Bain & Company’s Gaming Report 2025: Breaking Boundaries to Win offers a sweeping look at how the industry is evolving. The report highlights not just market trends, but also the growing importance of platforms, user-generated content, and long-term fan engagement. For community-focused organizations like GGWP, the findings reinforce the value of moderation and authentic player connection. Here are the key takeaways.

Market Rebound & Growth Momentum

The global gaming market has made a strong comeback, hitting $219 billion in 2024 and expected to grow at 4% annually through 2028 (Bain press release). This rebound is not evenly spread, however, as growth is concentrated among titles that embrace new models of engagement, distribution, and community building. Success is increasingly tied to how well a game cultivates and sustains its player base, not just how polished the graphics appear.

Platform-Style Games & Community as Core

Bain finds that platform-style games, those that combine expansive game worlds with social features and creator tools, are seeing active users grow by 10–20% annually (Bain report summary). These games function as ecosystems, blending play with creativity, social interaction, and even brand extensions. Their success shows that community is now the heart of gaming. For these platforms to thrive, moderation and strong audience engagement strategies are critical, ensuring that players feel safe and inspired to participate.

User-Generated Content (UGC) Driving Engagement

One of the report’s standout insights is the explosion of user-generated content. Nearly half of creators are spending more time developing in-game content year-over-year, and even older players (35+) are contributing (Bain insights). Younger audiences, meanwhile, are far more likely to play the same games as their peers, reinforcing the social glue that UGC provides. This “UGC flywheel” creates a cycle of engagement where content fuels retention, which in turn fuels more content. It’s a powerful opportunity—but also a reminder that effective moderation is essential to keep these communities inclusive, creative, and on-brand.

Direct-to-Consumer Distribution & Influencer Discovery

The way players discover games has shifted dramatically. According to Bain, 24% of players discover games through creators or influencers, while only 12% rely on digital storefronts (report highlights). At the same time, developers are increasingly bypassing traditional app stores, with 44% of mobile games now offering their own webshops, up from just 12% in 2019. For developers, this creates direct lines to their players—retaining more margin and building stronger community ties. For players, it amplifies the role of influencers and social networks in shaping engagement. Moderation once again plays a role here: influencer-driven ecosystems need clear guardrails to maintain trust and authenticity.

Cross-Media IP Extensions & Sustained Engagement

Gamers are no longer just playing games—they’re watching adaptations, listening to soundtracks, and buying merchandise. Bain reports that players spend about 25% of their non-gaming media time on game-related content (Bain insights). Successful adaptations can spike concurrent user numbers by up to 69%, underscoring the power of cross-media storytelling. To sustain that engagement, publishers must maintain authenticity, invest in long-term roadmaps, and build governance structures around their IP. This is where audience trust and careful community management become central: fans want to feel respected, not exploited.

Building Beyond the Game: Moderation & Engagement

The report stresses that leading companies are no longer focused on one-off launches. Instead, they’re investing in IP immersion roadmaps—long-term strategies that span storytelling, analytics, community insights, and cross-media touchpoints (Bain insights). Implicit in this is the need for robust moderation. Without safe, inclusive spaces, the long-term fan relationships Bain envisions simply won’t materialize. Building beyond the game requires treating moderation and engagement not as afterthoughts, but as pillars of growth.

Implications for GGWP & the Industry

For GGWP, Bain’s insights are both validating and challenging. Moderators must be seen as stewards of community health, ensuring that the creativity unleashed through UGC remains respectful and brand-safe. Engagement must be measured not just in downloads or revenue, but in sustained community activity, influencer-driven discovery, and cross-media interaction. And while large AAA publishers have the resources to invest in expansive ecosystems, indie studios have an advantage too: they can move faster, experiment with UGC, and build direct community ties. Bain’s report notes that indie PC revenues grew at a 22% CAGR between 2018–2024, far outpacing AAA titles (press release).

Final Thoughts

Bain’s Gaming Report 2025 confirms what many community professionals already feel: the future of gaming isn’t about graphical fidelity alone – it’s about platforms, players, and participation. The report underscores that moderation and engagement are no longer optional, but central to building the ecosystems where players want to stay, create, and invest their time. For GGWP, this is the perfect moment to spotlight how community health, creator support, and safe engagement practices can power the next decade of gaming growth.