adminThe gaming industry trends 2025 reveal a clear divide between mobile and PC and console markets. Mobile game revenue rose only slightly, while PC and console revenue grew by double digits and PC gaming reached another record year. Sensor Tower’s State of Gaming 2026 report highlights how downloads, popular releases, and player engagement shaped the year across platforms.
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Gaming industry trends 2025: mobile revenue and downloads
Across mobile, PC, and console devices, players downloaded games 52 billion times in 2025. Mobile games accounted for 95,000 downloads per minute, yet mobile downloads declined compared with 2024. Revenue increased by just 1%, reaching $82 billion.
These figures point to a mature mobile market where growth depends less on attracting ever more downloads and more on keeping current players active. Live operations, in-game events, and collaborations with established intellectual properties are among the approaches identified in the report. For developers, the practical takeaway is to make returning to a game worthwhile, while ensuring events and monetization options add value to the player experience.
PC and console gaming post strong growth
PC and console revenue increased by 13% year over year. Downloads rose by 7%, while game releases climbed by 8.4%. AA publishers recorded 29% growth and AAA publishers grew by 25%, helping drive the gains.
PC gaming also had another record year on Steam, with record results for units sold, premium game revenue, and the number of games released. The findings suggest a strong market for games across different production scales. Players comparing new releases may find it useful to look beyond blockbuster launches: the report also points to notable sales and attention for indie titles.
Top games and standout genres in 2025
Battlefield 6 was the best-selling PC and console game of the year. EA Sports FC 25 and EA Sports FC 26 ranked second and third, respectively; together, the two football games outsold Battlefield 6.
Among free-to-play games ranked by downloads, Skate led the list, followed closely by Marvel Rivals. Delta Force and Deadlock placed third and fourth. R.E.P.O. and Peak were the year’s best-selling indie games, reflecting the popularity of chaotic cooperative play and creator-friendly gameplay.
On mobile, 4X strategy was the only genre to grow across revenue, downloads, and time spent. Last War: Survival and Whiteout Survival ranked first and second by revenue. Players interested in the genre can use these titles as examples of the strategy games that drew the most spending during the year.
Advertising and player demographics
YouTube gained share of mobile game advertising spend but lost ground in PC and console advertising. Mobile app networks continued to receive most mobile game ad spend, while YouTube remained the leading platform for PC and console campaigns. The report also found that PC gamers skew younger, whereas hypercasual gamers are more likely to be female.
What the 2025 results mean for gaming
Oliver Yeh, CEO and co-founder of Sensor Tower, said the PC and console ecosystem benefited from viral indie hits, high-quality AA games, and established AAA release pipelines, with Battlefield 6 leading annual sales. He also noted that mobile gaming has entered a more mature phase, where retention, monetization, and innovation matter as downloads become harder to grow.
Overall, gaming industry trends 2025 show that each platform has different growth opportunities: mobile publishers are focused on engaging existing players, while PC and console markets are benefiting from a broad mix of premium releases. These findings offer useful context for understanding the games and business strategies likely to shape the industry in 2026.
