Game Publisher Trends for 2025

According to GameDiscoverCo, game publishers are approaching 2025 with specific priorities in terms of project genres, developer experience, and funding strategies. A recent survey of more than 25 PC and console publishers, including 505 Games, Dotemu/Focus, Kepler, and Paradox, highlights these trends and provides insight into what publishers are seeking in new projects.

Game Publisher Trends for 2025

Game Publisher Trends for 2025

The survey revealed that certain genres are consistently preferred by publishers. City-building games and survival games are the most sought after, each attracting interest from approximately 72 percent of respondents. Roguelike or roguelite titles and cooperative games follow closely, each with around 69 percent of publishers expressing interest. Horror games are also in demand, with 66 percent of publishers highlighting them as desirable. These trends indicate that publishers are currently prioritizing genres that emphasize replayability, strategic depth, and collaborative or immersive gameplay experiences.

Developer Experience and Studio Size

The survey also indicates that publishers are open to working with developers who have limited prior experience. Approximately 76 percent of buyers reported willingness to collaborate with studios that do not have a track record of previously released titles. By contrast, only 28 percent of publishers expressed interest in engaging with medium-sized or larger studios, defined as those with 25 or more full-time employees. This suggests that smaller or newer teams may have greater opportunities to secure publisher attention in 2025.

Game Publisher Trends for 2025

Funding Trends and Investment Strategies

Publisher budgets display a clear division. Most publishers do not impose a minimum project cost, making them accessible to smaller teams. However, a notable minority of publishers focus exclusively on projects that meet a minimum funding threshold, often around 1 million Euros, which typically targets AA or higher-scale titles.

Dotemu CEO Cyrille Imbert explains that the trend toward smaller upfront investments reflects several factors. Increased competition in both PC and console markets has led buyers to prioritize minimizing risk by funding lower-cost projects. The rise of successful “million-seller” games, particularly on platforms like Steam, has demonstrated that small-budget projects can achieve commercial success.

Steam Top Games (Source: Alinea Analytics)

Three Key Factors Influencing Trends

Imbert highlights three key factors influencing this trend. First, development tools such as Unreal Engine 5 have made game creation more accessible for small teams. Second, player preferences are shifting toward experiences that emphasize fun, depth, accessibility, and replayability rather than high-end graphics or complex narratives.

Third, the market for high-production-value games has become more competitive, making it difficult for multi-million dollar projects to gain visibility and commercial traction. Despite the trend toward lower upfront budgets, publishers continue to maintain active pipelines and make selective investments, indicating ongoing opportunities for developers.

Final Thoughts

The outlook for game publishing in 2025 emphasizes smaller-scale projects, highly replayable genres, and openness to new and less experienced developers. In-person events such as Paris Game Biz aim to facilitate direct connections between developers and publishers, providing access to relevant market data and structured matchmaking opportunities. For studios seeking publisher partnerships, understanding these trends and aligning project proposals accordingly may increase the likelihood of securing funding and support in the coming year.