According to the latest figures released by market‑research firm Newzoo, the most entrenched live‑service and evergreen video‑game titles posted either stagnant or lower revenues in the first half of 2026 when compared with the same period in 2025. The firm’s newly issued Global Games Market Report highlights that only a handful of titles managed to push overall growth forward.
Those outliers include Blizzard’s long‑running World of Warcraft, the recently launched Diablo IV, Activision’s Overwatch, the user‑generated‑content platform Roblox, and a selection of regional releases from Chinese giant Tencent. The report also notes that while Sony’s PlayStation Plus subscription model is expected to underpin future expansion for multi‑game subscription services, digital‑only revenue streams actually fell year‑over‑year across six major Western markets during the first six months of 2026. Newzoo attributes this dip to a combination of weaker performance in free‑to‑play titles and a slowdown in the annualised premium segment, which together outweighed the positive impact of several high‑profile new releases. Looking ahead, Newzoo projects that the console player base will grow by roughly 3 percent in 2026, a noticeable uptick from the near‑flat 0.5 percent increase recorded in 2025.
The primary catalyst for this renewed momentum is anticipated to be the launch of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto VI, a flagship title that is expected to generate a surge in hardware sales and software engagement. The effect is likely to be amplified on Sony’s PlayStation ecosystem, where the company has already hinted at a re‑acceleration of growth thanks to the game’s release. In addition to GTA VI, first‑party releases slated for Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 console are expected to broaden the install base for the ninth generation of gaming hardware. Early data from Nielsen IQ supports this optimism: following the high‑profile premiere of GTA VI on the streaming service Netflix, both PlayStation 5 and Xbox console sales in the United Kingdom jumped by 33 percent and 34 percent respectively, indicating a strong cross‑platform demand spike tied to the title’s cultural buzz.
Emmanuel “Manu” Rosier, Newzoo’s director of market intelligence, told GamesIndustry.biz that without the lift provided by GTA VI, overall console‑related revenue would have remained flat relative to 2025 levels. His comments underscore the game’s outsized influence on the broader market, where a single blockbuster can shift the trajectory of an entire hardware generation. The report also ranks the top ten publicly traded gaming companies for the first quarter of 2026. Collectively, these firms generated $37.4 billion in revenue, representing a 6.7 percent year‑over‑year increase.
Tencent retained its position at the summit with an 11.9 percent rise to $10.8 billion. Sony followed with $5.2 billion, though its earnings dipped 0.9 percent, while Microsoft posted $5.1 billion, down 5.5 percent.
Roblox, the social gaming platform, posted a striking 39.3 percent jump to $1.4 billion, securing the tenth spot on the list. Newzoo’s broader market outlook remains bullish. The firm forecasts that the global video‑game market will reach $213.9 billion in 2026, a 6.1 percent increase over the previous year.
The Asia‑Pacific region is projected to account for almost half of that total, delivering $100.7 billion in revenue. China alone is expected to contribute $58.1 billion, while North America will generate $56.9 billion, with the United States comprising $53.5 billion of that figure. Player numbers are also set to climb. Newzoo predicts a worldwide player base of 3.7 billion in 2026, up 4.4 percent from 2025.
Notably, the proportion of players who spend money on games is forecast to rise to 44.6 percent, a significant jump from the 39.4 percent share recorded in 2015. This shift reflects an increasingly monetised audience, driven by both microtransaction models and premium content purchases. Average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) is expected to hit $129.6 in 2026, a modest 1.4 percent increase year‑over‑year.
Newzoo attributes this growth to deeper spending habits among existing players rather than a surge in new spenders, suggesting that the industry is becoming more efficient at extracting value from its established user base. In summary, while many legacy live‑service and evergreen titles are struggling to maintain growth, the market as a whole is buoyed by a few high‑impact releases and a resurgence in console enthusiasm driven primarily by Grand Theft Auto VI. The coming months will reveal whether this momentum can sustain broader sector recovery or if the uplift remains confined to a handful of marquee products.