adminLive-service games and other established evergreen titles were mostly flat or down year over year in the first half of 2026, according to Newzoo. The market research firm’s latest Global Games Market Report points to a small group of growing games, while forecasting that Grand Theft Auto 6 could help lift console growth later in the year.
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Live-service games show limited growth in H1 2026
Newzoo found that many long-running live-service and evergreen games did not increase their performance compared with the first half of 2025. Growth was concentrated in a handful of titles, including World of Warcraft, Diablo 4, Overwatch and Roblox, as well as selected international releases from Tencent.
This does not mean every established game followed the same trend: the report highlights differences between individual titles and markets. For players and industry observers, comparing performance game by game can provide a clearer picture than treating the entire live-service category as one market.
Digital revenue declines as console growth is forecast to improve
Digital revenue fell year over year during H1 2026 across six Western markets. Newzoo attributed the decline to weakness in free-to-play games and annualised premium releases, which outweighed strong launches. PlayStation Plus is expected to support growth in multi-game subscription services.
Newzoo forecasts console player growth of 3% for 2026, compared with 0.5% in 2025. The firm expects Grand Theft Auto 6 to contribute to that improvement, with growth particularly associated with PlayStation. GTA 6 and first-party games for Nintendo Switch 2 are also expected to expand the install base for generation 9 consoles.
Recent Nielsen IQ data showed UK PlayStation 5 and Xbox console sales rising by 33% and 34%, respectively, following the GTA 6 premiere on Netflix. Newzoo director of market intelligence Emmanuel “Manu” Rosier has said that console revenues would remain flat compared with 2025 without GTA 6. These figures are forecasts and reported market results, so they should be considered in their respective contexts.
Top games companies and global market outlook
The report’s top 10 public games companies generated a combined $37.4 billion in game revenue in Q1 2026, an increase of 6.7%. Tencent led the group, with revenue up 11.9% to $10.8 billion. Sony recorded $5.2 billion, down 0.9%, while Microsoft generated $5.1 billion, down 5.5%. Roblox grew 39.3% year over year to $1.4 billion, placing tenth.
Newzoo forecasts that the global games market will reach $213.9 billion in 2026, up 6.1% year over year. Asia-Pacific is projected to contribute $100.7 billion, nearly half of the total. China is forecast at $58.1 billion, while North America is expected to reach $56.9 billion, including $53.5 billion from the United States.
Player numbers and spending projections
The global player population is forecast to reach 3.7 billion in 2026, a 4.4% annual increase. Newzoo estimates that spenders will account for 44.6% of players, compared with 39.4% in 2015. Average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) is projected to reach $129.6, up 1.4% year over year. Newzoo links the increase to deeper spending among existing paying players.
For anyone tracking the games market, these projections distinguish audience growth from revenue growth: a larger player base does not necessarily mean every game or revenue stream will rise at the same pace. Overall, Newzoo’s outlook suggests that live-service games remain uneven, while GTA 6 is expected to be an important factor in the console market’s 2026 performance.
