Gaming is still the world’s largest entertainment industry, but it no longer competes with just film and TV. GlobalData’s latest Video Games report highlights that the real fight is for attention, and in 2026, social platforms such as TikTok are steadily siphoning it away, thanks to their frictionless, always-on interfaces.
The attention economy is gaming’s next challenge
According to SimilarWeb’s App Intelligence data, the typical TikTok user spends 97 minutes per day on the platform’s Android app. Meanwhile, adtech company Adjoe estimates casual gaming users average around 30 minutes of daily playtime. That gap is not just a reflection of taste; it stems from how these platforms work. Short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels deliver instant gratification at near-zero cost, with algorithms that do the work for you. Even the most accessible live-service game asks for something in return: time to learn systems, commitment to keep up, and—often—money to stay competitive or current.
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Epyllion’s ‘The State of Video Gaming in 2026’ report underlines the consequence. Across major markets, including the US, Japan, South Korea, the UK, Germany, France, Canada, and Italy, the number of consumers regularly playing games has fallen from pandemic-era highs. Lockdowns pulled millions of casual players into gaming, but that audience proved difficult to retain once daily life normalised, and other, more digestible, digital habits reasserted themselves.
How video game companies can fight back
In the short term, video game publishers have responded in the only way they can: retention at all costs. Fortnite’s evolution is the clearest example. It has pushed beyond its battle royale model to become an always-on entertainment platform, with constant in-game events, creator-built experiences, and frequent crossover collaborations encompassing different entertainment properties and brand tie-ins. The aim is not simply to be fun; it is to remain culturally unavoidable. Call of Duty: Warzone has taken a more traditional approach, leaning on tighter seasonal updates, new maps, and limited-time modes to lure back lapsed players and re-establish a regular play routine.
So far, this approach is working, financially at least. Revenues are stable because active players are spending on battle passes, bundles, and virtual items. But this is not sustainable growth; it’s just intensification. The industry is relying on a small core audience spending more rather than expanding its player base.
That distinction matters. A business model built on “whales” can support near-term earnings, but it increases long-term fragility. If player numbers do not grow, publishers will be pushed toward greater monetisation of existing users, leading to more aggressive offers, tighter gating of cosmetics and progression, and greater psychological pressure to maintain spend. That path carries obvious downsides: higher financial volatility (revenues tied to a narrow cohort), reputational risk, more regulatory exposure, and potential user backlash.
In a world where TikTok can fill nearly two hours a day with zero learning curve, the gaming industry’s challenge is not just making better games. It is making participation feel as effortless—and as rewarding—as scrolling. If the industry cannot solve that, it may stay big, but it will struggle to grow.
