Recent insights from Newzoo indicate a shift in the gaming landscape, with games ranked outside the Top 20 gaining revenue and playtime in Western markets. Between 2022 and 2025, PC games in this category saw their revenue share increase from 48% to 56%, and playtime rise from 33% to 45%. This trend is notable in key markets such as the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. While traditional shooter games are declining, genres like action RPGs and survival games are thriving, with titles such as Path of Exile 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds leading the way. By 2025, lower-ranked titles are projected to account for 38% of total revenue on PlayStation, up from 33% in 2022, with playtime for these titles increasing by 32%. On Xbox, games outside the Top 20 saw a 12% increase in playtime, representing 35% of revenue in 2025. Game Pass subscriptions are suggested to enhance playtime for these titles.
Wayfinder Studios has announced Wyldheart, a cooperative RPG developed by veterans from games like ARC Raiders, Minecraft, and Battlefield. In Wyldheart, players take on the role of a peasant imprisoned and seek an ancient relic to protect their town, with options to play solo or with up to three friends. The game features a semi-cartoonish visual style inspired by early Elder Scrolls games and the Fable series, focusing on social dynamics, NPC interactions, and exploration. Players can engage with local villagers, uncover quests, gather materials, craft items, and upgrade gear. The combat system offers 19 backgrounds and various skill trees, including magic, adventuring, and survival, along with a range of melee and ranged weapons. The co-op experience includes a drop-in and drop-out system with cloud-shared saves and group XP, designed for busy gamers with campaigns of approximately 10 hours of story content and an additional 15 hours of optional gameplay. Wyldheart is currently in alpha and will enter Early Access later this year, with players able to wishlist it on Steam.