Key information
A specialized report published by Newzoo challenges the notion that the free-to-play model is declining. While free-to-play's share of total engagement decreased by 2.9 percentage points from 2021 to 2025 down to 29.3%, absolute hours played remained largely stable across the markets analyzed.
Market dynamics varied significantly by platform according to the data. On personal computers, free-to-play engagement hours increased even though its relative market share dropped, whereas console engagement declined due to drops in several major established live-service games. Concurrently, annual launches of new free-to-play live-service titles dropped by 31% from the 2020-2022 period to the 2025 window.
Progression-based loot box monetization, known as gacha, emerged as the primary driver of free-to-play expansion on personal computers, where major titles in this category jumped from three to 17. Titles such as Wuthering Waves, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero helped role-playing games become the sole free-to-play genre to increase its share across both platforms.
Despite substantial gains in engagement hours, Newzoo indicates that this player activity has not resulted in proportional financial returns, revealing an expanding divide between audience participation and monetization. Additionally, August revenue charts welcomed new additions such as Madden NFL 27 and Big Walk.
