2022 Multiplayer Report

UNITY 2022
MULTIPLAYER
REPORT

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CONTENTS
CONTENTS ⟶
CONTENTS ⟶ CONTENTS ⟶ CONTENTS ⟶ CONTENTS ⟶
CONTENTS
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
What are multiplayer gamers playing?
………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Choosing a new multiplayer game
…………………………………………………………………………. 7
Casual vs core gamer genres
………………………………………………………………………………….. 9
Platforms vs genres
………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12
How do multiplayer gamers play?
………………………………………………………………………………….. 13
Performance requirements
………………………………………………………………………………………. 14
Party preferences
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 16
Solo PVP vs team PVP vs PVE
………………………………………………………………………………… 17
Chat party tools
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
Spending behavior, premium games, and DLC
…………………………………………………….. 19
Are Unity developers making multiplayer games?
……………………………………………………… 22
Conclusion : The major moves in multiplayer
………………………………………………………………. 23
About the data
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 24
About Unity
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 24
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INTRODUCTION
As the market expands and more
complex multiplayer games are made,
the list of areas to focus on and
understand grows.
Unity has surveyed players in key
gaming markets around the world to
discover more about the features and
functionality players want from their
multiplayer games. These insights are not an instructional
piece on what type of game you
should build. This data can influence
decisions, but it’s open to your
interpretation. Additionally, If you
want to find out more about the
dataset, check out the “about the
data” section.
More than half the global population (52%) play games,
and of those gamers, 77% play multiplayer games.

→ The most important factors for players
when choosing a new multiplayer game

→ The most important factors for a
positive multiplayer experience

→ Favored genres

→ How people are playing games

→ Who do they play with and how do
they communicate

→ The differences between core and
casual gamers

→ How they buy DLC
WE ASKED QUESTIONS
AROUND WHAT
GAMERS ARE PLAYING,
DISCOVERING:
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MOST POPULAR
GENRES
According to Unity data, genre is the number one factor for what people choose to play (49% put
genre in their top three factors). While this is to be expected, what specific genres stand out as the
current top choice for multiplayer gamers?
Across the countries surveyed (U.S., U.K, Japan, South Korea – representing four of the top six by
gaming revenue globally), battle royale and FPS games take the cake in the overall popularity contest
with multiplayer gamers, but there’s healthy interest in a wide variety of game types.
32%
32%
24%
23%
18%
15%
14%
14%
13%
12%
10%
10%
6%
5%

What percentage of multiplayer gamers choose each of
these as their top three genres?
32%
OF MULTIPLAYER
GAMERS PICK
BATTLE ROYALE
AND FPS
AMONG THEIR
FAVORITE GENRES
To note, we surveyed multiplayer gamers,
so while all of these genres can have
multiplayer features, we would expect
this distribution to skew towards the
“classic” genres.
Picking up the last spot on the popularity
contest are turn-based games. With
popularity skewing towards sports and
FPS, it stands to reason that perhaps
the most stereotypically single-player
genre is the least played multiplayer
game genre.

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-5%
19%
-6% 10%
9%
-6% 8%
8%
7%
7%
-7% 7%
-12% -8%
6%
-12%
Card game Fighting FPS
MOBA
Racing RTS
Simulation Sports
-20% -10% 0%10% 20%
Korea U.K U.S. Japan
Regional difference from global average, highlights
Where does multiplayer genre popularity vary from the average?
But how does genre popularity vary across the globe?
Using this overall distribution, we compared each country’s results as a distance from the mean
below. You can then see how a demographic reacts to a genre relative to the other demographics.
Multiplayer gamers have more polarized thoughts when it comes to MOBA, RTS,
FPS, and sports genres – they are either very popular or unpopular, depending on
the region.
For example, the MOBA and RTS genres are significantly more popular in Korea
than any other region.
Another stand out genre for regional popularity is sports, where the U.K gamers’
strong preference for the genre shows – especially in contrast to gamers in Japan,
where sports games are less popular in comparison.
We also see a couple of genre and region combinations that index much lower
than the other cohorts. Japanese gamers under-index on FPS as well sports, while
Korean gamers under-index on racing, fighting, and FPS games.
U.K gamers as a whole prefer FPS and sports genres comparatively more than other
regions, but rank lower in RTS and MOBA games compared to the other nations.
U.S. gamers stay mostly in-line with the global averages, however, do index low
with MOBA, and high with card games as well as FPS.
MOBA AND RTS

GENRES ARE MOST
POPULAR IN
KO R E A

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Multiplayer gaming comes in all shapes and sizes, and the idea that
it revolves around any single genre is a thing of the past. While FPS
and other shooter games dominate the headlines, there is much more
diversity in what people are playing in 2022.

Games are often popular depending on region, some rank higher for
casual gamers, and others are picked for the social aspects that allow
you to communicate with other players.

Let’s begin with a breakdown of what gamers are looking for when
they pick their next online game.
WHAT ARE
MULTIPLAYER
GAMERS
PLAYING?
© 2022 Unity Technologies
⟶ WHAT GAMERS PLAY
⟶ WHAT GAMERS PLAY ⟶ WHAT GAMERS PLAY ⟶
WHAT GAMERS PLAY ⟶
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CHOOSING A NEW
MULTIPLAYER GAME
When it comes to choosing the next game to play, social
features are a prime decision driver.

Game genre aside, the second and third most important game features center
around social connection – with the ability to chat with friends in-game and
having friends already playing the game being key decision factors.
Prospective gamers want to pick up a game that their friends are playing and
chat with them while they play. Providing an in-game chat option to facilitate
that connection within the game is a priority, as gamers prefer an in-game
option rather than using a separate app or device.
Multiplayer gaming isn’t only about the social experience – gamers also prioritize
more technical aspects of the experience like smoothness, lag-free gameplay,
innovative mechanics, and short waits to join matches.
49%
34%
31%
29%
29%
28%
27%
23%
22%
14%
14%
Percent of respondents choosing factor in their top three
The game’s in a genre you like
Your friends are already playing it Able to chat with friends in-game A lag-free experience
The game is new and innovative Short wait to join a match It’s free to play
Being able to quickly create / join a party with your friends
Cross-platform on the platforms we use
Cheater-free environment
No harassment/griefing 0% 10% 20%30%40%50%
Importance when choosing a new multiplayer game
What are the most important features when
multiplayer gamers choose a new game?
31%

CONSIDER

IN-GAME CHAT
AS A KEY FACTOR FOR CHOOSING
THEIR NEXT GAME

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45% 22%
60%
48%
39%
16%
24%
30%
25%
18%
16%
22%
36%
Players who don’t play multiplayer
and/or don’t play crossplay titles
Players who spend up to 33% of their multiplayer gaming time on crossplay titles
Players who spend from 34% to 66% of their multiplayer gaming time on crossplay titles
Players who spend >66% of their multiplayer gaming time on crossplay titles
0% 25% 50%75%100%
0 play of real-time multiplayer in the past week >0 to 4 hours of real-time multiplayer in the past week
>4 to 7 hours of real-time multiplayer in the past week >7 to 10+ hours of real-time multiplayer in the past week
Does crossplay gaming lead to more engagement?

→ 22% of gamers responded
that crossplay capabilities was a
top three factor for them. This may
suggest that friend groups have
already gathered on the
same platform.

→ 91% of real-time multiplayer
gamers play crossplay games,
and gamers who spend more time
playing crossplay titles spend more
time playing multiplayer.
GAMERS WHO PLAY
CROSSPLAY
TITLES SPEND MORE TIME
PLAYING MULTIPLAYER
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CASUAL VERSUS
CORE GAMER GENRES
When talking about genre popularity, a factor to consider with how we gathered our data is the type of multiplayer gamer –
are they casual or core gamers*? How does their type affect the genres they frequent?
In this survey, we separated respondents into two types, casual or core, based on their time investment into a few categories.
We collected responses from ~1,400 gamers, split about 50/50 between core and casual groups.
Casual gamers Core gamers
Those who spend at least
two hours gaming per week,
of which at least 30 minutes is
playing multiplayer. Those who spend at least four
hours playing multiplayer games
per week in any combination of
the “traditionally” multiplayer
genres of shooters (battle royale,
FPS, third person shooter),
MOBAs, MMOs, racing, sports, or
fighting games.
*Defined in about the data section
2%
1%
2% 2%
4%11%
-1%
0%
2%
4%
5%
3%
5%
2%
3%
7%
1%
5% 1%
4%11%
5%
2%
1%
0%
4%
5%
3%
2%
4%
-2%0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
Racing Simulation
Battle royale Puzzle
FPS
Sports Fighting
Role-playing Card gameThird-person
shooter MMO
RTS
MOBATurn-based
Average
across
all genres
Casual Core
0%
12%
What genres had core and casual gamers played the week preceding survey completion?
EVERY GENRE
SURVEYED INCREASED
IN PLAYTIME FROM
2021 BY AN AVERAGE
3 %

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While core audiences index higher
on traditional multiplayer games by
definition, casual gamers weren’t
restricted to specific game types,
such as card and puzzle games.
All gamers show equal or near interest
in card games, puzzle, simulation
and role-playing games whether they
are core or casual gamers, indicating
that these genres are more inviting
for gamers of all backgrounds and
experience levels.
However, the genres with the largest
gaps in interest were in FPS, sports, and
fighting games with core gamers being
23% more likely to have played an FPS
in the last week than a casual gamer.

Racing is actually the most popular
genre for casual gamers. Simulation
takes the second prize for casual
interest and puzzle and battle royale
come in joint third despite battle
royale being 15% more likely to be
played by a core gamer. Also note-worthy here is the medium-
high percentage of gamers reporting
having played a puzzle game recently,
though it ranks second-to-last on the
“favorite genres” question, above.
The shooter genres (battle royale,
FPS, third-person shooter) are an
interesting group for casual gamers,
as while battle royale and FPS are

in the top half of their preferences,
third person shooters rank in the
bottom half. For the most part, however, there
wasn’t too significant a gap between
core and casual audiences for most
genres.

Genre
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Racing
Simulation Battle royale PuzzleFPSSports FightingRole-playing Card gameThird-person shooter MMORTSMOBATurn-based
Casual Core
Genres played in the last week by casual/core
2021 vs 2022:
What genres had
core and casual
gamers played the
week preceding
survey completion?
THE LARGEST
DIFFERENCE IN
PLAYTIME BETWEEN CORE AND CASUAL GAMERS WAS IN
FPS GAMES

–
– –

–

– —

–
– –

–

– —

–
– –

–

– —

–
– –

–

– —

–
– –

–

– —

–
– –

–

– —

–
– –

–

– —

–
– –

–

– —

–
– –

–

– —

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How much more engaged were multiplayer gamers
in each genre in 2022 vs 2021?
When we compare the popularity results from the same question last year, we see every genre had an increase in engagement based on play
time. The largest spike in popularity was with sports games, which rose in frequency of play by both casual and core gamers.
11%
5%4% 4%4%4% 4%
2%2% 2%2%
1%1%1% 3%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
Sports Racing
Battle
royale FPS
MMO MOBA RTSCard
game Fighting
Third-
person
shooter Turn-
based Puzzle
Role-
playing Simulation
Average
across
all genres
12%
SPORTS GAMERS ARE

11%
MORE ENGAGED
THAN LAST YEAR
Knockout City , Velan Studios
© 2022 Unity Technologies
Knockout City, Velan Studios
© 2022 Unity Technologies

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PLATFORMS VS GENRES
0%
20%
40% 60%
Average
across all
genres
Battle royale Card game Fighting FPSMMOMOBA PuzzleRacingRole-playing RTSSimulation SportsThird-person
shooter Turn-based
Mobile Nintendo Switch PC PS4/Xbox One PS5/Xbox Series
Platform preferences by genre
Now we know what gamers are playing, what are they playing on?

Defining what genres are most popular on each platform can help you identify where to reach your audience.
What platforms do gamers pick for each genre they play?
By asking which platforms the multiplayer gamers use
to play each of these genres, we notice a few stand out
combinations, and we also are able to infer the overall
platform preferences at an aggregate level by taking a look
at the last “genre” average across all.
The platform of choice per genre are as follows:

→ MOBAs, RTS, MMOs, and FPS are most popular
on PC

→ Puzzle, card, simulation, RPG, and turn-based
games are most popular on mobile

→ The racing genre has the highest platform
relationship with Nintendo Switch™, followed by
mobile, and then PlayStation® 4

→ Third person shooter, sports, and fighting genres
do not have a clear platform preference
*Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo.
MOST GENRES DON’T
HAVE A DOMINANT PLATFORM

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There’s a lot that players think about when choosing multiplayer
games that doesn’t relate to the actual gameplay, and these things
are becoming table-stakes for a market saturated with options.
Social elements like in-game chat, community toxicity,
and connectivity with friends are highly valued by players
alongside the technical elements you’d expect like reduced lag
and quick matchmaking.
Let’s take a closer look at how our surveyed gamers
rated these features.
HOW DO
MULTIPLAYER
GAMERS PLAY?
© 2022 Unity Technologies
HOWH GAMERS PLAY
⟶ HOW GAMERS PLAY ⟶ HOW GAMERS PLAY ⟶
HOW GAMERS PLAY ⟶
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PERFORMANCE
REQUIREMENTS
What features do gamers rank in their top three to ensure an enjoyable multiplayer experience?
Multiplayer gamers’ chosen order of importance shows
that features around speed and ease of use rank the
highest, with anti-toxicity following closely behind.
Smart matchmaking was uncovered as a must for
multiplayer gamers, with the top three most important
features ranked for the enjoyment of a game being the
ability to quickly find a match (35%), finding a match at the
right skill level (33%), and being able to join a match with
friends (29%).
When it comes to the more technical aspects of a
gameplay experience, having a lag-free experience
and game mechanics that feel new and innovative are
also important.
Some of these multiplayer performance issues are of more
concern in specific genres, as we see next.
35%

SAY QUICK
MATCHMAKING
IS ONE OF THEIR
TOP CONCERNS
35%
33%
29%
29%
28%
27%
26%
25%
22%
21%
17%
Importance
Quickly finding a game to join /
quick matchmaking
Matchmaking gives me
opponents at my skill level
Ability to join a match / party with friends
Ease of player communication
Types of player communication available (voice, chat, etc.)
Ability to connect with /
form a party with people you met in-game
Cheater-free environment
No harassment / griefing Low latency / lag
Active player base
Reputation management (rating teammates)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Importance for an enjoyable multiplayer experience

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By genre: What features do gamers rank in their top three to
ensure an enjoyable multiplayer experience?
The stand out differences between how performance issues
are received by each genre are:

→ Low latency is most important for RPG and FPS
players, which could be due to the immersive
nature and quick response times necessitated by
these games.

→ Low latency is not as important for players of
turn-based games, perhaps due to the success
in these games being less dependent on
reactionary gameplay.

→ A cheater-free gaming experience is highly important
for players of third person shooters and card games.

→ Active player base is significantly more important for
card game and MMO players, where the gameplay
is based on large community activity, compared to
players of MOBAs or RTS games.

→ Harassment-free gameplay experience is important
to puzzle and MOBA players. On the other hand, it is
less important to players of RTS and fighting games.
5%
-5%
3%
Factor
-8%
-5%
-3% 0%
3%
5%
RPG Turn-based FPS
Comparative interest in low latency / lag
7%
6%
-4%
Factor
-5%
-3% 0%
3%
5%
8%
Third-person shooter Card gameSimulation
Comparative interest in a cheater-free environment
-6%-4% 5%
4%
Factor
-8%
-5%
-3% 0%
3%
5%
MOBA RTSCard game MMO
Comparative interest in an active player base
6%6%
-6% -6%
Factor
-8%
-5%
-3% 0%
3%
5%
8%
MOBA Puzzle RTSFighting
Comparative interest in no harassment / griefing
GAMERS WHO PLAY
FIGHTERS ARE THE
LEAST CONCERNED
BY GRIEFERS
Difference between aggregate and genres shown

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PARTY PREFERENCES
7%
-3% 7%
5% 6%
-8% 3%
3%
-7%
-7%
-5%
-9% -7% 7%
FPS
Sports MMO
Racing
Third-person shooter SimulationFighting
Card games -10% -5%0%5%10%
Play with “offline friends” Play with “online friends” Play with strangers/randoms
Who do you game with? (Play style, distance from genre average)
Charts shows variance from the average for all genres and only notable differences are shown.
Who do multiplayer gamers prefer to play with in each genre?
SPORTS AND RACING GAMERS

ARE THE MOST LIKELY TO PLAY
WITH REAL-LIFE FRIENDS

Multiplayer gamers have plenty of choices when it comes to who
to play with, and who to play against.
We see here that there’s a lot of nuance in who gamers want to play with – whether friends
or strangers – depending on the kind of game they’re playing.
A few genres lend themselves to playing with strangers more often, though our
respondents played most often with offline (real life) or online friends – which speaks to the
social power of multiplayer games creating new connections with players around the globe.

→ Playing with offline friends is most common in the racing and sports genres,
followed by fighting games, which are also genres that often offer local multiplayer
or “couch co-op” gameplay modes

→ Card games tend to be played more with strangers or random opponents, and
were the only genre that indexed higher on playing with strangers than friends

→ Playing with online friends is most common with FPS, MMO, third person shooters
and simulation genres
Knockout City , Velan Studios
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0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
FPSMOBA
Battle royale RTS
Card games MMO Simulation
Role-playing
Racing Turn-based
Third-person
shooter
Sports
Fighting Puzzle
Average
across
all genres
Single player PvE Single player PvP Team based PvP Team based PvE
Preference of game modes of players by genre
SOLO PVP VS
TEAM PVP
VS PVE
Team based PvE is the least popular
game mode, although the differences in
preference was not as significant for RTS
and RPG gamers.

→ Survey results show that across almost all the
genres, team-based player vs. environment is
the least preferable game mode. The genres that
indexed the highest on team-based player vs
environment modes were turn-based, MMO,
and RPG.

→ Solo gameplay is the most played game mode for
multiplayer gamers in all genres except MOBA
and FPS.

→ Interestingly, single-player PvE was the most
popular on average overall.

→ Most of the genres trend towards PvP gameplay
modes. Those that leaned towards PvE modes
were RPG, simulation, MMO, and RTS.
What online games and game modes did people play in the last week?
SINGLE-PLAYER PVP AND PVE A R E
THE MOST POPULAR GAME MODES

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56%
31%
13%
11%
28%
26%
In-game chat party
Separate device
Out-of-game options 0% 20% 40%60%
This is my first choice I dislike this
Chat party choice preferences
CHAT PARTY TOOLS
Communication is an important aspect of the multiplayer experience, and giving gamers the ability to chat through text or
voice with their teammates (or opponents) in-game is preferred over using a separate app or device.
How do multiplayer gamers prefer to talk
with the people they’re playing with?
Overall, across all countries surveyed, 56% of respondents prefer creating chat parties with menus inside of their games,
while 31% prefer using a separate device or software solution, and only 13% of respondents preferred out of game options.
We’ve omitted the people who were indifferent on chat party preferences from this chart, for brevity.
GAMERS PREFER TO
CREATE VOICE
CHAT PARTIES

IN-GAME

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SPENDING BEHAVIOR,
PREMIUM GAMES, AND DLC
45%
48%
29%
34%
37%
39%
58%
35%
29%
28%
28%
28%
36%
36%
26%
28%
26%
24%
33%
27%
29%
28%
38%
35%
32%
25%
30%
24%
17%
13%
23%
19%
15%
16%
5%
18%
15%
20%
18%
18%
16%
19%
12%
11%
22%
24%
14%
18%
8%
19%
18%
17%
22%
28%
17%
21%
Battle royale
Card game Fighting FPS
MMO
MOBA
Puzzle
Racing
Role-playing RTS
Simulation Sports
Third-person shooter Turn-based
0% 25% 50% 75%100%
Nothing – free-to-play Less than 20 20-50 50+
Price of game last played, in USD/GBP (or JPY/KRW equivalent)
Which genres of games are multiplayer gamers happy to pay for?
We asked gamers to consider the most recent game they’ve played in a genre,
the initial purchase price of that title, and what they have spent on the
game since.
Starting off, we reviewed the prevalence of free-to-play games within each
genre category.
Puzzle, card games, MOBAs, and battle royales lead the way as most likely to
have been free-to-play – genres often supported by in app purchases such as
boosters, battlepasses, or cosmetic sales.
The genres that are least likely to be free-to-play are simulation, sports, RTS,
fighting, and role-playing, with gamers likely expecting these to be more all-in-
one gaming experiences that they’re willing to pay a premium for.
The sports genre in particular is one that releases titles in association with real-
life sports organizations and existing intellectual property, the nature of which
perhaps does not lend itself to a free-to-play model.
MOST EXPECT
PUZZLE GAMES
TO BE FREE-TO-PLAY
Price of game last played in USD/GBP or JPY/KRW equivalent

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Sports and FPS were the most likely to be full price (between 50–70 USD/GBP).
These are also genres that frequently release annual updates and offer in-game
purchase options.
Most of the genres were represented equally in the 20–50 USD/GBP range, with
the exception of puzzle games where only 5% of players were happy to pay at
that price point.
In the “less than 20 USD/GBP” bucket, we find role-playing games to be the
leader with RTS, MMO, and simulation close behind them. At the low end of this
group is turn-based, sports, and FPS, which gamers expect to clock in at a higher
price point.
But the purchase price isn’t everything in gaming – what about pricing your
DLC packages? We asked gamers what amount they’ve spent on DLC in games
they’ve played in the last month.
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2%
2%
-4%
-6%
-2% 8%
7%
-3%
-4% -2%
2%
0%
I didn’t buy any additional content
Under USD/GBP 20
USD/GBP 20 or more -10% -5%0%5%10%
U.K U.S. JP KR
30 day purchases, distance from the mean
*or JPY/KRW equivalent
Chart shows variance between each country and the global average.
46%
31%
24%
32%
30%
38%
I didn’t buy any additional content
Under USD/GBP 19.99USD/GBP 20 or more 0% 10% 20%30%40%50%
Casual Core
30 day DLC purchase history
*or JPY/KRW equivalent
What DLC did multiplayer gamers buy
in the last thirty days? By region: What DLC did multiplayer gamers buy
in the last thirty days?
Overall, both casual and core audiences are prepared to spend on additional game content if they enjoy the
experience – and, in fact, the amount of gamers spending money on DLC has increased by 5% since 2021.
Only 39% of gamers (down from 44% last year) reported not having spent money on any DLC for their
multiplayer games in the last thirty days.
When broken out by casual and core audiences, we see distinct differences in spending behavior. Core
gamers that frequent multiplayer games are 58% more likely to spend 20 or more USD/GBP on DLC than
their casual counterparts.
Even more surprising is that casual gamers are slightly more likely (1% more) to spend in the sub 20 USD/
GBP band than core gamers are. Geographical differences also play a big role in DLC spending behavior. We found that U.S. respondents were
the most likely to purchase downloadable content, and they were also the most likely to spend more than
20 USD/GBP.
We found that the Japanese respondents were the least likely to purchase any DLC, which indicates that the
Japanese audience expects a one time purchase for their multiplayer games, and isn’t interested in content
add-ons. The Korean respondents indexed highest, compared to others, in the 0–20 USD/GBP band.
JAPANESE
GAMERS ARE
LEAST LIKELY TO SPEND ON DLC

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© 2022 Unity Technologies
ARE UNITY
DEVELOPERS MAKING
MULTIPLAYER GAMES?
How many mobile multiplayer games are
being worked on in Unity each month?
Month
-10% 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Jan 2021 Apr 2021 Jul 2021Oct 2021 Jan 2022Apr 2022
Growth in multiplayer mobile games since Jan 2021
Month
-50% 0%
50%
100%
150%
200%
Jan 21 Apr 21 Jul 21Oct 21 Jan 22Apr 22
Growth in PC games since Jan 2021
By inspecting packages of development projects and
features being used, we can see what games currently
being developed in Unity have multiplayer features.
We can see there has been sustained growth in PC and
mobile multiplayer game development in Unity since
January 2021.
According to internal Unity data, there has been 150%
growth in PC multiplayer titles being Made with Unity since
January 2021.
Additionally, mobile multiplayer development in the Unity
platform has risen by 40% in the same time period.

Overall, developers and studios of all sizes have
recognized the growing demand for multiplayer games and
are subsequently planning more multiplayer-centric titles
for 2022 and beyond. How many PC multiplayer games are being
worked on in Unity each month?
Percentage growth in mobile multiplayer titles being work on in Unity each month Percentage growth in PC multiplayer titles being work on in Unity each month
MULTIPLAYER DEVELOPMENT

IN UNITY SHOWS
CONSISTENT GROWTH

ON MOBILE AND PC

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© 2022 Unity Technologies
CONCLUSION: THE MAJOR
MOVES IN MULTIPLAYER
The multiplayer gaming industry is evolving fast, but there is always value in pausing to ask players
directly what it is they want from their experiences.
Some of the key takeaways we found from gamers worldwide:
Multiplayer demand is strong
and continuing to grow
77% of gamers play online, whether with
strangers or friends, and there has been
a rise in popularity of online play across
all genres of 3.3%.

Driving engagement hinges
on strong social aspects
When it comes to choosing a new
multiplayer game to play, discounting
picking their preferred genre, people care
about having in-game chat options and
their friends with them more than the
game being innovative or being lag-free.
Although the spending habits
are different, both core and
casual audiences will pay for
DLC
Multiplayer gamers, core or casual, will
pay for post-launch content to keep
engaging with games they enjoy.

All genres can find casual and
core audiences
We see that core audiences are a bit
more engaged with certain multiplayer
genres, but this doesn’t exclude casual
players and there are no genres that
have a heavy preference for core or
casual gamers.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this survey, answer any
questions, and gain some insight into what else you’d like to
know from similar surveys in the future. Feel free to email us at insights@unity3d.com with any thoughts or questions.
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2 of6COCNTfE S⟶3Mreot| unit y.com

24 of 26 | unity.com
© 2022 Unity Technologies
Data collected by Unity Technologies in Q3 2021 and again Q3 2022
through an online survey of multiplayer gamers in the U.S., U.K, Korea,
and Japan.
In each country, we focused on two categories of multiplayer gamers,
casual and core. Casual gamers are defined in the following results as
gamers who spend at least two hours gaming per week, of which at least
30 minutes is playing multiplayer.
Core gamers, on the other hand, spend at least four hours per
week playing multiplayer games in any combination of the following
traditionally multiplayer genres: Shooter (battle royale, FPS, third person
shooter), MOBA, MMO, racing, sports, or fighting.
We collected responses from about ~1500 gamers, with our data set
being about 50% core gamers, and 50% casual gamers.
Additionally, multiplayer data has been analyzed from Unity’s live gaming
solutions to provide insight into genre activity by time of day and by
location. All internal data has been aggregated and anonymized in order
to protect the privacy of our partners’ and their data.
ABOUT THE DATA
Unity (NYSE: U) is the world’s leading platform
for creating and operating real-time 3D (RT3D)
content. Creators, ranging from game developers to
artists,architects, automotive designers, filmmakers, and
others, use Unity to make their imaginations come to life.
Unity’s platform provides a comprehensive set of
software solutions to create, run and monetize
interactive, real-time 2D and 3D content for mobile
phones, tablets, PCs, consoles, and augmented and
virtual reality devices.
The company’s 1,800+ person research and development
team keeps Unity at the forefront of development by
working alongside partners to ensure optimized support
for the latest releases and platforms. Apps developed
by Unity creators have been downloaded more than five
billion times per month in 2020.
For support in building and optimizing your multiplayer
experience, check out Unity Gaming Services.
ABOUT UNITY
⟶ ABOUT THE DATA
⟶ ABOUT THE DATA ⟶ ABOUT THE DATA ⟶
ABOUT THE DATA
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© 2022 Unity Technologies

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© 2022 Unity Technologies © 2022 Unity Technologies
⟶
LEARN MORE ⟶ LEARN MORE ⟶ LEARN MORE ⟶ LEARN MORE ⟶

LEARN MORE ⟶

Unity’s Multiplayer Suite provides a wide range of solutions you
need to build and operate your game, so you can keep your
time to market down while focusing on gameplay.

Our multiplayer products work with any game engine, on all
platforms, and can support your game in any region that you
launch in.
Learn more
Sign up to receive workshops, e-books, real-world insight, and
more from around the world of Unity Gaming Services.
Sign up
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ACCELERATE YOUR
MULTIPLAYER
DEVELOPMENT PREMIUM INSIGHT,
STRAIGHT TO YOUR
INBOX

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