Emerging Trends in Gaming Revenue and Playtime
Recent insights from Newzoo reveal a noteworthy shift in the gaming landscape, particularly regarding titles ranked outside the Top 20. These games are increasingly capturing both revenue and playtime in Western markets, signaling a change in consumer engagement and preferences.
According to the annual PC & Console Gaming Report, the commercial significance of games beyond the Top 20 is on the rise across all major platforms. Between 2022 and 2025, PC games in this category saw their revenue share climb from 48% to 56%, while playtime surged from 33% to 45%. This trend is particularly pronounced in key markets such as the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
Tianyi Gu, Newzoo’s market analysis manager, commented on this evolution, stating, “The space below the Top 20 is becoming more economically meaningful. That doesn’t make the market unconcentrated, but it does make games below the very top more commercially relevant than before.”
While traditional shooter games have seen a decline in dominance, genres like action RPGs and survival games are thriving. Titles such as Path of Exile 2, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 are leading this charge, alongside enduring favorites from the back-catalogue like Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and Skyrim.
In the adventure genre, games like Rust, Day Z, Dead by Daylight, and Red Dead Redemption 2 continue to captivate players, with the addition of new titles such as R.E.P.O., which debuted last year.
Despite this growth in lower-ranked titles, spending remains heavily concentrated on major franchises within the console market. By 2025, lower-ranked titles accounted for 38% of total revenue on PlayStation, an increase from 33% in 2022. During the same period, playtime for these titles rose by 32%.
First-party action-adventure games, including God of War Ragnarök, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and The Last of Us Part 2, continue to drive significant playtime, with adventure and RPG genres maintaining their dominance on the platform.
On Xbox, games outside the Top 20 experienced a 12% increase in playtime, although they represented only 35% of revenue in 2025. This suggests that Game Pass subscriptions play a crucial role in enhancing playtime, allowing a broader range of titles to gain visibility and trial opportunities that they might not have otherwise secured.
As the gaming industry evolves, the growing relevance of lower-ranked titles indicates a shifting landscape where diverse gaming experiences are becoming increasingly valued by players across various platforms.
