According to estimated data released by Standard Global Marketplace Intelligence, global game content revenue grew by 3.6 per cent to $54.14 billion in the first quarter of 2026, with a year-on-year increase for the seventh consecutive quarter. Content income data cover software, in-play and game-based subscription services, but not hardware.
Telecommunications continues to be the largest game company in the world, with the PTP estimating that it earned $9.6 billion in game content in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 8.4 per cent over the previous year. The value of online video content increased by 12.3 per cent to $3.62 billion, mainly as a result of the promotion of national games such as Yin Yun 16 and Manway.
Capcom ‘ s content income rose by 89.8 per cent to $451.8 million, thanks mainly to Biochemical Crisis 9: The Spirit, the fastest sale in the series to date. South Korean developers, PearlAbyss, increased their income by an alarming 468.6 per cent, or about $328.1 million, with over 5 million new Red Desert sales in the open world.
It noted that, despite the dominance of online service-type games, consumer demand for single-person games, such as Biochemical Crisis 9 and Red Desert, remained strong during the first quarter.
The pamphlet states: “The largest increase continues to be concentrated on a small number of larger publishers and platform holders with a sustained portfolio of real-time services, and a strong appeal in China, or both. However, at least some evidence has been provided this quarter that consumers are still willing to consider traditional monographs if they can provide attractive combinations.”
Roblox showed strong performance, with income increasing by 39.3 per cent to $1.44 billion, Nexon increasing by 29.8 per cent over the same period, Mandat Namma House by 28.7 per cent and EA by 11.9 per cent.
In terms of the platform, Nintendo achieved a significant recovery in the first quarter, with content income increasing by 37.7 per cent to $1.31 billion. This was mainly due to the sale of Switch 2 and the fire of Pokopia.
The Sony Game Content Income has increased by between 6.3 per cent and $2.87 billion over the same period, mainly thanks to PlayStation ‘ s third-party game and online service game ecosystems. The PTP analyst found that Sony’s performance in the first quarter was “more robust and, in some respects, more representative of the whole game host business”. However, as a result of a 41.6 per cent decline in the fourth financial quarter, Sony raised $765 million in impairment preparations for Bungie throughout the year in performance projections.
Another host, the Kings of the Threes, lost 0.2 to $4.12 billion in first-quarter Microsoft game revenues, attributed to the decline in Xbox mainframe sales.
The income from the content of the game fell significantly by 48.7 per cent, which was considered to be related to the timing of the issuance of the letter of assassin. He has announced the closure of his workrooms in Winnipeg and Belgrade and the reduction of global distribution positions, putting 380 jobs at risk.
Embracer Group lost 35 per cent of its income from game content, while Shiga fell by 16.7 per cent, due to poor performance of the Sonik Fighting Party. In addition, in a financial paper earlier this year, Sega stated that it had raised the impairment of $200 million for Rovio, which it purchased in 2023 at $776 million.
In terms of industry performance, PC is the fastest growing platform, with an increase of 7.8 per cent over the same period to $12.11 billion. Its market share increased from 21.5 per cent last year to 22.4 per cent. The mobile end remained the largest sub-market, reaching $30,533 million, but the rate of increase was only 2.5 per cent, far below the PC end. The main end was the slowest-growing sub-market, with income increasing by 1.3 per cent over the same period to $9.81 billion.