One In Three AAA Devs Are Still Working On Live-Service Games Despite Genre Decline

Expert Verified By

Live-Service Genre Isn't Dying Anytime Soon!

Story Highlight
  • 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
At least one in three AAA developers is currently working on live-service projects.

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.

Concord
At least 70% of developers believe live service games are unsustainable.

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.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Final Fantasy 15 Remaster Reportedly In The Works

A new report reveals that Final Fantasy 15 is getting a remaster that will be a reworked version of the original game with new features.

PlatinumGames To Reveal NieR: Automata Sequel This Year, Says Insider

A notable industry insider has claimed that PlatinumGames is preparing to reveal a NieR: Automata sequel sometime this year.

Avowed Director Says Game Will Be Janky; Asks Fans To Accept It

Avowed director Carrie Patel appeared in an interview to confirm that the game will contain some jank that players will have to deal with.

Battlefield 6: Dice Looking At Everything That Worked In Past Games To Rebuild Franchise

The current Battlefield 6 Lead Producer has assured fans that Dice is taking the series' history into account when creating the new game.

PlayStation Confirms PSN Back Up; Offering Free PS Plus As Compensation For Downtime

PlayStation has revealed that it will be giving players multiple days of free PS Plus access to make up for the recent PSN outage.