Bain & Company's 2026 Gaming Report finds that the average gamer no longer exists, with playing time and spending heavily concentrated among a narrow, identifiable set of players. The report draws on a survey of more than 5,300 gamers worldwide and Bain's proprietary analysis of 100 titles released since 2023.
Most active 20% of players account for nearly 60% of all playing time.
Highest-spending 20% account for 75% of total spending.
83% of games built around specific players achieved commercial success vs. 50% without.
Nearly half of gamers bought directly from developers in past year.
42% of gamers are more comfortable with AI in games than a year ago.
86% of teenage gamers spend money monthly vs. 36% in their 60s.
Surveyed gamers are split across the gaming experiences they want most. No single experience type attracted more than 26% of respondents. Spending follows a similarly uneven pattern. Twenty percent of the highest-spending players account for nearly three-quarters of total spending, but the most active 20% of players account for almost 60% of all playing time. Demographics play a significant role as the willingness to spend declines with age. Additionally, those who create game content for public use are twice as likely to spend money.
Bain's analysis found that 83% of games built around a specific, identifiable player achieved commercial success, compared with 50% of games that were not. Two-thirds of gamers want more of what they already play. For a studio with a clear target player, AI tools offer faster prototyping, cheaper iteration, and deeper audience understanding. "AI is changing the cost structure of game development, but it doesn't change the fundamental question every studio has to answer first: who exactly are you building for? Without that answer, AI doesn't lower your risk, it lets you scale the wrong bet faster," said Anders Videbaek, partner at Bain & Company.
"AI is changing the cost structure of game development, but it doesn't change the fundamental question every studio has to answer first: who exactly are you building for? Without that answer, AI doesn't lower your risk, it lets you scale the wrong bet faster," said Anders Videbaek, partner at Bain & Company's Media & Entertainment practice.
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