According to the latest figures released by market‑research firm Newzoo, the performance of long‑running live‑service and evergreen titles in the first half of 2026 was essentially stagnant or even slipped compared with the same period in 2025. The firm’s newly issued Global Games Market Report highlights that only a handful of games managed to post any meaningful growth during this six‑month window.
Those outliers included Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, the recently launched Diablo IV, Blizzard’s Overwatch, the user‑generated content platform Roblox, and a selection of regional releases from Chinese conglomerate Tencent. The report also notes that while Sony’s PlayStation Plus subscription model is expected to provide a modest lift for multi‑game subscription services, overall digital revenue streams fell across six major Western markets in H1 2026. Newzoo attributes this contraction to a weakening in both free‑to‑play and annual‑fee premium models, which together outweighed the impact of several strong new releases that entered the market during the period.
Looking ahead, Newzoo projects that the console player base will grow by roughly 3 percent over the course of the full year, a noticeable improvement over the near‑flat 0.5 percent increase recorded in 2025. The primary driver of this anticipated rebound is the launch of Rockstar Games’ highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI, an event that is expected to rekindle interest in console hardware, particularly within Sony’s PlayStation ecosystem.
In addition to GTA VI, first‑party titles slated for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 are also expected to broaden the install base for ninth‑generation consoles, adding further momentum to the market. Supporting this outlook, recent data from Nielsen IQ indicates that sales of PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles in the United Kingdom surged by 33 percent and 34 percent respectively after the GTA VI trailer premiered on Netflix. This spike suggests that high‑profile releases continue to act as powerful catalysts for hardware adoption, even in a market that has shown signs of maturation. 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.
Rosier emphasized that flagship titles still play a crucial role in driving both hardware sales and ancillary revenue streams such as accessories, digital storefront purchases, and subscription services. The same report also provides a snapshot of the top ten publicly listed gaming companies for the first quarter of 2026. Collectively, these firms generated $37.4 billion in game‑related revenue, marking a 6.7 percent increase over the previous year.
Tencent retained its position at the top of the list, posting an 11.9 percent rise to $10.8 billion. Sony followed with $5.2 billion in revenue, though this figure reflected a modest 0.9 percent decline, while Microsoft reported $5.1 billion, down 5.5 percent. Roblox experienced a dramatic surge, growing 39.3 percent year‑over‑year to reach $1.4 billion, securing the tenth spot on the ranking.
In broader terms, Newzoo continues to forecast that the worldwide games market will reach $213.9 billion in 2026, representing a 6.1 percent year‑over‑year expansion. The Asia‑Pacific region is expected to account for almost half of this total, with revenues projected at $100.7 billion. China alone is slated to generate $58.1 billion, while North America will contribute $56.9 billion, of which the United States is expected to deliver $53.5 billion.
Player numbers are also on an upward trajectory. Newzoo anticipates a global player base of 3.7 billion in 2026, up 4.4 percent from the previous year.
Notably, the proportion of players who spend money on games is projected to rise to 44.6 percent, a significant jump from the 39.4 percent share recorded in 2015. This shift reflects a maturing monetisation landscape where a larger slice of the audience is willing to invest in in‑game purchases, subscriptions, and premium content. Finally, the average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) is expected to climb to $129.6 in 2026, a 1.4 percent increase year‑over‑year. Newzoo attributes this modest rise to deeper spending habits among existing players rather than a surge of new spenders, indicating that developers are successfully extracting more value from their established communities through expanded content, cosmetics, battle passes, and other monetisation mechanisms.
Overall, while the early‑year performance of many evergreen live‑service titles suggests a period of stagnation, the market’s longer‑term outlook remains positive, buoyed by blockbuster releases such as Grand Theft Auto VI, strategic subscription offerings, and continued growth in emerging regions. The data underscores the importance of headline‑grabbing titles and diversified revenue models in sustaining growth across both hardware and software segments of the gaming industry.