Switch 2 (finally), GTA 6 to dominate, AI in game dev (again): Analysts predictions for 2025Our annual panel of industry-watchers review their calls for the past year, and offer new forecasts for the year to comeImage credit: Adobe News by James Batchelor Editor-in-chief Published on Dec. 23, 2024 Every year, we turn to a panel of trusted analysts to ask them what they see coming down the road, and ask them to assess their predictions from the previous year.This year we've got all of last year's participants returning: Niko Partners' Lisa Cosmas Hanson, Midia Research's Rhys Elliott, Kantan Games' Dr. Serkan Toto, Ampere Analysis' Piers Harding-Rolls and Newzoo's Emmanuel (Manu) Rosier.As always, thanks to all our panelists for taking part in this tradition.Emmanuel (Manu) Rosier, Newzoo Emmanuel (Manu) Rosier, Newzoo2024 predictionsNintendo Switch 2 will take center stageIncorrect. The Nintendo Switch 2 has been prominent in rumor discussions rather than taking center stage officially.End of the live service domination and market saturationPartially correct. While older live service titles continue to dominate, newer entries in the space have seen mixed success, with some achieving short-lived popularity and others failing to gain traction. The industry is not fully transitioning back to premium games, but there is growing acknowledgment that the sheer volume of live service offerings exceeds players' available time. Many players appreciate taking breaks from their 'lifestyle' games to enjoy more finite, complete gaming experiences.Nostalgia takes a key role in live service titlesSpot on. As major live service games reach new lifecycle milestones, there's a rising interest in revisiting the origins of these games, with players embracing 'vanilla' versions of their favourites. This mirrors the trend in single-player games with remasters and remakes driven by nostalgia.Xbox's strategic move into mobilePartially correct. Microsoft is ready to launch the Xbox app on Android but cannot until an antitrust ruling in the United States comes into force."Without groundbreaking innovations, consumers may see little reason to upgrade to Nintendo Switch 2"Emmanuel (Manu) Rosier, NewzooThe onslaught of open-world Souls-like gamesIncorrect. While expansions like Shadow of the Erdtree for Elden Ring and releases like Black Myth: Wukong have been successful, these do not represent a significant market shift toward open-world Souls-like games.AI in game productionCorrect. AI is steadily integrating into game development processes, though we have yet to see a revolutionary impact. However, its broader adoption across the industry is inevitable.The evolution of multi-game subscriptions is overTrue. In 2024, no major breakthroughs occurred in subscription models. The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on Game Pass caused premium-to-subscription cannibalization on Xbox, but strong sales on other platforms offset this, leaving trends unclear.Epic Games is doubling down on Fortnite as a platform, adding content like Fortnite Festival and Lego Fortnite to Fortnite Crew subscriptions without raising prices, aiming to lock in players and developers.Mobile-to-PC gaming evolutionIncorrect. There has not been a notable shift toward PC ports of mobile games. 2025 PredictionsGTA 6: One game to rule them allGrand Theft Auto 6, scheduled for a fall 2025 release, is poised to reshape the gaming industry much like its predecessor, GTA 5, which shattered records with 32.5 million units sold in its first year. While the market landscape has evolved, Rockstar's legacy of delivering groundbreaking experiences ensures that GTA 6 will leave a lasting mark.When GTA 5 launched in 2013, it capitalised on the late lifecycle of the PS3 and Xbox 360, leveraging a vast and mature audience. GTA 6, by contrast, will arrive earlier in the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S lifecycle, facing a smaller but rapidly growing install base. However, the enduring success of GTA Online, with millions of active players, has kept the franchise at the forefront of gaming, driving extraordinary anticipation for GTA 6.Rockstar's history of crafting genre-defining titles positions GTA 6 to set new industry standards. Yet, its challenge lies in navigating a gaming world increasingly dominated by live-service titles. How Rockstar adapts the Grand Theft Auto formula to this evolving landscape will not only determine GTA 6's success but may also redefine the future of open-world gaming.Why the Nintendo Switch 2 may struggle to outperform its predecessorThe Nintendo Switch 2 faces the challenge of living up to the original Switch's monumental success, even with the appeal of backward compatibility as an upgrade incentive.With over 146 million units sold and helped by the pandemic, the original Switch has deeply penetrated the market, leaving many players satisfied with their current systems. Without groundbreaking innovations, consumers may see little reason to upgrade. Compounding the challenge, a budget-friendly version of the original Switch if still available could attract cost-conscious buyers, diverting attention from the new console."The industry is not fully transitioning back to premium games, but there is growing acknowledgment that the sheer volume of live service offerings exceeds players' available time"Emmanuel (Manu) Rosier, NewzooTo make an impact, the Switch 2 will need exclusive launch titles or games that fully utilize its hardware improvements. Yet, no major exclusives have been announced, leaving questions about how it will differentiate itself. While Nintendo's history suggests it may have surprises in store, surpassing the Switch's unprecedented sales figures seems like a steep climb.Ubisoft: Acquisition, privatisation, or dismantlingUbisoft finds itself at a critical juncture as financial struggles and operational missteps have severely impacted its stability. Its market value has halved in 2024, falling back to levels not seen since 2015. The poor performance of releases such as Star Wars Outlaws, XDefiant, and Rainbow Six Extraction, combined with delays of key franchises like Assassin's Creed Shadows, have exacerbated the company's challenges, leaving investors and fans increasingly disillusioned and calling for substantial change.Acquisition or privatisation appears increasingly likely. Tencent, a major shareholder in Ubisoft, is a leading candidate for a buyout, though its future M&A strategy remains unclear. Privatisation could shield Ubisoft from the pressures of the public market, offering a chance for a comprehensive strategic overhaul. However, both paths risk partial or complete dismantling, as new ownership may choose to streamline operations by selling underperforming studios or non-core assets. Image credit: Epic GamesFortnite's next level: Taking on Steam, PlayStation, and XboxFortnite is rapidly evolving from a popular game into a major digital distribution platform, poised to challenge established giants like Steam and PlayStation Store. Recent developments underscore its growing influence across gaming and entertainment.On November 30, 2024, Fortnite set a new standard for in-game events with 'Remix: The Finale,' a concert featuring performances by Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice, and a tribute to Juice WRLD. The event attracted over 14 million concurrent players and demonstrated the platform's unparalleled ability to draw massive audiences and create cultural moments within its ecosystem.Epic Games continues to innovate by making user-generated content more accessible. Introducing unique deep links for Fortnite islands allows players to seamlessly join specific experiences directly from a shared URL. Currently available on PC and Android, this feature simplifies content discovery and enhances player engagement.Looking ahead to 2025, Fortnite could potentially strengthen its position by advancing creator tools, fostering new strategic alliances, and promoting open digital marketplaces. These efforts could signal its ambition to rival established digital distribution platforms, reshaping the industry and expanding its influence as a digital powerhouse."The $69 billion Activision Blizzard deal, rising costs, power of forever-titles, and Sony's huge lead leave Xbox no choice but to bring all their big games to PS5 early"Dr Serkan Toto, Kantan GamesWeakening of large live-service titles outside of Fortnite and MinecraftSeveral factors are influencing the market landscape. As noted earlier, Fortnite continues to expand its growth and maintain its dominance. Meanwhile, Roblox is experiencing growth not only on mobile platforms but also on PC and consoles. On the other hand, some games are facing challenges in attracting new players. For competitive games like MOBAs, high skill barriers can deter newcomers, while in other cases, expansive storylines and increasingly complex mechanics may discourage players from starting.Additionally, 2025 is shaping up to be a standout year for new game releases. This influx of fresh titles will likely divert time and engagement away from many existing live-service games.In summary, 2025 appears to be ushering in a convergence of trends that could pose significant challenges for many traditional live-service titles.We will not see a successful new F2P multiplayer shooter launch in 2025Looking over the past few years of shooter launches, it is increasingly plain to see that the genre is beyond saturated and that players are fixed to their franchise shooter of choice. While there may be blips on the radar that may ping every time a new one launches and players check the game out, these will ultimately fizzle out over the next year to two years without any additional fanfare.Dr Serkan Toto, Kantan Games2024 predictions Dr Serkan Toto, Kantan Games"Switch 2" will come and be $400Incorrect. I am probably off by three to six months (Switch 2 is likely to arrive in the first half of 2025) but still believe in the other points I made, including the price point despite potential US tariffs.Saudi Arabia will make more big movesIncorrect. But they publicly announced they will make a big move (a billion dollar acquisition) in 2025 earlier this year.AI will become an even bigger topic in 2024Correct, and we will of course see a lot more next year.Square Enix will release a big IP game with crypto elementsIncorrect.2025 predictionsXbox will open all floodgates and go all-in on PS5I am aware that Microsoft has already become somewhat open to releasing Xbox games on other platforms, but 2025 might be the year where they go all-in. The $69 billion Activision Blizzard deal, rising costs across the board, the power of forever-titles, the huge lead of Sony and other factors will likely leave Microsoft no choice but to bring all their big games to PS5 early, including blockbusters such as Gears of War: E-Day or Perfect Dark."Ubisoft at the end of 2025 will look a lot different from now"Dr Serkan Toto, Kantan GamesInstant gaming will have its big momentInstant gaming silently amassed vast audiences over time, but I believe 2025 will be the true breakout year in the West. The idea of not having to install apps and being able to play across various platforms with deep social hooks led to hundreds of millions of active players on WeChat in China, for example. Apple just a few weeks ago enabled in-app-purchases for instant games on iOS, a watershed moment this part of the industry has been waiting for for years.Ubisoft will change radicallyI hope I am wrong on this one, but I see Ubisoft closing studios and cutting stuff at a significantly larger scale next year. In my view, Assassin's Creed Shadows will get solid reviews and sell 'okay' but not enough to make Ubisoft continue business as usual. Ubisoft at the end of 2025 will look a lot different from now.Nintendo will not have enough consoles to sellDespite Nintendo's pledge and best efforts, the new device will sell out very quickly and not be available for months in 2025. It will be even worse than 2017 when the Switch launched. Furthermore, the name will be Switch 2. I also expect deep price cuts for the original Switch in 2025.Rhys Elliott, Midia Research Rhys Elliott, Midia Research2024 predictionsAI to supercharge games developmentCorrect. Over 17,000 games were published on Steam, compared to around 14,000 last year. AI is also being more prominently used. For example, at EAs annual Investor Day in September 2024, CEO Andrew Wilson, said that AI is "at the very core of the business and has more than "100 active novel AI projects in development.Games subscription growth to outpace games software growth by three timesCorrect. At the time of writing, preliminary MIDiA forecasts suggest that by the end of 2024, subscription revenue will have grown by approximately 15% while games purchase revenue will have actually declined.Another $100 million-plus acquisition will take placeCorrect. Take-Two Interactive bought Gearbox Interactive for $460 million. Beacon Interactive bought Saber Interactive for $237 million. Turtle Beach bought Fortnite Festival guitar maker PDP for $118 million.Games and social media will eat into time on other formatsPartially Correct. While time spent on games and social media grew by 5% and 12%, respectively, between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024, games decreased their share of entertainment time slightly, while social media grew slightly.Non-game companies will deepen their involvement with gamesCorrect. Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic Games to bring Disney brands into Fortnite. YouTube Playables, free games playable on YouTube, left soft launch. LinkedIn introduced New York Times-like games. Following massive success with its Fallout TV series, Amazon announced it is making a Mass Effect show. Games and social media will eat into time on other formats.2025 predictionsAds revenue will become more prominent on PC and consoleAfter an extended period of strong growth, the games market has begun to face growth challenges. Some game makers will turn to advertising which has largely been untapped on console and PC to drive growth. Advertising will become more prominent at platform level (Xbox and PlayStation menus) and at game level (immersive, interstitial, and rewarded alike).What is more, mobile developers are increasingly entering console and PC (and will bring mobile ad monetisation learnings with them). While game developers have experimented with advertising in the past, the revenue stream is more viable now as programmatic advertising means ads are more automated and specific.Gaming is now at the front of mind for marketers and there is also a necessity: the games market and advertisers alike need new revenue streams."Advertising will become more prominent at platform level and at game level... The games market and advertisers alike need new revenue streams"Rhys Elliott, Midia ResearchPortable gaming skyrocketsNintendo will release its Switch 2 in 2025, and we should expect to see a new Mario Kart and a Super Mario title during the launch window. This console will sell well, driving game-related hardware and console revenues in 2025.However, this is just the beginning for portable gamings oncoming tailwind. The attention economy is oversaturated, and Nintendo was shrewd to release a hybrid handheld that allows both at-home play on the TV and portable play. Similarly, companion portables like the Steam Deck complement a gamers main platform (a gaming PC, in this case). Companion portables give players more opportunities to engage with their ecosystem of choice, and more opportunities for games to grow their share of the attention economy.Microsofts CEO of gaming Phil Spencer confirmed Xbox is working on a portable, and leaks reported by Bloomberg indicate Sony is as well. A portable strategy would also fit in with both companies current strategies and recent peripheral releases/partnerships, such as the PlayStation Portal (a companion device letting players stream their PS5 remotely to the Portals screen via WiFi) and Xboxs play anywhere initiatives and partnership with the ASUS ROG Ally portable PC.The year of the portable is coming. Multi-game subscriptions growth will take a back seatUnlike video and music, game subscriptions will not be the sole future of distribution any time soon but they will have their place. While a consumer can listen to hundreds of tracks and watch dozens of movies or TV episodes in a month, the majority only have time to play a few games. That is why multi-game subscriptions are only worth it for the most dedicated players.Most gamers are already served by the free-to-play markets or are happy enough to buy a few games a year la carte. Free-based tiers and cloud gaming could change this in the long term, but for the coming years, subscriptions will remain a secondary revenue stream for the games market.Generative AI will divide game leadership and game makersGenerative AI will undoubtedly have a bigger role in game development going forward, but the transition to this new technology will face struggles in 2025. While game publishers will continue to inject generative AI to cut costs and streamline game creation, the technology will continue to worry game developers."The year of the portable is coming"Rhys Elliott, Midia ResearchGenerative AI is relatively new and more use cases will hit the market in 2025, leading to yet more debate. More developers will publicly decry generative AI and will mobilise fans of their games to do the same. Inevitably, a high-profile game will use "no AI was used in the making of this game" as a marketing bullet point.Creator-led games will start to show their worthCreators and influencers that got rich through gaming video content have their eyes and their capital on game development. For example, popular YouTuber Videogamedunkey already owns his own indie publisher, Bigmode. Meanwhile, several influencer-led game studios are creating game experiences on Epic Games Unreal Engine for Fortnite (such as Typical Gamer with his own studio JOGO).These creators are using their audiences (marketing), networks (B2B), and knowledge of games to cater to their audiences and gain momentum in the market. In 2025, we expect to see a viral hit from one of these influencer-led publishers or at least a game becomes part of the gaming cultural zeitgeist.Lisa Cosmas Hanson, Niko Partners2024 predictions Lisa Cosmas Hanson, Niko PartnersAsia & MENA to account for over 60% of global PC & Mobile games revenueAlmost correct. Asia & MENA will generate $82 billion in player spending across PC & Mobile in 2024, which is roughly 56% of global PC & Mobile game revenue.A deal valued at more than $2.5 billion (among the Top Ten of all time) will happenCorrect, but not from Asia. EQT acquired Keywords Studios for nearly $2.4 billion in 2024. EQT is not from Asia, however.Instant games will reach over one billion MAUs in Asia & MENACorrect. We believe this prediction was achieved with 800m MAUs for mini /instant games coming from WeChat and Douyin in China alone.New console hardware will be announced in 2024Correct. While the Nintendo Switch successor was not announced, as we previously expected, Sony announced its PS5 Pro and multiple PC gaming handhelds were also announced.The new global esports landscape will be centered outside of the westCorrect. There were more high-profile esports tournaments and viewership in Asia & MENA compared to the west this year by a growing margin."In 2025, additional markets will require Apple and Google to remove their walled gardens"Lisa Cosmas Hanson, Niko PartnersBlizzard will re-enter China in an official capacityCorrect. Blizzard announced its return in April 2024 and re-established its partnership with NetEaseMore than 100 import games will be granted an ISBN for release in ChinaProbably correct, but not yet confirmed. 98 Import Games have been approved as of writing (December 16), and we could see another batch before the end of the year taking the number over 100.Governments in Southeast Asia & India will actively support games industry growthCorrect. Multiple governments in the region announced policies that include support for video games and esports in their respective markets. Indonesia, Malaysia, India, to name a few.2025 predictionsThe following predictions pertain to the primary markets that Niko Partners analyzes every day i.e. those in Asia and MENA. These are a subset of predictions and topics that our team of analysts is considering about 2025 and beyond to help guide our clients in their global business strategic planning. Chinas video game market revenue will reach $50 billion Niko Partners proprietary market model forecasts that player spending on video game software and services will surpass $50 billion in China next year making it the first country to do so. While China is a mobile-first market, with over two-thirds of spend from smartphones and tablets, we continue to see notable growth from the PC and console game segments, especially on the heels of the successful launch of Black Myth: Wukong.China wont be the only market to achieve a milestone in 2025. India is set to exceed $1 billion in player spending, the Philippines will reach $500 million, and Thailand will closely approach $2 billion. In fact, the Asia & MENA region as a whole will reach $89 billion in player spending across PC, mobile, and console, with a user base of 1.76 billion gamers.2025 will be better than 2024 for the games markets in Asia & MENAThe global video games industry has experienced significant fluctuations during the post-pandemic period, and Asia & MENA are not exceptions to this. However, while layoffs continue along with global economic uncertainty, we see 2025 (particularly after Q1) as a more stable year for the industry compared with 2024.Indias games revenue will grow 14.7% YoY in 2025, followed by MENA-3 (8.3% YoY) and Southeast Asia (6.1% YoY). However, Japan and Korea likely will not see positive growth rates until 2026.In emerging markets like India, MENA, and Southeast Asia, new gamers and a growing middle class will drive increased spending on video games. We also expect to see companies that significantly downsized their gaming operations, such as ByteDance and Garena, indicate recovery by greenlighting new titles and other gaming related projects."We forecast that player spending on games will surpass $50 billion in China next year making it the first country to do so"Lisa Cosmas Hanson, Niko PartnersOver 1 billion gamers in Asia & MENA will watch gaming & esports content onlineNiko Partners conducts an annual online survey of 7,500 gamers across Asia & MENA to understand gamer behavior, motivations and insights across the region. One important stat that weve paid attention to recently is the increasing number of gamers that watch gaming and esports related video content online.In 2024, we found that just over half of all gamers surveyed watch gaming and esports content online. In 2025, we expect this to increase to nearly 60% as publishers and content creators fuel demand for video content.Southeast Asia and India already index higher than China, East Asia, and MENA, which typically fall slightly below 50%. Game video and livestreaming continues to play a greater role in the region for game discovery, marketing, and even distribution. One notable trend weve seen recently is the sale of in-game content via livestreams, with viewers able to make purchases without leaving the stream. Game companies will shift back to geographic expansionNiko Partners believes game companies will recognize growth through geographic expansion in 2025, after new technologies such as Web3, VR/AR/XR, and cloud gaming underperformed expectations. We anticipate firms will double down on international expansion particularly to Asia and MENA, given the growing appetite for gaming and the recent success of global IP in these markets.In 2024, Korean game Dungeon & Fighter launched in China and grossed over $2 billion. Likewise, Supercells Brawl Stars has recently seen South Korea, Japan, and China emerge as its Top Three markets outside the US.Geographic expansion not only diversifies a companys player base but also mitigates the risk associated with untested new technologies, ultimately driving sustainable growth in a more predictable and stable market environment.New regulations will further open up walled gardens on mobileThe past few years has seen the US, EU, Japan, South Korea, and India take antitrust action against walled gardens on mobile, primarily operated by Apple and Google. This has led to Apple and Google allowing third party app stores, alternative payment systems, and removing anti-steering provisions in certain countries.However, stakeholders and regulators continue to argue that Apple and Google are not in compliance with these rulings, and regulators in other countries have also started to take an interest in opening up digital markets after pressure from the industry.In 2025, we fully expect that additional markets will announce rulings that require Apple and Google to remove their walled gardens, and we believe that both parties will be required to remove their commission fee in at least one market when developers link out to an external web shop. We expect this to accelerate out-of-app monetization growth, benefiting game developers who will be able to earn higher gross margins on in-game payments.Piers Harding-Rolls, Ampere Analysis Piers Harding-Rolls, Ampere Analysis2024 predictionsNot at the end of the industry layoffsCorrect, unfortunatelyMarket growth in low single digitsLooks to be correct. Were currently forecasting 1.4% growthSwitch 2 release at end of the year, PS5 the best-selling console, VR to have another tough yearWrong, right, rightUse of generative AI-driven NPCsWrong. Hasnt really happened (although plenty of tech demos!)Microsoft to challenge EA to become the biggest publisher across Xbox and PlayStation, Activision Blizzard new releases to go into Game Pass, Cheaper Game Pass with mobile contentRight, Right, WrongMobile app store status quo to continueRight. However see below for thoughts on increasing off-platform disruptionMicrosoft to experiment with a mobile app storeWrong. Launch has been delayedNetflix to broaden its game streaming offer to more countriesCorrectMMO resurgence, uptick in games IP adaptations, more AA games from biggest publishers, GTA 6 launch date late in 2025Generally, right. MMO resurgence hasnt really happened although peak WoWs player numbers in 2024 were the highest for several years.2025 predictionsIts been a really tough year for the industry. Slower market growth and rising costs combined with the devastating number of layoffs has created a tense and difficult operating environment. Its likely that backdrop will continue into 2025 to an extent, though I dont think well see the same level of industry contraction and job losses.Overall market performance in 2025Im expecting continued slow growth in games content and services spend globally. Gone are the years of 10-15% market growth driven by huge increases in mobile gaming spend. With that fuel seemingly burned for at least the next few years, the market is in a slow growth era. However, to put this in a more positive context, total global market size is expected to be similar to historical market peak from 2021 where consumption was heavily driven by the impact of the pandemic.The console market is set to grow marginally with Switch 2 launch (currently expected it to arrive in Q2 at minimum $400/400) and GTA 6 releasing. US import tariffs are a dark cloud on the horizon, but Im going to positively predict that console hardware is once again made exempt from these import charges.GTA 6 will be the largest entertainment release of all time in terms of revenue generated in its launch months. Such is the size of a new GTA, if it is delayed into 2026, the console market performance will probably be down even without the potential impact of tariffs. GTA Online will continue for gamers that play on PS4, Xbox One and PC, meaning a fractured GTA userbase for Rockstar to deal with.If Switch 2 hits in Q2 (one to three months later in the year than the original Switch did), Im forecasting sell-through of a little north of 13 million units. Thats a sales rate higher than the original Switch. Im interested to see what Nintendo does with Nintendo Switch Online at launch. Id like to think it will expand its content and feature set for the launch of the Switch 2."GTA 6 will be the largest entertainment release of all time... If it is delayed into 2026, the console market performance will probably be down"Piers Harding-Rolls, Ampere AnalysisOff-platform app monetisationTheres been a lot of talk about the potential for mobile app store disruption with the introduction of more third-party stores from the likes of Epic and Microsoft to compete with the incumbents following various legal ruling across different countries and regions. While this is interesting to track, shifting consumer behaviour around game discovery is challenging so Im not expecting major changes in 2025 even if Microsoft does get around to launching its mobile app store. After all, there have been alternative app stores on Android devices for many years and, in the PC space, Epic has thrown large amounts of investment behind competing with Steam through Epic Games Store. Neither of these factors has altered the status quo in terms of consumer behaviour significantly.However, beyond new app stores offering a collection of games, the practice of driving high-spending gamers off-platform to monetise directly through publisher-specific web stores is something well see a lot more of in 2025. This could drive increased profits for mobile games companies and will drive a bigger share of spending outside the App Store and Google Play than weve seen previously.Funding and M&A activity picking upIm expecting funding and M&A activity to increase in 2025 compared to 2024 as investment appetite returns. A lot of recent funding has focused on the games production value chain and games technology, with less investment in developers and publishers. That trend will continue, but I expect the investment pipeline to return to games content-based companies progressively through the year. What will happen with Ubisoft? I think it depends on the performance of Assassins Creed Shadows to an extent. A strong performance could change the leverage different parties have in discussions to take the company private, which may delay any change in the companys position.Content trendsI think well see a deeper focus on remakes and sequels as publishers stay risk averse when it comes to investment. A new wave of extractions shooters is expected in 2025, but I dont think there is enough demand to support multiple new entrants. Unfortunately, that will result in some big budget failures. Publishers will continue to aggressively look at ways to drive more value from their existing games IP and franchises. That means more cross-game licensing, brand partnerships, cross-media licensing, sponsorship, and advertising in and around their games."Total global market size in 2025 is expected to be similar to the historical market peak from 2021"Piers Harding-Rolls, Ampere AnalysisWeb3 games will probably have a decent resurgence due to coin prices, so expect to see more releases and investment again in this area. Black Myth: Wukongs success will prompt more investment into these sort of single player games and will drive all Chinese publishers and developers to consider the global appeal of their upcoming games.Unexpected twists and turnsThere are things that are inherently hard to predict, such as Payday being deeply integrated into PUBG, which seems like an off-the-wall collaboration. I think the hunt for engagement and player attention, and the difficult market backdrop will mean more unexpected collaborations and partnerships, where companies are pushed to get more creative and ambitious to carve out a space in the market.