A Gaming Trend Has Finally Been Broken (And It’s Great News for Everyone)

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Popular entertainment is usually dominated by a few big franchises that consistently earn a lot of money. These franchises often become cultural staples, especially today. While something new might occasionally break through, most of the time, established brands are expected to remain more popular than newcomers.

As a gamer, I’ve been so excited to see what’s been happening! 2025 felt like a year of amazing new games and fresh ideas. What really stood out was how many of the biggest hits weren’t sequels or part of established franchises – they were totally original! It looks like gamers are really embracing these new experiences, and I’m hoping that encourages even more creativity and innovation in the gaming world going forward.

New Games Had A Great 2025

Late 2025 brought encouraging news for the gaming industry: players are showing a growing preference for trying out new games rather than just playing the same popular franchises. Data from GamesDiscoverCo revealed that more recently released games appeared among Steam’s best-selling titles compared to previous years. In fact, 2025 releases earned more overall than older titles, and the number of new games in Steam’s top earners increased from 24 in 2024 to 31 in 2025. Only four out of the twelve top-performing (or “Platinum”) Steam games had been out for more than a year: DOTA 2, Counter-Strike 2, PUBG, and Apex Legends.

Besides the previously mentioned game, several other titles released within the last year reached a similar level of anticipation, including Monster Hunter Wilds, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Arc Raiders, Marvel Rivals, Battlefield 6, Schedule 1, and REPO. Interestingly, the Call of Duty franchise also appears in this group, encompassing both future installments like the 2025 release of Black Ops 7 and earlier games. The “Gold” and “Silver” ranked games also largely consist of new titles, with well-known franchises such as Borderlands and Assassin’s Creed appearing alongside completely new games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Split Fiction, and Dispatch.

This is a welcome change from recent reports about PlayStation players, which showed that popular games like Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Minecraft were still the most played. Experts believe this wave of successful new games could be due to a particularly strong year for releases, or simply because full-price games perform differently than free or discounted titles. However, the main point is that players don’t always need to know a game beforehand to enjoy it – positive reviews and genuine excitement within the community can make a new game incredibly popular.

Why Gamers Should Be Excited To See Fresh Titles In The Industry

Like with most popular entertainment, game companies often try to repeat what’s worked before. If a game becomes a hit, developers will usually try to create another successful game using the same characters and world. This is a major reason why the gaming industry is often led by a few well-known franchises. These franchises sometimes try new things, but they generally stick to the same basic gameplay and story elements. When there are so many games available, it’s easy to choose something you already know and hope it offers a fresh experience.

For a long time, the gaming industry believed that only well-known franchises were guaranteed to be profitable, and trying new games was seen as a gamble for both developers and players. However, 2025 proved that wasn’t true, with many fantastic new games becoming popular across various genres. A key trend was that many of these new games, like Dispatch, Split Fiction, and Schedule 1, were designed as complete, standalone adventures. While they could potentially be expanded upon, they also worked perfectly well as single experiences, allowing developers to move on to new projects without needing to commit to long-term sequels.

It’s great to see gamers embracing new games, which is a positive sign for an industry that sometimes feels stuck in a rut. The success of fresh ideas should inspire developers to be more creative and take risks, rather than just sticking with what’s already proven. The rise of independent games and platforms like Steam are helping this happen naturally. Even highly anticipated games like GTA 6, arriving in 2026, suggest players are open to new experiences, not just revisiting old favorites. Hopefully, 2026 builds on the momentum of 2025, with players continuing to discover and enjoy new titles.

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2026-01-11 00:13