The gaming industry is one of the biggest industries in the world. It incorporates mobile gaming, as well as console and PC gaming, and it covers every genre of gaming, from igaming to immersive metaverse experiences. 2024 was a difficult year for a lot of the industry; however, 2025 will see further changes across the board.
1. Mobile Will Continue To Dominate
Gamers might think of PC and console gaming first and foremost. However, mobile gaming already dominates the market, and as Internet connections and mobile technologies improve, we can expect to see this trend continue in 2025. Seemingly everything is going mobile from AAA mobile conversions like PUBG to mobile casinos like sambaslots, offering a vast array of games, features like instant withdrawals, and immersive gameplay features like live dealers.
2. Remakes And Reboots
Another trend we’re likely to see continue into 2025 is the launch of remakes and reboots. It makes sense for game developers to remake titles from previous-generation consoles, as they can create more powerful games with slicker controls and more immersive gameplay. The Final Fantasy and Resident Evil series are successful examples of this approach. However, it can be frustrating to see a game like Days Gone, which was only launched in 2019, receiving a full remake so soon—no matter how good the original game was.
3. AAAs And Live Service Games Will Continue To Struggle
In 2024, many AAA titles and major developers struggled. Suicide Squad, Alone in the Dark, and Skull and Bones all flopped significantly. Even Dragon Age: Veilguard, which received good reviews from both critics and players, faced challenges, with EA CEO Andrew Wilson suggesting it should have launched as a live service game. However, many players have grown tired of live service launches, and the total disaster that was Concord should serve as a clear warning for developers.
4. Indies Will Rise
With AAA titles and live service games struggling, it is the time for Indie games to shine. Indie developers do have a hard time. They don’t have the budget to market their games like other companies do, but they can benefit from social media and word-of-mouth marketing. Create a viral hit and there’s no need for expensive marketing. 2025 will see more indie games launch.
5. VR And AR Will Continue To Improve
Virtual reality and augmented reality hold immense potential for gamers, offering immersive and unique experiences when the games are well-produced. However, these technologies have struggled to gain traction. In the past year, the launch of higher-quality headsets and more affordable alternatives has sparked renewed interest, making it likely that we will see advances in this genre of gaming in 2025.
6. AI Will Change Gameplay
Artificial Intelligence is another technology that continues to evolve, almost literally. Generative AI has been used in the production of a lot of games, although there has been pushback from the creative industries as well as some gamers. However, AI technology in games could become very popular, with games adapting to the player’s style and even changing difficulty and game settings as the player progresses.
7. Cloud Gaming’s Rise Will Continue
Cloud gaming has been around for a few years, but it initially struggled to take off due to poor internet connections causing lag and performance issues. While this is still true for many users, the ongoing rollout of 5G and full-fibre broadband significantly improves the performance of cloud games. As high-speed internet becomes more ubiquitous and more companies offer their games on cloud gaming platforms, this method of playing titles is expected to gain increasing traction.
8. Early Access Games Will Continue
Early access games are everywhere. These games have not been fully developed and are, apparently, not in a state considered suitable for the end gamer. And yet, gamers can buy them, install them, and play them as though they were. A lot of gamers like the concept of early access because they not only get to play the games before their official launch, but they, theoretically at least, have the opportunity to shape the development of the final product. But, there are pitfalls to launching early access games, too.
9. Everyone Will Be Talking About GTA 6
Assuming it stays on schedule, GTA 6 is expected to launch toward the end of 2025. The release will undoubtedly generate considerable excitement and a fever pitch of anticipation, along with inevitable headlines about inappropriate scenes deemed unsuitable for mass consumption. Fans of the series have waited nearly 13 years since the launch of GTA V, so a significant amount of noise around GTA 6 in the months leading up to its launch is to be expected.
