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- A huge survey has revealed that at least one in three AAA developers is currently working on live-service games.
- The 33% figure comes as a shock when the recent flops and declines in the genre are considered.
- Despite this, almost half the surveyed developers expressed a lack of interest in the genre.
Many AAA studios have tried to go on a wild goose chase to capture live-service success like Fortnite did nearly a decade ago. But a colossal amount of titles in the genre have either failed or were canceled mid-development altogether.
Sony also recently canned a bunch of its live-service projects, making Bluepoint and Bend Studio potentially waste an entire generation.
However, it appears that the industry is still not ready to move on from the genre. A new survey suggests that one in three AAA developers (33%) is currently working on live service games.
Why it matters: Recent reports over the past few months have suggested that live-service games are losing popularity due to several failures. However, the survey indicates that many of these games might still be in development.
GDC’s 2025 State of the Game Industry survey also reveals that 13% of developers want to make more live-service titles if given the chance. Interestingly, a live-service game is deemed successful if it retains 40% of daily active users and 32% of monetized players.
The study also confirms that nearly half the developers expressed a lack of interest in live-service games because of huge risks. Another 29% simply do not care about the genre.
The GDC survey has also revealed that at least 80% of developers are currently making titles for the PC market instead of consoles.
While the genre appears to be on a decline, the survey suggests that many studios’ unannounced projects might be live service or have similar elements. Nevertheless, it is best to take the survey with a grain of salt as it does not count the data of every single developer.
Do you think the live-service genre will continue to thrive in the upcoming console generation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the official Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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