From increasing revenue to the rising dominance of mobile gaming, the gaming industry is attracting millions of new players and content consumers each year. Alongside this surge, influencer marketing within the gaming sector has emerged as a powerful tool for engaging younger audiences and driving brand discovery. 

This article explores the latest statistics and trends shaping the gaming landscape, the role of gaming creators, and the evolving consumer behaviours transforming the market.

‍Industry Growth Statistics

‍Gaming‍

The global gaming market is poised for substantial growth, with annual revenues expected to reach $503.14 billion by 2025, up from $396 billion in 2023. This rapid expansion underscores the increasing popularity and commercial success of gaming worldwide.

The Asia Pacific region remains the top-grossing market, generating nearly half of all global video game revenue. In 2023, China emerged as the largest gaming market globally, surpassing the United States, which ranked second, while Japan secured third place. Among gaming segments, mobile games continue to dominate, contributing nearly $100 billion annually—outperformed only by gaming hardware and in-game advertising.

‍Influencer Marketing‍

Gaming creators are gaining significant traction among consumers, especially within younger demographics. Currently, 9% of consumers follow a gaming creator, this figure rises to 17% among those aged 18-34. For men in this age group, the percentage jumps to 23%, making gaming creators the most popular type of influencer followed by males aged 18-34 globally.

In the US, gaming creators rank as the second most popular type of creator among teens, with 36% of teens following them, just behind music creators at 38%. The growing influence of gaming creators is reflected in the market’s rapid expansion—gaming influencer marketing was valued at $4.4 billion in 2022, up from $2.5 billion in 2021.

‍Influencer Platform Statistics‍

Gaming content continues to thrive on social media, with platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch leading the charge. The hashtag #TikTokMadeMePlayIt, where users share games they’ve discovered through TikTok, has garnered an impressive 161.6 million views. Meanwhile, YouTube and Twitch remain the most popular platforms for gaming content.

On YouTube, gaming video viewers are 53% more loyal than the platform's average, showcasing a strong connection between creators and their audience. Gaming boasts the most loyal audience out of the 12 genres surveyed.

Engagement rates vary across platforms, with Instagram leading at 3.15%, followed by TikTok at 2.19%. YouTube sees a solid engagement rate of 0.78%, while X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook trail behind at 0.24% and 0.20%, respectively, contributing to an overall average engagement rate of 0.95% for gaming content.

‍Influencer Marketing For Gaming Statistics‍

Creators play a key role in helping the gaming audience discover brands, particularly in the UK and US markets. In the UK, 10.7% of the gaming audience finds brands through creators, while 25.7% actively follow creators. Meanwhile, 13% of UK gamers have posted about gaming online in the past month. Facebook remains a popular platform, with 16.9% of UK gamers naming it their favourite social media.

In the US, 12.6% of the gaming audience discovers brands via creators, with 28.4% following creators. Additionally, 18.4% of US gamers have posted about gaming online recently, and Facebook is favoured by 22.1% of them.

Creator endorsements significantly drive purchases - 32% of consumers globally have bought a product in the past year due to a creator’s recommendation. This figure rises to 40% among gaming enthusiasts, with 32% of UK and 41% of US gamers making purchases following creator endorsements. Gaming ranks as the top category for products purchased after seeing a creator’s recommendation.

‍Consumer Behaviour Statistics‍

The gaming landscape continues to grow, with approximately 2.6 billion gamers worldwide. Of these, around 2 billion are mobile gamers, solidifying mobile gaming as the most popular platform by audience size. A global 2023 survey revealed that over 80% of internet users aged 16-44 play video games on some type of device, with men slightly more likely to participate.

Smartphones are the most popular gaming device globally, with 68% of internet users playing games on their phones. PCs come in second, with 36.8% of gamers using this platform. Shooter and action-adventure games rank as the most played genres across most age groups, while simulation and racing games follow in popularity. Younger gamers tend to gravitate towards battle royale titles, whereas older gamers prefer puzzle and casino games. When it comes to mobile gaming, puzzle games take the lead, followed by strategy and casino games.

Creators have a significant impact on gaming audiences - 52% of Gen Z trust creators' advice on products and brands, while 65% of US citizens play video games daily. Among Gen Z (aged 18-24), gaming ranks third as a favourite influencer marketing topic, trailing fashion in first place and beauty/food & drink in joint second. For men, gaming shares the top spot as the most popular influencer marketing topic.

‍Conclusion

‍As the global gaming market moves towards unprecedented growth, the influence of creators within the space is becoming increasingly apparent. Gaming creators not only shape brand awareness and consumer purchasing habits but also serve as trusted voices for an ever-expanding, loyal audience. With gaming content thriving across social platforms and creators playing a pivotal role in product discovery, the future of gaming and influencer marketing looks bright. 

The statistics demonstrate that the gaming industry, coupled with the power of creators, is set to dominate digital culture for years to come.