Latest Gaming News as of July 31 2025

Market & Industry Trends

U.S. games market sets records

Research firm Circana reported that June 2025 was one of the strongest months ever for the U.S. games market, fuelled largely by Nintendo’s Switch 2 launch. Console hardware revenue reached US$978 million, a 249 % year‑over‑year increase, as Nintendo’s new system sold 1.6 million units in its debut monthgam3s.gg. Video‑game content and subscription spending grew to US$4.427 billion, about 6 % higher than June 2024, with subscription services alone generating US$562 million (a 32 % increase)gam3s.gg. The best‑selling games were Death Stranding 2, Mario Kart World, and Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2, while mobile titles like Monopoly GO! and Pokémon GO maintained strong positionsgam3s.gggam3s.gg.

Independent successes and user‑generated content

Mid‑sized and independent publishers also notched impressive sales milestones. Between mid‑June and July 2025, Lies of P surpassed 3 million copies sold, Little Nightmares surpassed 20 million copies, and new titles like PEAK sold 2 million copies in nine daysgam3s.gg. Smaller games—such as 9 Kings (400 000 copies sold) and Resident Evil Requiem (over one million wishlists)—proved that there is demand for varied experiencesgam3s.gg. Mobile titles continued to generate eye‑popping revenue; Uma Musume: Pretty Derby earned 2.6 billion yen in Japan, while Kingshot generated US$100 million in 117 daysgam3s.gg. The user‑generated game Grow a Garden on Roblox set a new industry record by attracting 21.6 million concurrent players, easily surpassing Fortnite’s 15.2 million recordfortune.com. The simple gardening game—built by a 16‑year‑old creator—highlighted the growing appeal of “cozy” games and boosted Roblox’s revenuefortune.com.

Workforce trends and talent losses

Industry layoffs continued to erode talent. GAM3S.GG estimates that by the end of 2025 the games industry will have lost 100 000 “game years” of collective experience, with over 6 000 people laid off in 2025 alonegam3s.gg. Despite public companies cutting roughly 9 % of their workforce, Nintendo grew its workforce by 6 % (to 8 205 employees) and kept attrition under 2 %gam3s.gg. Private European studios such as Dream Games, Moon Active, and Huuuge Games also increased headcount, illustrating a divergence in strategy between publicly traded firms and privately held developersgam3s.gg.

Major Company News & Layoffs

Microsoft restructures gaming division

In early July, Microsoft laid off about 9 000 employees—around 4 % of its workforce—and cancelled several projects including the Perfect Dark remake and Rare’s ambitious Everwildgoonhammer.com. The cuts, which followed a separate wave of layoffs earlier in the year, were tied to the company’s massive investment in AI datacenters and a shift toward cloud technologiesgoonhammer.com. The restructuring sparked debate about balancing investment in AI with support for traditional game development.

Crowdfunding shake‑ups

Tabletop crowdfunding also changed. Gamefound acquired Indiegogo, signalling consolidation in the crowdfunding space. Gamefound’s CEO explained that combining Gamefound’s technology with Indiegogo’s reach would enhance cross‑category crowdfunding, while Indiegogo’s CEO said the partnership would allow creators to access a wider audiencegoonhammer.com. At the same time, CMON cancelled its Degenesis: Clan Wars campaign after an IP dispute with SixMoreVodka Studio; both sides disagreed on the circumstances, and backers will be refundedgoonhammer.com.

Trading card and tabletop hits

The Magic: The Gathering × Final Fantasy crossover set shattered sales records. Hasbro reported that first‑day sales equaled US$200 million, matching the entire lifetime revenue of the Lord of the Rings set and forcing the company to quadruple its print rungoonhammer.com. Meanwhile, Games Workshop eliminated its White Dwarf managing editor position, leading to the departure of long‑time editor Lyle Lowerygoonhammer.com. Modiphius Games revealed Doom: Arena and Doom: The Dark Ages Arena board games, to be crowdfunded later in 2025goonhammer.com.

Private growth vs. layoffs

Despite widespread layoffs, Nintendo expanded its workforce and continues to invest in first‑party development. The company’s hiring growth contrasts with the broader industry trend of cost‑cutting at publicly traded studiosgam3s.gg. Private studios like Dream Games and Moon Active followed similar growth strategies, emphasising long‑term product development over short‑term profitsgam3s.gg.

Policies & Controversies

Adult‑content crackdown on itch.io

On July 25, itch.io shadow‑banned all adult/NSFW‑tagged games after anti‑porn group Collective Shout petitioned payment providers. The platform removed adult games from search results and deindexed them from public pages to maintain relationships with payment processorsgoonhammer.com. Because itch.io’s automated classification flagged any LGBT tags as adult content, some non‑sexual queer games were deindexed as well, triggering community criticismgoonhammer.com. The Verge noted that payment processors (e.g., Stripe) generally prohibit adult content, forcing platforms like itch.io to complytheverge.com. The ban shows how vulnerable independent platforms are to payment‑processor restrictions and highlights the ongoing tension between creative freedom and payment‑provider policies.

Roblox art plagiarism allegations

The Pokémon TCG Pocket mobile app faced plagiarism accusations after Chinese artist lanjiujiu alleged that two Johto‑themed cards traced his commissioned artwork. The Pokémon Company responded by replacing the Ho‑Oh and Lugia card art, signalling a commitment to combating art theft (reported July 30, 2025)theverge.com.

Events & Announcements

Evo 2025 (August 1‑3)

PlayStation’s official blog previewed Evo 2025, the world’s premier fighting‑game tournament held August 1–3 in Las Vegas. The event features an expanded lineup of 16 fighting games, including Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, and Guilty Gear ‑Strive‑blog.playstation.com. Attendees can participate in panels, visit a cosplay contest and artist alley, and explore an Evo museum of historic fight‑game memorabiliablog.playstation.com. Evo 2025 will also host the first public demo of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, a 4v4 tag‑team fighter releasing in 2026blog.playstation.com. Sony will showcase the FlexStrike wireless fight stick (using PlayStation Link technology) and offer discounts on fighting‑game titles during its summer saleblog.playstation.com.

Nintendo’s Partner Direct (July 31)

Nintendo announced a Partner Showcase for July 31, 2025 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET. The 25‑minute presentation will focus on third‑party games for Switch and Switch 2, emphasising continued support for existing Switch ownerstimesofindia.indiatimes.comtechradar.com. Rumors suggested that ports such as Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment could appear in the showcase, but Nintendo withheld specifics.

Other events and deals

• PS Plus Essential (August 2025) – Sony announced the monthly free games lineup featuring Lies of P, DayZ, and My Hero One’s Justice 2, available for subscribers starting August 5pushsquare.com. Lies of P, a Souls‑like inspired by Pinocchio, was praised by critics, while DayZ and My Hero One’s Justice 2 received more mixed reviewspushsquare.com.

• Xbox Game Pass (August 2025) – Microsoft’s subscription service will add Farming Simulator 25, Madden NFL 26 (10‑hour trial via EA Play), Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced, and Gears of War: Reloaded at various dates in Augustpurexbox.com. Additional titles may be announced later in the month.

Game Releases & Upcoming Titles

Switch 2 launches with record sales

Nintendo’s new Switch 2 sold 1.6 million units in its debut month, driving the console hardware revenue surge mentioned earliergam3s.gg. Key launch titles included Death Stranding 2, Mario Kart World, and a new Cyberpunk 2077 portgam3s.gg. The excitement around Switch 2 also set the stage for the July 31 Partner Direct.

Indie & mid‑range hits

Lies of P surpassed 3 million units, Little Nightmares exceeded 20 million copies, and PEAK sold 2 million copies within nine daysgam3s.gg. 9 Kings sold 400 000 copies, and Resident Evil Requiem amassed over one million wishlists, indicating strong interest in smaller titlesgam3s.gg.

Steam’s most wish‑listed games (July 2025)

GameGrin compiled a list of the top 10 most wish‑listed games on Steam as of July 2025gamegrin.com. The rankings illustrate the games that players are most anticipating:

RankGame (developer/publisher)Brief descriptionRelease window1Hollow Knight: SilksongSequel to the acclaimed Metroidvania; players explore a haunted kingdom filled with silk and songgamegrin.com.TBA2Subnautica 2Open‑water survival game with co‑op exploration and craftinggamegrin.com.20263DeadlockMultiplayer game in early developmentgamegrin.com.TBA4Borderlands 4Looter shooter with new Vault Hunters and billions of weaponsgamegrin.com.12 Sep 20255Light No FireSurvival adventure on a fantasy planet the size of Earthgamegrin.com.TBA6ARC RaidersMultiplayer extraction shooter set on a hostile future Earthgamegrin.com.30 Oct 20257Arena Breakout: InfiniteTactical extraction FPS with realistic visualsgamegrin.com.Coming soon8ARK 2Survival adventure with dinosaurs and humans; players team up to confront dark forcesgamegrin.com.TBA9Slay the Spire 2Sequel to the acclaimed roguelike deck‑buildergamegrin.com.202510KingmakersAction/strategy sandbox where players use modern weapons in medieval battlesgamegrin.com.8 Oct 2025

These wishlists highlight a mix of sequels, new IP and large‑scale survival experiences, underscoring players’ appetite for both familiar franchises and fresh concepts.

Delays & Future Outlook

The year has also been marked by delays. The most notable is Grand Theft Auto VI, which was officially pushed from a vague Fall 2025 window to May 26 2026. GamesRadar explains that rumors of a delay began when Rockstar moved employees back to full‑time office work and some developers expressed concerngamesradar.com. Rockstar eventually confirmed the delay, stating that it needed extra time “to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve”gamesradar.com. Analysts suggest the delay opens the door for other publishers and may make 2025 the year of Nintendo as Switch 2 enjoys less competitiongamesradar.com.

Summary

By the end of July 2025, the games industry displayed a paradox: record‑breaking revenues and hardware sales juxtaposed with widespread layoffs and project cancellations. Nintendo’s Switch 2 launch energised the market, indie and mobile titles thrived, and user‑generated content like Grow a Garden showcased the power of grassroots creativity. Meanwhile, corporate reshuffling at Microsoft, the controversies around adult‑content bans, and the postponement of GTA 6 underscored ongoing tensions between innovation, regulation and financial realities. Upcoming events such as Evo 2025 and Nintendo’s Partner Direct highlight the exciting near‑term lineup, while the most wish‑listed games on Steam hint at the titles gamers are eager to play next. Overall, the landscape remains dynamic—marked by both optimism for new experiences and caution about the industry’s workforce and release schedules.

Narrative blog post (Markdown):

July 2025 Gaming Round‑up: Consoles Boom, Indies Thrive and a Cozy Garden Breaks Records

July 2025 was anything but quiet. Just two months after Nintendo’s Switch 2 hit store shelves, the U.S. games market posted one of its strongest months ever. Hardware revenue hit US$978 million, with the new console selling 1.6 million units in its debut monthgam3s.gg. Content and subscription spending grew to US$4.427 billiongam3s.gg, buoyed by blockbuster titles like Death Stranding 2 and Mario Kart World. Yet the month also saw a wave of layoffs and project cancellations, a controversial content crackdown, and a viral gardening game made by a teenager. Here’s a quick tour of the biggest stories you might have missed.

A bonanza for consoles and indies

Nintendo’s Switch 2 dominated headlines as consumers snapped up more than 1.6 million units in Junegam3s.gg. Popular first‑party ports and new titles such as Death Stranding 2 helped fuel a 249 % year‑over‑year surge in console revenuegam3s.gg. Meanwhile, the indie scene thrived. Lies of P sold 3 million copies, Little Nightmares surpassed 20 million, and PEAK moved *2 million copies in just nine daysgam3s.gg. Mobile hits kept pace: Uma Musume: Pretty Derby raked in 2.6 billion yen and Kingshot drew US$100 million in 117 daysgam3s.gg. Even user‑generated content flourished—Roblox’s Grow a Garden, built by a 16‑year‑old, attracted 21.6 million concurrent players, eclipsing Fortnite’s all‑time recordfortune.com.

Layoffs and restructuring darken the mood

The good news was tempered by a string of layoffs. Microsoft cut about 9 000 employees, halting projects like the Perfect Dark remake and Rare’s Everwildgoonhammer.com. These layoffs, part of a broader pivot toward AI and cloud servicesgoonhammer.com, are expected to contribute to an estimated 100 000 “game years” of experience lost across the industry by year’s endgam3s.gg. Still, not all companies are shrinking—Nintendo increased its workforce by 6 %, while private studios like Dream Games and Moon Active continue to hiregam3s.gg.

Crowdfunding shake‑ups and tabletop triumphs

Crowdfunding platform Gamefound surprised backers by buying Indiegogo, pledging to merge its technology with Indiegogo’s audience to broaden creators’ reachgoonhammer.com. At the same time, CMON cancelled its Degenesis: Clan Wars campaign amid an IP dispute, promising refunds for backersgoonhammer.com. On the tabletop side, the Magic × Final Fantasy crossover set crushed expectations—Hasbro said its first day of sales matched the Lord of the Rings set’s entire lifetime revenuegoonhammer.com.

Controversies: Adult‑content bans and plagiarism claims

Indie marketplace itch.io sparked outrage after deindexing all NSFW‑tagged games in response to pressure from payment processorsgoonhammer.com. The purge unintentionally swept up some LGBT‑tagged games toogoonhammer.com, reigniting debates over payment‑processor influence and censorshiptheverge.com. Meanwhile, Pokémon TCG Pocket pledged to replace two card artworks following plagiarism allegations from Chinese artist lanjiujiutheverge.com.

Upcoming events: Evo returns, Nintendo plans a showcase, PS Plus and Xbox updates

The fighting‑game community is gearing up for Evo 2025 (August 1–3). PlayStation’s preview promises an expanded 16‑game lineup featuring Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6 and Guilty Gear ‑Strive‑, along with a first playable demo of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Soulsblog.playstation.com. Sony will also show off its new FlexStrike wireless fight stick and slash prices on several fighting gamesblog.playstation.com. Ahead of that, Nintendo will host a Partner Showcase on July 31 focusing on third‑party games for Switch and Switch 2, streaming for about 25 minutestimesofindia.indiatimes.com.

Subscribers take note: PS Plus Essential’s August lineup includes Lies of P, DayZ and My Hero One’s Justice 2pushsquare.com, while Xbox Game Pass will add Farming Simulator 25, Madden NFL 26 (trial), Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced and Gears of War: Reloadedpurexbox.com.

The hype cycle: Wishlists and delays

If you’re wondering what players are most excited for, Steam’s top wishlisted games offer a clue. Topping the list are the long‑awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong, Subnautica 2, Deadlock, Borderlands 4 (due September 12), Light No Fire and ARC Raidersgamegrin.com. Other popular picks include Arena Breakout: Infinite, ARK 2, Slay the Spire 2 and Kingmakersgamegrin.com. But not everything is arriving soon—Rockstar confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed out of 2025 to May 26 2026, citing the need for more time to reach the series’ high standardsgamesradar.com. Analysts say the delay opens a gap that could make 2025 the year of Nintendo.

Final thoughts

The last weeks of July 2025 demonstrated the games industry’s contradictory nature: booming sales alongside painful layoffs, creative triumphs shadowed by censorship, and record‑breaking success coming from a teen’s cozy gardening game. As we look ahead to Nintendo’s showcase, Evo 2025 and the fall release calendar, one thing is clear—video games continue to surprise us, and the next big story could come from anywhere.