According to Newzoo’s upcoming Global Games Market Report, the worldwide video‑game industry is set to expand by roughly 6.1% in 2026, pushing total revenues to an estimated $213.9 billion. More than half of this spending will be generated by players in just two markets—China and the United States—underscoring the continued dominance of these economies in the digital entertainment space. The full report, scheduled for release on September 10, breaks down the forecast by platform, business model, and region, offering a granular view of where growth is expected to originate. Console sales are projected to account for about 22% of the total market, translating to $46.9 billion in revenue and representing a 5.1% year‑over‑year increase.
A key driver for this uplift is the highly anticipated November launch of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto VI. Newzoo estimates that the new title will lift full‑game spending by 17.5%, a surge that the firm describes as the strongest growth among all business models in the sector.
Mobile gaming remains the largest slice of the pie, forecast to capture 57% of global revenues—approximately $121.1 billion. This segment is expected to grow 6.8% compared with the prior year, buoyed by higher average spend per player and the continued rise of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels. A recent FastSpring and Omdia survey revealed that 96% of game studios either already run a D2C storefront or have plans to do so.
Developers cite benefits such as greater brand visibility, stronger player loyalty, and direct access to first‑party data as primary motivations for moving away from traditional marketplace intermediaries. In contrast, the PC platform is slated to hold the smallest share of total market revenue, at 21% or $45.9 billion.
While still growing—Newzoo projects a 5.3% increase year‑over‑year—the pace is slowing relative to the 12% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that was expected for 2025. The slowdown reflects a maturing ecosystem where incremental gains are more likely to come from expanding existing user bases rather than attracting large numbers of new players. When it comes to business models, premium and mid‑tier full‑price releases are expected to continue sustaining revenue streams, whereas microtransactions are forecast to reclaim the top spot as the most lucrative model overall. This shift suggests that while high‑budget blockbuster titles will still command significant spend, the industry’s long‑term health will increasingly rely on ongoing, transaction‑driven monetisation strategies.
Geographically, growth is projected to be broadly distributed across the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) markets. These areas are expected to drive the bulk of PC‑related expansion, with a particularly strong performance in emerging economies where internet penetration and disposable income are on the rise.
Player numbers themselves are anticipated to decelerate modestly: the year‑over‑year increase is expected to fall from 4.4% in 2026 to a 3.2% CAGR through 2029, culminating in a global player base of roughly 4.07 billion. Newzoo cautions that future market growth will hinge more on retaining and monetising existing gamers than on adding fresh users to the ecosystem. This observation aligns with the fact that player penetration is projected to edge up only slightly—from 61.5% to 62% in 2026—indicating limited headroom for expanding the total addressable audience. Instead, the overall online population is forecast to grow by about 3.5%, reaching 5.97 billion people, which will naturally lift the absolute number of gamers.
By platform, mobile gamers are expected to number 3.10 billion in 2026, representing roughly 84% of all players worldwide. PC gamers are projected at 977 million (about 26% of the total), while console enthusiasts will number around 651 million, accounting for 18% of the global gaming community. These figures highlight the overwhelming dominance of mobile as the primary access point for interactive entertainment, especially in regions where smartphone adoption outpaces traditional console or PC hardware.
The report also underscores the strategic importance of D2C channels. With nearly all studios either operating or planning to operate their own web stores, the industry is moving toward a model where developers have direct relationships with their audiences. This shift promises richer data insights, more flexible pricing, and the ability to tailor experiences to specific player segments—factors that could become decisive in an increasingly competitive market. In summary, Newzoo’s outlook paints a picture of steady, if modest, growth across the global gaming landscape.
While the sector will continue to generate record revenues, the emphasis is shifting toward deeper monetisation of existing players, the expansion of D2C ecosystems, and the sustained influence of blockbuster releases such as Grand Theft Auto VI. Emerging markets, particularly in Asia‑Pacific and the MEA region, will remain the engines of expansion, while mobile will retain its position as the dominant platform for both reach and revenue.