Video Game Trends of 2025

At the dawn of 2024, we kicked off the Brands at Play campaign to highlight the influential factors and trends shaping the evolving business of play. We began by exploring the movements influencing gaming across the year, and as we look ahead, it’s only fitting to revisit the emerging gaming trends defining 2025 with more toy companies and IP holders leaning into digital gaming. 

Reboots and Revivals

We’ve seen numerous successful franchise revivals for next-generation technology (such as “Resident Evil 2,” “Final Fantasy VII” and “Tony Hawks Pro Skater 1”) set the bar for the return of prominent IPs. We expect upcoming titles like “Perfect Dark,” “Donkey Kong Country,” “Tomb Raider” and “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” to drive activity amid an already heated global release slate. Remakes, reboots and revivals tap into the emotional core of first-time players, delivering modern experiences with a familiar touch while reviving original gameplay mechanics and building on-ramps for new fans.

Cross-Media Storytelling

Following the success of “The Last of Us” and “Sonic The Hedgehog,” the curse of video game adaptations has long been broken, and new stories are spilling onto our screens in more exciting and innovative ways. After Variety discovered a “Mass Effect” television series entering the works with Amazon, the slate continues to grow as “A Minecraft Movie,” Amazon’s “Secret Level,” “Ghost of Tsushima” and more prepare to hit our screens. As a proven platform for generating new audience awareness and established fan engagement, we forecast more secret and hidden adaptation projects to increasingly see the green light across the TV and movie space.

Related:Gaming Keeps Growing

UGC Takes Center Stage

Player-driven content creation has never been more powerful, with platforms like “Roblox” and “Minecraft” leading the charge with Gen Z and Alpha by allowing users to shape their gaming experiences. By 2025, expect a deeper focus on community-driven worlds and user-generated experiences as these platforms increase in reach and relevance. User Generated Content (UGC) empowers players to craft and monetize their content, contributing to game evolution and fostering connections, so there may even be greater sub-trends for consumer products. We now see an increasing rate of celebratory events to mark launches, branded zones and games and community-driven experiences based around popular IP. As a result, developers will continue to provide tools for fan creators, sparking demand for customization kits, fan-designed products and events. 

Related:What Comes First? The Game or the License?

The Expansion of Mobile

With an estimated 2 billion mobile gamers worldwide (source: Statista), the growth of mobile gaming continues unabated, with ever-evolving hardware and social connectivity features transforming gaming into a deeply collaborative space. Multiplayer experiences serve as social hubs where players connect for in-game events, virtual concerts and co-op missions. Pioneered by platforms like “Fortnite” and “Roblox,” with titles like “PUBG,” “Fall Guys” and “Monopoly GO” continuing the innovation and excitement for players, this approach will become more pervasive across genres and brands.

Gaming as a Fully Immersive Experience

By 2025, AR and VR technologies will be further integrated into gaming, blurring the lines between digital and physical realms. Accessible AR and VR devices will enable players to engage with games in new, highly immersive ways, the deeper connection between virtual and physical experiences will open new doors for location-based experiences. The existing Zero Latency collaboration with Games Workshop on the Warhammer 40K VR experience has already proven the viability of gaming as a physical experience, and we forecast the continuation of that trend with more and more gaming communities meeting in person to game together like the good old days.

Related:10 Minutes With … Supercell on Licensing in the Mobile Gaming Space

The Esports Phenomenon

Despite years of market perception issues, Esports will continue its ascent as a global entertainment powerhouse, influencing gaming culture and consumer product demand. Tournaments attract massive audiences and turn players into global influencers. They also offer a viewing platform for those absent from the stadiums and venues to follow their favorite teams. The demand for esports-themed products – such as team jerseys, exclusive collaborations, customized gaming peripherals and lifestyle gear – will remain strong and opportunities for brands to partner with top-tier teams and players will grow as it becomes more encased within generational culture. 

This story was taken from the December 2024 issue of License Global. Read the full issue here ...