In the current landscape of the gaming industry, a handful of titles are undeniably carrying the weight of the sector. While indie and double-A games continue to serve as the heart of innovative development, they often lack the commercial heft of their triple-A counterparts. The fatigue surrounding some of the industry’s most prominent franchises is palpable; series like Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed, once staples in the gaming diet, now feel like shadows of their former selves. As development costs escalate and layoffs become a distressingly regular occurrence, it is evident that the gaming world is undergoing a significant transformation. The anticipated release of GTA 6 could herald a new era, yet delays have cast doubt on its 2026 launch, and even if it does arrive, a simultaneous PC release seems unlikely. For now, relying on enduring titles like Fortnite and League of Legends may be a necessary bridge to the future.
Shifting Player Engagement
A recent report by Epyllion’s Matthew Ball sheds light on the current state of player engagement, revealing that the “big five” PC games—Counter-Strike, Fortnite, Minecraft, League of Legends, and Roblox—account for a substantial 35% of player hours. This figure aligns closely with findings from 2024, while the “next five” games, which now represent approximately 10% of player hours, are predominantly older titles, some ranging from five to 25 years old. Although Ball refrains from naming these games, it is reasonable to speculate that they include popular multiplayer titles such as PUBG and World of Warcraft.
In 2025, newly released games—including annual franchises like Call of Duty and EA Sports FC—accounted for merely 14% of player hours on Steam, with half of that time concentrated on just four titles. Notably, 45% of PC gamers are engaging with games that are between one and seven years old, while 41% are playing titles that have been available for eight years or more. Despite the challenges, industry giants have managed to sustain or even grow their revenue, primarily through price increases rather than expanding their player base or playtime. For instance, Nintendo’s Mario Kart series has seen its price rise from in 2014 to in 2025, while the cost of 1,000 Fortnite V-Bucks has increased from to within the same timeframe.
However, the standout performer in this evolving landscape is Roblox. Ball highlights that this blocky, child-oriented platform has emerged as a significant driver of the overall videogame market. In 2025, it represented over 4.5% of non-China spending and accounted for an astonishing 67% of net growth. Perhaps even more striking is the revelation that Roblox’s quarterly engagement rivals that of Steam, PlayStation, and Fortnite combined, positioning it as a formidable competitor to streaming giant Netflix in terms of total hours consumed.
Interestingly, titles like Grow a Garden, an idle game focused on seed buying and crop harvesting, have surpassed engagement metrics for all of Blizzard’s offerings, including World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and Hearthstone. Similarly, Steal a Brainrot and 99 Nights in the Forest have outperformed Valve’s renowned Dota 2, which consistently ranks among the most-played games on Steam. Developers creating user-generated content on Roblox are reportedly earning over .5 billion annually, reflecting a staggering 70% year-on-year growth.
Despite the challenges, there are glimmers of hope within the industry. Roblox’s success indicates that growth is still possible, and while the same five games dominate the landscape, there is a burgeoning variety emerging elsewhere. The fact that new PC games constitute only 14% of player hours on Steam raises concerns, particularly given the dominance of franchises like Call of Duty and annual sports titles. However, this trend may also spur much-needed innovation at the triple-A level.
While it is easy to succumb to a sense of doom and gloom—especially as colleagues face layoffs on a near-daily basis—the anticipation surrounding GTA 6 offers a glimmer of optimism. If it delivers on its promise, we may emerge from this tumultuous period with a new wave of games that truly excite and inspire.
