Player Engagement
Ongoing coverage on Player Engagement.
Latest coverage
Engagement Ring
Bungie's upcoming game Marathon reportedly has a budget exceeding $200 million. While the studio is under pressure to increase its player base, it is not facing an immediate shutdown. The article also briefly mentions the game It Takes Two.
PlayStation Playerbase Wants to Scan You Into PlayStation Games
Sony has launched a new PlayStation initiative called Playerbase, allowing fans to have their likeness scanned and appear in PlayStation games, starting with Gran Turismo 7. Selected participants will be featured as in-game character portraits and can design custom liveries and fantasy logos for the racing title. This initiative aims to deepen player connection with PlayStation's first-party titles.
Is Fortnite’s Popularity Declining? (2026)
Fortnite is experiencing a decline in player engagement and hype since 2025, leading to significant layoffs at Epic Games. Despite still having over a million daily players, the company is cutting costs due to spending more than it earns. Epic plans to focus on building new Fortnite experiences and advancing its Unreal Engine technology.
Crimson Desert players average over 20 hours a week in the open-world game, blowing away almost everything else on…
Crimson Desert players are averaging over 20 hours per week, with US players on Xbox averaging 20 hours and PlayStation players averaging 22 hours in the week ending March 28. This playtime places Crimson Desert as the top game on Xbox and second on PlayStation for average weekly hours per active user, according to Circana's Mat Piscatella. The game also saw a significant increase in total weekly active users across both platforms.
How can your game win the 'attention war?' Turn to storytelling
This article discusses how game developers can combat the 'attention war' by focusing on strong narrative design and player engagement, rather than trying to compete with other platforms. Examples like The Messenger and Detroit: Become Human illustrate how compelling storytelling and interactive presentation can deeply involve players. Developers are encouraged to take creative risks and trust their writing to create memorable experiences.
House of Empty Names Launches Today on Steam as Indie Scene Embraces Direct Community Support
Indie game House of Empty Names has launched on Steam, highlighting a growing trend of direct community support through platforms like Discord. Developer Duck emphasizes real-time player interaction as a key strategy for success in the competitive indie market. This approach aims to build stronger player loyalty and facilitate rapid feedback integration, contrasting with traditional publisher support models.
Why Resource Planning Matters in Online Games
Resource planning has become crucial in modern online games, extending beyond core gameplay to encompass rewards, currencies, and progression systems. Players often struggle with slow progress not due to difficulty, but due to poor prioritization and scattered attention across multiple in-game goals. Effective planning enhances player engagement by providing clarity, structure, and a better sense of accomplishment, leading to a more rewarding overall experience.
Pixels Launches Stacked, an AI
Pixels has launched Stacked, an internal AI-driven rewards and engagement platform, to external game studios after four years of development. The platform has already generated over $25 million in revenue and attracted one million daily active users for Pixels. Stacked aims to improve player retention and monetization by offering personalized rewards and insights, with potential applications beyond gaming.
Marathon Has Sold 1.2 Million Copies, 800,000 on Steam and 217,000 on PS5 – Rumor
Marathon has reportedly sold 1.2 million copies across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, generating approximately $55 million. The majority of sales, around 800,000, are on PC via Steam, with PlayStation 5 accounting for 217,000 and Xbox Series X/S for 133,000. Despite being a first-party Sony title, PlayStation 5 sales represent less than 20% of the total, a point highlighted by market analysis firm Alinea Analytics.
Epic Games lays off over 1000 employees, blames declining interest in Fortnite
Epic Games has laid off over 1000 employees, citing a significant downturn in Fortnite engagement and financial losses. CEO Tim Sweeney stated that the company is spending more than it earns, necessitating these cuts and other cost-saving measures. Concurrently, Epic announced the shutdown of several Fortnite modes, including Rocket Racing and Festival Battle Stage, due to a failure to attract and retain a large player base.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Players Have Accumulated Almost 335 Million Hours, Slain 4 Billion+ Enemies
Assassin's Creed Shadows has achieved significant player engagement, with players accumulating nearly 335 million hours and defeating over 4 billion enemies. The game has seen five million players within its first three months, indicating a strong performance for the franchise.
Fortnite Developer Epic Games Lays Off 1,000 Employees, Blaming 'Downturn in Engagement'
Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, has laid off 1,000 employees, citing a downturn in player engagement for its battle royale title. This decision reflects broader industry trends and challenges in maintaining player interest.
PS5 Players Seemingly Skip Marathon as Sales Estimates Look Very Weak
Sales estimates for Bungie's extraction shooter Marathon suggest weak performance, with only 1.2 million copies sold since its March 5th launch, primarily on PC. PlayStation 5 sales are particularly low, accounting for only 19% of purchases. Despite positive reviews and a recent endgame raid, player numbers have declined since launch, raising concerns about the game's long-term viability for Sony.
Marathon sold just 1.2 million copies with nearly 70% on Steam, analyst estimates: "It hasn't exactly made the…
Analyst Rhyss Elliott estimates Bungie's Marathon has sold 1.2 million copies, with most sales on Steam, falling short of Sony and Bungie's expectations. Despite lower sales figures compared to Arc Raiders, Marathon shows strong player engagement with high average playtime on PC, suggesting that players who overcome the initial UI challenges enjoy the game's core mechanics.
Assassin's Creed Shadows players sunk 334 million hours into the endless Ubisoft sandbox, killing 4 billion targets but paying their karma by petting 26 million cats
Ubisoft has released player statistics for Assassin's Creed Shadows one year after its release, revealing that players have collectively spent over 334 million hours in the game. During this time, players have eliminated over 4 billion targets, but also took the time to pet 26 million cats.
Fortnite Developer Epic Games Lays Off 1,000 Employees, Blaming 'Downturn in Engagement'
Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, has laid off 1,000 employees, citing a downturn in player engagement for its battle royale title. This decision reflects broader industry trends and challenges in maintaining player interest.
Science Confirms RPG Players Hit Hardest by Post-Game Depression
A new scientific study confirms that players of role-playing games experience the most severe post-game depression upon completion. Researchers, including Dr. Janowicz, attribute this to the deep player agency, character bonds, and immersive worlds inherent in RPGs, which create a strong emotional investment that is difficult to leave behind. The findings validate the long-held community sentiment about the emotional impact of finishing epic RPGs like The Witcher 3, Persona, Mass Effect, Baldur's Gate 3, and Final Fantasy.
Pudgy World Season 1 Debut
Pudgy World has launched Season 1, introducing the Pudgy Pass system which includes battle points, leaderboards, and dual-track progression (free and premium). The game utilizes the Abstract blockchain framework to simplify integration for players. This update aims to enhance player engagement and expand the game's user base by making blockchain elements more accessible.
Younger Generations Are Struggling to 'Connect' With the Final Fantasy Series Because It Takes So Long for New Games to Come Out, Yoshi-P Says
Naoki Yoshida, director of Final Fantasy 14, stated that the long development times for new Final Fantasy games make it difficult for younger generations to connect with the franchise. He believes this extended wait impacts player engagement with the series.
Crimson Desert – Why Are Millions Addicted Despite Such a Divided Response?
Despite a divided critical response and mixed user reviews, Crimson Desert has achieved over two million sales within 48 hours of launch. The article explores the reasons behind its strong initial performance and continued player engagement, citing effective marketing, compelling exploration and combat mechanics, and the appeal of overcoming in-game challenges as key factors.
