Thanks to a myriad of factors, the gaming industry has been in a rather vulnerable state for the past year or so. From layoffs to closing studios, the world’s biggest entertainment industry has had a tough time, with many AAA titles from gaming giants failing to hit the ground running.
However, despite recent misgivings, not all is doom and gloom for the worldwide market. According to a new study, the industry will grow this upcoming year thanks to several premium titles and, of course, inflation.
Why it matters: The gaming industry has had a rocky start to 2025 with failing games and studio closures. Therefore, seeing an upward trajectory for the market in the near future is quite promising.
Ubisoft is one such gaming giant on the brink of collapse.
As per MiDiA Research’s Global Games Forecast, the worldwide gaming market will grow by around 4.6% in line with inflation. The research also suggests that as the gaming market matures, only fractional growth like this will be observed in the coming years.
Furthermore, software sales will rise consistently thanks to a flurry of highly awaited AAA titles like GTA 6, Monster Hunter Wilds, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Ghost of Yotei.
Another important tidbit from the research reveals that studios will return to their roots and start developing premium titles instead of live-service offerings due to recent failures like Concord. As a result, in-game spending is predicted to decrease by 67% when 2031 rolls around.
In addition, the industry will grow from $236.9 billion in 2025 to $280.1 billion in 2031, as per MiDiA Research analyst Rhys Elliott. Mobile gaming will also continue to have a big share of the revenue pie, contributing to 54% of all software revenue globally.
According to Elliott, the industry will go through some tough times in the near future, and studios will need to be a little smarter if they want to succeed.
