Gaming continues to be a large competitor in the entertainment space, with an ever-growing number of options for people to play. The tides of popularity and trends in the gaming world pull certain types of games in and out of popularity all the time, but what are gamers playing more of in 2025?
With somewhere in the nature of 3.5 billion gamers worldwide, gaming is a huge industry. Many people turn to the stories and mechanics of gaming to relax and unwind, and there is even a growing esports scene all over the world, where people try to make a living and name for themselves playing games, just as sportspeople do.
While some of the basics of gaming have remained the same, new technologies and techniques are shaping and changing the way that people play. Hardware is getting more powerful, cloud gaming presents a new option, mobile gaming is taking over from the old giants, and live service models grow ever more popular. Couple this with the fickle tides of consumer whim, and the types of games that are most popular can change very quickly.
Some industry experts have stated that the time of the big AAA game dominating the industry is a thing of the past, with AA studios producing games that are heralded as truer to gaming’s roots. There are many genres, from deep RPGs, frenzied hack and slash adventure games, captivating casino games, and the competitive massive online battle arenas (MOBAs) and shooters that dominate esports. But which genres are seeing more play in 2025?
Table Of Contents
People Love Action and Adventure
One thing that is unlikely to ever change: People love to feel like they are adventuring through a unique world, and they love those adventures to be action-packed. Games like Elden Ring and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom remain incredibly popular in 2025, despite being released years previously.
Gamers love being able to explore and discover a rich and complex world, and action-adventure games give them this. It doesn’t matter if they are the hard-but-fair magnum opus that is Elden Ring from Fromsoft, or if they are something where players can wander the land, hunting animals, playing casino games and stepping into the shoes of a wild west gunslinger like Red Dead Redemption 2. Action-adventure games will likely never stop being popular.
Esports and Competition Drive Engagement
For players more interested in competing, there are a couple of genres that perfectly suit that dynamic. Two of the biggest esports markets lie in the realm of MOBAs and FPSs. These games have developers who push the tournament scenes and help to fund big prize pools and host social media events to drive interest and appreciation for the best players in the world in these games.
Even at lower, more casual levels, these genres are all about pitting players against each other. Games like Dota 2 or Mobile Legends are all about combining skilful control with overarching strategy and teamwork. The players who enjoy these games do so because they like to come up against other players and feel the rush of victory.
For FPSs, big AAA titles like Battlefield 6 arrive to shake up playerbases, but the true competitive scenes exist in games like Valorant and Counter-Strike. Once again, these games focus on teamwork and skilful control operations for players to succeed, and even at casual levels, the players thrive on close conflicts and dominating opponents.
Role-Playing Games Let Players Live Other Lives
While role-playing games (RPGs) may have started from humble roots and walls of text, they’ve metamorphosed into huge titles that people have been playing and loving for decades. These games let players step into the role of a character in a world other than our own and to live out that character’s life. The type of action in an RPG can vary wildly depending on the setting, but players can expect to fight enemies, play casino games, collect loot, level up and even find love for their characters.
Probably the most well-known RPG of all time is Skyrim, which has sold over 60 million units as of 2023. But there are many different flavors to the RPG genre, and different audiences and demographics have different tastes.
There is also a growing inclusion of RPG elements of levelling up and progressing slowly being incorporated in many other genres of games. These elements can also be seen in the increasing gamification that exists outside of games as well.
Online Casino Games Offer Adult Entertainment
While not accessible all over the world, there has been a steady acceptance and growth of the online casino games market globally. Many regions are seeing increasingly regulated and legalized online casino gaming, leading to the overall market growing to a large extent.
Online casino games typically include all of the types of games you could expect to see at a physical casino, with some extra additions. The most popular form of online casino game is by far slot games, but online versions of poker, blackjack and other table games are also popular.
By far the biggest driver in the popularity of most platforms that offer casino games is accessibility. Most casino platforms offer mobile-friendly apps and websites, allowing players to play these games whenever they like.
Many online casino markets have seen changing regulatory environments in the last five years, often focused on player and consumer safety. The watchword for playing casino games online, especially as they grow in popularity, is to always play responsibly.
Final Thoughts
The fickle winds of fortune have placed a few gaming genres at the top in 2025, but it is anyone’s guess if they will stay there for long. The best thing about choosing gaming as an entertainment option is that it provides you with so many different options to choose from. Gamers can enjoy RPGs, MOBAs, or online casino games, all offering them a different experience.
Gaming isn’t looking like it will ever go away, but what is popular will surely change. What sorts of games will have the most popularity in coming years?
