According to the latest figures released by market‑research firm Newzoo, the most entrenched live‑service and evergreen video‑game titles recorded either flat performance or a dip when compared with the same period in 2025. The data, which covers the first half of 2026, indicates that the sector’s overall momentum was limited to a handful of standout successes, while the broader landscape struggled to maintain growth. Newzoo’s newly issued Global Games Market Report highlights that only a small group of titles managed to post meaningful year‑over‑year increases.
Among those were Blizzard’s long‑running World of Warcraft, the recently launched Diablo 4, Overwatch, the user‑generated content platform Roblox, and a selection of international releases from Chinese giant Tencent. These outliers helped offset a general stagnation across the rest of the live‑service portfolio. The report also points to a weakening in digital revenue streams across six major Western markets during the same six‑month window. Although PlayStation Plus is expected to bolster multi‑game subscription models, the overall digital earnings fell year‑on‑year.
Newzoo attributes this contraction to a combination of soft free‑to‑play performance and a decline in annualised premium purchases, which together outweighed the impact of any strong new releases that appeared during the period. Looking ahead, Newzoo projects that console‑player growth will climb to roughly 3 percent for the full year, a noticeable uptick from the near‑flat 0.5 percent growth recorded in 2025. The primary catalyst for this resurgence is anticipated to be the launch of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto VI, an event expected to reignite consumer interest and drive hardware sales, particularly for Sony’s PlayStation ecosystem. In addition, first‑party titles slated for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 are forecast to expand the install base of ninth‑generation consoles, further contributing to the modest rebound.
Supporting this outlook, recent Nielsen IQ data shows a sharp increase in console sales in the United Kingdom following the high‑profile premiere of GTA VI on the streaming platform Netflix. PlayStation 5 units rose by 33 percent and Xbox consoles by 34 percent, suggesting that the hype surrounding the new Grand Theft Auto title is translating into tangible hardware demand.
Emmanuel “Manu” Rosier, Newzoo’s director of market intelligence, told GamesIndustry.biz that without the boost from GTA VI, console‑related revenues would likely have remained flat relative to 2025 levels. His comments underscore the degree to which a single blockbuster can influence the health of the broader console market. The report also lists the top ten publicly traded gaming companies for the first quarter of 2026, which together generated $37.4 billion in revenue—a 6.7 percent increase over the previous year.
Tencent retained the top spot, posting an 11.9 percent rise to $10.8 billion. Sony followed with $5.2 billion, a slight dip of 0.9 percent, while Microsoft reported $5.1 billion, down 5.5 percent.
Roblox, which has become a major player in the user‑generated content space, posted a robust 39.3 percent year‑over‑year growth, reaching $1.4 billion and securing the tenth position on the list. In line with earlier forecasts, Newzoo expects the global video‑game market to reach $213.9 billion in 2026, marking a 6.1 percent increase from the previous year.
The Asia‑Pacific region will continue to dominate, accounting for almost half of total revenue at $100.7 billion. China alone is projected to generate $58.1 billion, while North America will contribute $56.9 billion, with the United States representing $53.5 billion of that figure. Player numbers are also set to rise, with an estimated 3.7 billion gamers worldwide in 2026—a 4.4 percent year‑over‑year growth.
Of those, 44.6 percent are expected to be paying players, up from 39.4 percent in 2015, indicating a gradual shift toward a more monetised audience. The average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) is forecast to hit $129.6, a modest 1.4 percent increase, which Newzoo attributes to deeper spending habits among the existing player base rather than a surge of new spenders. Overall, the data paints a picture of a market in transition: while legacy live‑service titles are struggling to maintain their previous growth trajectories, new releases—particularly high‑profile console exclusives like Grand Theft Auto VI—are poised to inject fresh vitality into hardware sales and overall revenue.
The continued expansion of the Asian market, coupled with incremental increases in player spend, suggests that the industry remains resilient, even as it navigates the challenges of a maturing ecosystem.