The gaming industry is growing daily. It’s likely to see 400 million more gamers join the fray by 2029. With this popularity came rapid changes and technological advancements.
Over the last few years, technological advancements brought rise to features like artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR) and cryptocurrencies. These and many others started changing the gaming landscape, offering gamers new forms of immersion and engagement.
The Top 5 Trends Going Into 2025
As technology continues to advance, much of it is becoming more accessible. The gaming industry and gamers are seeing many applications and benefits thanks to this. Wi-Fi is faster, tech is more affordable and gaming platforms are offering players more perks. Here’s a breakdown of the top trends to expect going into 2025:
Crypto Gaming
Many organizations are trying to get on the bullet train that is cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Whether it’s creating a Crypto Casino to bet your Bitcoin at or a crypto game offering a play-to-earn mechanic, companies are creating ways to gamify cryptocurrencies.
Many gamers became accustomed to the virtual currencies of their favorite games, such as Apex Coins in Apex Legends or V-Bucks in Fortnite. While these coins have no value outside of the game, crypto does. It’s changing players’ purchases from being essentially worthless to worth something.
This genre of gaming has its drawbacks. Its use of cryptocurrencies makes it vulnerable to the same volatility. However, its popularity grows as new coins come to the market and new games look to make them more entertaining to use.
Cloud Gaming
While buying games online makes getting a new game effortless, the sizes and download times are increasing. Whether the title is 100GB or your hardware is outdated, you may wait a few hours for the average game to download. You may not even have space for it.
Cloud gaming presents an answer to this conundrum. It allows you to take advantage of real-time streaming, with no download required. You can play right off the bat using the best and latest hardware without buying it.
There’s rising interest in cloud gaming and streaming services and game providers are recognizing it. Sony, Microsoft and even Amazon are offering them, with Microsoft signing 10-year deals with other cloud gaming services.
Free-to-Play Games
By now, every gamer is familiar with free-to-play games. They’ve become a staple among mobile games and even triple-A franchises. Call of Duty developed Warzone in the wake of Apex Legends’, Fortnite’s and PUBG’s successes. Instead of paying for the game, you pay for in-game items; something that gives you an advantage.
When microtransactions only include cosmetic items, the free-to-play model is incredibly popular. Gamers can enjoy fantastic games without spending a cent. However, this model remains profitable because many players still spend money to enhance their experience.
Another aspect of the free-to-play model is the inspiration of live services. This approach keeps players coming back for more with regular content updates, seasons and events. Multiplayer games also offer battle passes, rotating storefronts and limited-time experiences.
Game developers are constantly adopting the free-to-play model and releasing new titles regularly. Some upcoming games of this genre include Marvel Rivals, Path of Exile 2 and Delta Force Hawk Ops.
Extended Reality (XR)
Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) all fall under the umbrella of XR. VR technology allows gamers to immerse themselves in virtual environments, making them feel like they’re in the game. AR offers virtual overlays, bringing the game to the real world.
Today, headsets for various forms of XR exist as standalone devices, not requiring a computer or gaming console. They’re also becoming more affordable, with prices expected to drop over the next few years. These changes make them more accessible to gamers, spurring developers to create bigger and better XR games like Batman Arkham Shadow, Action Hero and The Quest Three.
Competitive Multiplayer Mobile Gaming
Competitive gaming saw a massive boom in popularity over the last few years. This interest will see esports viewership rise to over 640 million by 2025. Games like PUBG Mobile and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang are the most watched worldwide and are likely to keep dominating the scene by 2025.
The trend shows a growing interest not just for viewers but for players, too. Gamers get the chance to prove they’re the best and walk away with massive cash prizes.
Multiplayer games are growing more competitive across all platforms. It’s opening the floodgates for more esports possibilities in the future.
The Future of Gaming
Technological advances are at the core of many gaming trends you’ll see today and in 2025. They’re changing the way developers make games and how gamers play them.
The nature of the industry is evolving and remains competitive. It’s constantly giving gamers something new to experiment with. Developers keep creating innovative and interesting games, using new technology and gamers are inspiring new avenues of gameplay and entertainment with them.
