Khaberni - The year 2025 was an exceptional year for the video game industry, carrying major transformations from historic acquisition deals to strategic shifts in gaming companies and consoles, at a time when the debate over the future of this rapidly growing sector intensified.
A highlight of the year was a new wave of mergers, after a coalition led by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, alongside Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners and Silver Lake, announced its plan to acquire "Electronic Arts" and transform it into a private company.
The deal is valued at about $55 billion, including $20 billion in debt financing, making it the largest debt-financed acquisition in "Wall Street" history, according to a report by "CNBC".
"Omdia" analysts see the deal raising questions about the future of "EA," and whether the Saudi fund intends to manage it as a public relations project or focus on maximizing possible returns.
"Ubisoft"... Rescue attempts amid sharp decline
Meanwhile, French company Ubisoft tried to shift the balance this year, despite its troubled start with another delay for the game Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.
Its announcement in March of establishing a new gaming company named Vantage Studios in partnership with the Chinese giant "Tencent" temporarily boosted its shares.
The new company will focus on famous "Ubisoft" titles such as Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six.
However, despite these steps, "Ubisoft" shares have lost more than half their value since the beginning of the year, and have dropped more than 90% compared to their peak in 2021.
GTA 6... A wait that lasted longer than necessary
On the other hand, shares of "Take-Two Interactive" saw a notable rise throughout most of 2025, driven by player enthusiasm for the new installment of the Grand Theft Auto series.
This comes after 12 years since the release of GTA 5.
However, the long silence about GTA 6 fed rumors of delays, despite Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, confirming in May his high confidence in the set launch date of May 26, 2026.
In November, fears were confirmed, after the game's delay was announced to November 19, 2026, causing a sharp decline in Take-Two shares.
The game is scheduled to release in the final stages of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, six years after these devices were launched, reflecting deeper shifts in console company strategies.
Changing the game rules in the console world
2025 saw a clear shift in policies of major gaming companies.
"Microsoft" gradually abandoned Xbox exclusivity, as titles like Indiana Jones and Forza Horizon made their way to PS5, while "Sony" continued to expand the presence of its games on PC.
Zelnick believes that these shifts will lead to a more open industry, emphasizing that console devices will not disappear, but will come closer to resembling personal computers.
In an interview with "CNBC," he said that the concept of rich games played for long hours on big screens will not vanish.
The numbers confirm... The console is still strong
According to "Omdia" data, consoles remain the second-largest category in terms of consumer spending, with a market share of 23%, compared to 60% for mobile games and 16% for personal computers.
Market analysts confirm that the console remains the primary destination for premium games.
"Nintendo" swims against the current
While most companies have abandoned exclusivities, "Nintendo" continued to adhere to this strategy by launching several exclusive games for its new device Switch 2, including an open-world version of Mario Kart and an entirely new Donkey Kong game.
Switch 2 achieved a record, becoming the fastest-selling gaming device in history, with 10.36 million units sold within just the first four months.
However, this approach is not without risks. As Christopher Dring, founder of "The Game Business," sees, "Nintendo" faces a real challenge in maintaining momentum, pointing out that the demand for its devices depends almost entirely on its exclusive games, unlike PlayStation and Xbox, which benefit from support from external developers.
2025 was not just an ordinary year for the video game industry, but a pivotal moment that redefined the power map within the sector.
Between historical deals, painful delays, and changes in the philosophy of exclusives, the industry now stands at a crossroads, whether it continues to play to the end, or approaches a traditional Game Over stage?
