adminFrontier Developments FY26 profits reached a record £19 million as the UK-based studio reported higher revenue and continued to focus on creative management simulation (CMS) games. Revenue rose 16% to £104.8 million, the company’s second-highest total to date.
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Frontier Developments FY26 profits and revenue growth
Operating profit increased 44% to £19 million, exceeding the previous record of £15.9 million set in FY19. Revenue and operating profit measure different things: revenue is income generated before expenses, while operating profit reflects what remains after operating costs. Together, the figures offer a clearer view of the year’s business performance.
Frontier attributed the results to a strategic emphasis on CMS titles. Games in this genre accounted for 90% of FY26 revenue, making the performance of the company’s established simulation franchises especially important. For readers comparing annual results, the genre’s share of revenue helps show how concentrated the studio’s business has become.
CMS franchises lead the studio’s performance
Jurassic World Evolution 3 and earlier games in the series contributed to the results. Frontier also reported strong player engagement with the latest title. The company continued to earn revenue from the Planet Coaster and Planet Zoo franchises, describing Planet Zoo as its most successful game to date.
Frontier is also developing a new CMS game for the Planet franchise based on its own intellectual property. The studio says its approach is to release one CMS game each year and support long-term growth through high-quality franchises with lasting appeal. For players, this strategy points to continued investment in simulation games, while the company’s results will depend in part on how well new releases and existing titles perform over time.
FY27 outlook and upcoming releases
Outside the CMS portfolio, Frontier revised the content strategy for its online multiplayer game Elite Dangerous. The company said the changes increased player engagement and contributed to annual revenue growth. This illustrates how continued content updates can form part of a game’s ongoing commercial strategy, rather than relying only on new releases.
Frontier expects FY27 to begin positively when Jurassic World Evolution 3 launches on Xbox Game Pass. The launch is expected to coincide with an expansion promoting the 2025 film Jurassic World Rebirth. The company also identifies Planet Zoo 2 and Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Deathwatch as releases expected to drive FY27 performance. These are company expectations, so actual results will depend on release timing and player response.
How Frontier describes its turnaround
CEO Jo Cooke thanked the company’s employees and players for contributing to FY26’s results. Cooke described the performance as the outcome of a turnaround over the previous three years, crediting predecessor Jonny Watts with driving that work. The company has three new games scheduled for release across FY27 and FY28.
Frontier announced its shift toward CMS games in 2023, saying the genre generally offered stronger and more predictable returns for the business. The company had previously pursued diversification through third-party publishing and games in adjacent genres, but said those efforts did not deliver the anticipated success. An organisational review took place during this period, and the developer laid off an unspecified number of employees.
Conclusion
Frontier Developments FY26 profits set a new company record, supported by £104.8 million in revenue and the strong contribution of CMS games. The FY27 outlook centres on established franchises and upcoming releases, while the studio’s results will show whether its focused strategy can sustain growth.
