90% of devs’ most recent games launched on mobile

Across platforms, video games reached beyond three billion active players and grossed more than $184 billion in 2024, as per Unity’s annual Gaming Report.

Games “easily” outearned film and television, as developers spent the year aiming to “squeeze more value out of each game”.

Mobile led the charge as the most popular platform, with 90% of developers surveyed confirming their most recent game launched on mobile devices. PC followed at 80%, evidencing a “massive boost” in multiplatform releases.

In fact, the number of developers targeting three or more platforms increased by 34% year-over-year in 2024.

However, the year also saw the continuation of layoffs, studio closures and shuttered games, indicating that this highly lucrative industry remains a volatile and uncertain one.

Mitigating risks

Unity reported that, in order to manage risks, developers are commonly “doing more with less”. This strategy has manifested in smaller team sizes, refusing to take on debt even if this means less exposure, stretching resources and more. Efficiency tools have been the most common tactic to mitigate risks, used by 45% of developers.

Furthermore, 96% of studios surveyed have been integrating AI tools into their workflows, although less than 50% of developers have actually used these tools in any one workflow. In 2025, just 4% don’t plan to use AI.

51% thought “better access to tools and learning resources” would fuel an industry expansion while 32% noted AI productivity tools’ potential specifically.

“Many” studios have also explored new media and formats for multiplayer experiences, which 64% of those surveyed reported working on. Equally, Unity noted devs’ caution at bringing games to new platforms they haven’t launched on before, despite the potential for audience growth.

“For studios, success lies on a razor’s edge: be bold enough to capture players’ hearts and minds while staying safe enough to reduce your risk,” the report read.

Players get playing

Despite the industry’s tumultuous nature for developers, 88% reported a rise in playtime in 2024 and 32% considered this a “major increase”.

Mobile stood as the most lucrative platform for the majority of smaller development teams, as 75% of studios with fewer than 10 employees made most of their revenue from mobile games. The same was true for 65% of studios with 10 to 49 staff.

Less than half of studios with 50 or more people made most of their revenue from mobile.

Regardless of platform, last year only 5% of studios were developing an IP into multiple games, meanwhile 62% aimed to maximise the potential of an existing game. 23% were exploring ideas in a different genre while 10% looked at new ideas in the same genre as a previous title.

But looking forward, they expect RPGs to lead as the most popular genre 10 years from now, with 64% of gamers projected to play them. This will be followed by 55% playing battle royales, according to devs. Strategy games are expected to comprise the third-biggest genre at 52%, while match-3 is forecasted to become the least popular at just 14%.

Unity’s full 2025 Gaming Report also explores developer perspectives around web and social media games.