Game developers expect a return to growth in 2025 | metaplay

Throughout the gaming industry’s disastrous 2024, the idea that seemed to support everyone was that it would return to growth the following year. Gaming backend provider metaplay Today I unveiled a new report that shows how optimistic the industry is – at least at a macro level – that this will happen. In fact, according to a Metaplay report, 77% of developers surveyed are optimistic that 2025 will bring a renaissance to gaming.

The Metaplay report covers the findings of 150 technology leaders and executives at studios making games using Unity. In addition to the 77% above, the report shows that 90% of these developers say they plan to release a game in 2025. And 71% believe 2025 will have fewer layoffs and studio closures (although the number of layoffs is higher In 2024). Getting fewer was not a difficult task) and 76% expect greater availability of publishing deals.

One of the main topics of the report is the forecast for this year. A majority of developers surveyed believe that 2025 will have wider game distribution (71%), greater revenue from direct-service titles (75%), and lower development costs (63%). 75% also believe they will have better access to cutting-edge tools, which will also reduce development costs.

We’ve “survived 25” – now what?

As with the gaming industry’s desire to return to growth, it has also lived by the motto “Survive to 2025” believing that this year will be more favorable for the industry than the last. As mentioned above, most developers said they planned to release a new game this year, while 53% of those who didn’t said they wanted to focus on existing titles.

“Our findings show that LiveOps, cross-platform development and third-party technology are at the heart of a game development renaissance,” Teemu Haila, Metaplay’s CTO and co-founder, said in a statement. Renaissance is much more than just a catchy title. It’s a movement, a shift in the way game development is done. It represents an era in which studios no longer had to rely on raw headcount for growth. Instead, growth is achieved through smarter tools, leaner teams, and a clearer strategy.

“The biggest hits in 2024 didn’t come from new games — they came from LiveOps,” John Wright, vice president of mobile gaming at Kwalee, added to the report. “If you look at the top 100 top-grossing games today, most of them are more than four years old.” We used to call them “evergreen” games, but now they are “forever games” that can stay relevant for seven to ten years. This is a huge shift. LiveOps is at the heart of this shift, and it’s just that One indication of the changing attitudes fueling the renaissance in the mobile gaming industry.