Newzoo Forecasts $213.9B Games Market in 2026, Driven by GTA VI

The global games market is set to grow by 6.1% in 2026, reaching a total value of $213.9 billion. This expansion matters because it signals a return to growth after recent industry stagnation, driven largely by a single blockbuster title. Without this specific release, the console segment would have shrunk instead of growing.

Console revenue relies heavily on Rockstar blockbuster

Newzoo released these forecasts for the 2026 fiscal year, covering regions from the US and Europe to Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The report breaks down revenue by platform, showing mobile as the dominant sector at $121.1 billion. Console spending is projected to hit $46.9 billion, while PC gaming accounts for $45.9 billion.

Console full-game spending is expected to surge by 17.5%, a shift driven by the November launch of Grand Theft Auto VI. Newzoo analyst Michiel Buijsman stated that the game is the largest single contributor to the total market value. He noted that console revenues would decline year on year if the title were absent from the forecast.

Grand Theft Auto VI generated approximately $260 million in global digital pre-order sales during its first week. This figure represents the strongest pre-order campaign opening on record across six Western markets. The game's success highlights a heavy dependency on major releases to sustain platform growth in a flat market.

The global player base is projected to reach 3.7 billion users, representing a 4.4% increase. Asia-Pacific continues to dominate the market with $100.7 billion in revenue, while the Middle East and Africa shows the fastest regional growth at 10.3%. Rising component costs remain a shared headwind for hardware adoption and consumer spending power across all regions.