged as the dominant performer for the month, leading both Steam unit sales with over 5 million copies and revenue charts with earnings exceeding $115 million. Crimson Desert followed closely, achieving 2.2 million copies sold on Steam and over 5 million units globally across all platforms, generating $105 million in Steam revenue. Other notable new releases included Marathon, which sold 920,000 copies on Steam, and Death Stranding 2, which reached 459,000 copies on the platform. The data also notes the continued financial strength of established titles like Counter-Strike 2, which remained the overall revenue leader on Steam, and Resident Evil Requiem, which has surpassed $400 million in total lifetime revenue. Console performance metrics reveal distinct regional and platform-specific behaviors. MLB The Show 26 led console sales with 1.1 million units, driven heavily by the North American market. Pokemon Pokopia demonstrated strong momentum on the Nintendo Switch, selling 2.2 million copies within its first four days. Conversely, Marathon experienced a weaker console launch, with only a fraction of its total sales originating from PlayStation and Xbox platforms. The analysis also identifies emerging market trends, such as the significant 15% audience share for WWE 2K26 in the Middle East and a high volume of key-based sales for Death Stranding 2, potentially linked to the Chinese market.

market-analysis steam console+1

GameDiscoverCoApr 2026

Report

Three Lessons from Games for Change London

The Games for Change London summit, held in April 2026, served as a platform to explore the evolving role of video games in driving social impact and community engagement. The event highlighted three primary lessons: the necessity of bridging the gap between parental understanding and teenage gaming habits, the historical precedent for games as tools for social change, and the superior efficacy of consistent, year-round community campaigning over isolated, one-off initiatives. The summit addressed the "80/80 dilemma," noting that while 80% of teenagers are regular gamers, 80% of parents remain disconnected from these digital spaces. Rather than advocating for restrictive legislation, industry leaders proposed collaborative solutions, such as global awards programs that celebrate positive contributions within gaming communities. Furthermore, the event underscored that game mechanics function as powerful educational tools, a concept established by foundational titles in the 1980s and still relevant in modern social impact design. Data from Supercell’s Hay Day campaigns demonstrated that sustained, seasonal activations—focused on causes like conservation and hunger relief—consistently drove higher player engagement and, in some instances, increased revenue. The scope of the event encompassed the broader UK video game industry, which reached a valuation of £8.76 billion in 2025. Discussions involved a diverse range of stakeholders, including developers, policymakers, and charitable organizations, all aiming to reframe the public perception of gaming. By moving beyond traditional corporate social responsibility models and integrating prosocial design into the core of game development, the industry seeks to foster safer, more constructive environments that resonate with both players and external observers. These findings emphasize a shift toward long-term, systemic integration of social good within the gaming ecosystem.

game-development uk europe

Video Games Industry MemoApr 2026

Report

Applied Intuition’s Qasar Younis on Radical Pragmatism and Building a Company to Last

Qasar Younis, CEO of the $15 billion autonomous systems company Applied Intuition, outlines a philosophy of radical pragmatism for building enduring technology companies. The core thesis posits that founders should reject generic, borrowed management frameworks in favor of decision-making rooted in their specific market, team, and resource realities. By stripping emotion from business strategy and prioritizing internal instincts over external advice, leaders can maintain organizational focus and long-term viability. Key operational strategies include enforcing company values through rigorous, behavior-based compensation and promotion cycles. Rather than relying on abstract mission statements, the organization tracks approximately fifty observable behaviors, requiring employees to evaluate managers on specific metrics, including technical competence and work ethic. Furthermore, the company employs a contrarian approach to corporate structure, actively avoiding traditional hierarchies, formal job titles, and public professional networking platforms to prevent the stagnation often associated with large, legacy organizations. Fundraising is framed as a strategic weapon rather than a mere necessity. Even when capital is not required for operations, securing funding serves as a vital signal to the broader ecosystem, including competitors, customers, and potential talent. This approach emphasizes the importance of active brand building and public signaling, which the author identifies as a critical evolution in his own leadership perspective. Ultimately, the guidance emphasizes that sustained success requires a high level of personal endurance, necessitating a culture that encourages enjoyment and resilience to navigate shifting market conditions over decades.

investment funding global

Andreessen HorowitzApr 2026

Report

How Hozy Went Cozy to Sell 100k on Steam in 4 Days

The cozy room-builder game Hozy achieved significant commercial success on Steam, selling 100,000 units within four days of its release and surpassing 175,000 lifetime sales shortly thereafter. This performance was driven by a strategic pre-release campaign that leveraged consistent community engagement and high-visibility showcases. The game’s development team, Come On Studio, and publisher, Tinybuild, utilized a long-term strategy that began with an early announcement and the immediate launch of a public playtest in May 2025. This approach allowed for continuous iteration based on player feedback, which helped maintain momentum through various seasonal updates and participation in major industry events like the Wholesome Games showcase and Steam Next Fest. A critical component of the game's marketing success was the effective use of shortform video content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. While paid sponsorships provided an initial boost, these placements served primarily to catalyze organic content creation from influencers. The developers noted that shortform content requires a longer lead time to influence wishlist velocity because it relies on platform algorithms rather than existing subscriber bases. Furthermore, the game’s visual appeal and tactile "tidying and arranging" mechanics resonated strongly with a target demographic that favored cozy, low-stress gameplay, mirroring the success of similar titles in the genre. Geographically, the game saw a diverse revenue split, with the United States, Germany, and China emerging as the top three markets. Beyond the specific case study of Hozy, the analysis emphasizes the importance of the "production point"—a concept advocating that developers should only commit to full-scale production once major project uncertainties are resolved. By focusing on iterative prototyping and avoiding premature commitment, developers can ensure that their efforts translate directly into measurable progress toward a finished, marketable product.

market-analysis steam casual+2

GameDiscoverCoApr 2026

Report

Brutally Honest #208: UA and Creatives in the Post-IDFA World

This analysis explores the integration of artificial intelligence into mobile game user acquisition and creative production. The central thesis posits that AI does not replace human creative craft but acts as a powerful force multiplier that collapses production timelines. By automating labor-intensive tasks—such as character animation, voiceover generation, and format reformatting—teams can significantly increase their creative output volume and testing frequency, provided they operate within a disciplined, structured workflow. Key findings emphasize that AI is most effective when treated as a modular, role-specific stack rather than a single-tool solution. Successful workflows prioritize creative direction and planning before execution, utilizing tools like ChatGPT for script iteration, ElevenLabs for voiceovers, and HeyGen for animation. The analysis highlights that high-performing creative strategies, such as those observed in the evolution of Township’s advertising, rely on deep psychological loops and playable ad formats that mirror core gameplay mechanics to drive acquisition at scale. The scope of this analysis covers the mobile gaming industry as of April 2026, focusing on global user acquisition trends and creative production methodologies. The insights are derived from professional industry experience and practical application within creative design teams. The analysis concludes that the competitive advantage in the current market lies in the ability to rapidly iterate and feed performance learnings back into the creative brief, effectively using AI to remove the bottlenecks that previously limited production volume.

user-acquisition creative-ads advertising+3

Brutally HonestApr 2026

Why Xbox Took Call of Duty out of Game Pass

Roblox’s Age-Based Accounting

AppMagic: Friendslop Games in 2025 and Their Retention

The Surprising Percentage of Steam Games Not Actually Bought on the Platform

We Need Freecash Back on Apple and Google Play Stores

Games and Numbers: April 7 - April 21, 2026

German Gaming Market in 2025

Everything You Want to Know About Shortform Video & Games

Top Roblox Games in 2025

Top Games on Steam and Consoles: March 2026

Three Lessons from Games for Change London

Global Gaming Report Q1 2026

Video Game Market Update: Q1 2026

Applied Intuition’s Qasar Younis on Radical Pragmatism and Building a Company to Last

How Hozy Went Cozy to Sell 100k on Steam in 4 Days

Brutally Honest #208: UA and Creatives in the Post-IDFA World

Shannon's Newsletter Issue #1: Chinese Spy Balloon, Genshin Impact, World of Warcraft Refunds, the S.E.C.'s $35 Million Fine and More

After Reporting on Layoffs, I'm Getting Laid Off

Inside the Xbox Wars

How Updater Reaches Thousands of Subscribers