The 2026 State of Web Gaming Report

A Data-Driven Guide to the Untold
Reality of Contemporary Web Gaming
June 2026
Will Freeman
The 2026
State of Web
Gaming Report
A Study of Developer
and Gamer Perceptions

Contents
Author’s Foreword ��1
An Introduction �� 2
Key Findings �� 3
Part 1
Framing the Fundamentals –
Accessibility, Engagement,
and Player Habits �� 4
Part 2
Web Gaming, Culture,
and Consumption in a
Crowded Media Landscape �� 9
Part 3
Revenue, Value,
and Affordability �� 14
Conclusion �� 18
Methodology �� 19
About Poki �� 20

Author’s Foreword
The best stories in video games are those that go untold.
Few of those unspoken realities, however, are as fascinating
as the rise of the new generation of web gaming.
As growth plateaus across PC, console, and mobile – in no
small part because of the ongoing discoverability challenge
those platforms face – web gaming has reinvented itself.
It’s a movement already delighting hundreds of millions of
players, and yet it has almost gone unnoticed – both in the
press, and even in the games industry itself.
Web games today offer an expansive new form, where
creativity and growth abound. The previous era of web
gaming was an important moment for games. Back in the
2000s, driven by the rise of Flash and Java, web games
presented a new opportunity to reach mass audiences.
But things have moved on – even if many still have their
understanding of web gaming framed by that era.
Web gaming has stepped up as a truly modern format that
meets the needs of an audience longing for more ways
to play. As you’ll discover below, it has a knack for fitting
around the realities of modern life. It understands and
complements the modern media consumption habits that
emerged long after the mainstream ecosystem of console
and PC was established. And it is speaking to a vast array of
demographics, including the medium’s most devoted fans.
All of which might sound rather surprising. But that is the
great thing about gaming’s untold stories. They are full
of gold. And today, to truly understand gaming broadly,
you have to have your finger on the pulse of web gaming.
Writing this report helped me do just that – and I hope you
enjoy the same benefits reading it.
Will Freeman,
Game Industry
Journalist
THE 2026 STATE OF WEB GAMING REPORT
1

An Introduction
Through my work, I’ve been closely following the web
gaming movement for a decade. Across all that time,
however, authoritative data around the new reality of web
games has been extremely hard to come by.
With a bit of effort, you might uncover reports from Statista
and Verified Market Reports that reveal revenue growth
projections for the global web gaming market. As an
indicator of growth, those are encouraging numbers. But
they fail to paint a meaningful picture. To fully understand
the opportunity, limitations, and realities of web gaming
today, considerably more detail is required. With that in
mind, Poki commissioned the independent research that
informs this report.
What are the motivations of consumers that gravitate to
web gaming? How do those players behave and consume
web games? How do developers perceive the opportunity,
and what are they doing to embrace it? How have things
moved on since the web gaming boom of the 2000s?
We wanted unbiased answers to those questions, and many
more. So we appointed an MRS-certified independent
research partner to survey hundreds of developers and
thousands of players, with a view to building a robust pool
of data that reveals the truth of web gaming today.
The result is this report, which endeavors to fill the
knowledge gaps. Knowledge really is power. Whether
you’re looking to share the untold story of web gaming’s
renaissance, want a reliable resource for future coverage,
or need to keep your ear to the rail of the industry more
generally, this report is for you.
We hope this study helps you understand web gaming –
and its relationship with gaming and culture more broadly
– at a much deeper level, whatever your interest in games.
Thank you for reading it.
Stein Janssen,
COO,
Poki
THE 2026 STATE OF WEB GAMING REPORT
2

of gamers play web games ‘multiple times per day’
Web Gamers are Highly Engaged
37%
of web gamers spend more than $50
on gaming purchases each month
Web Gamers are High-Value
27%
of respondents multitask
while playing web games
Web Gamers are Multitaskers
90%
Web Gamers Play in
Various Situations
Gamers play at
home relaxing
80%
34% during short breaks
22% commuting
15% at school/work
of players have downloaded or purchased a game after discovering it on the web Web Gaming is a
Launchpad for Discovery
62%
plan to port mobile games to
browser in the next 12 months
Studios are Moving on Web
53%
Developers are Drawn to Web Gaming as a Means to Address Discoverability
see discoverability
as a leading benefit
of web gaming
46%
44% believe web gaming presents a gateway to other platforms
53% see web games as offering a means to reach new players
cite insufficient revenue and
Some Developers Remain Cautious
36%
36% also cite insufficient audience
size as the two biggest barriers to embracing web gaming
Key Findings
2,000 web gamers / 400 developers
(Study conducted by Atomik Research)
THE 2026 STATE OF WEB GAMING REPORT

PART 1

Framing the
Fundamentals
Accessibility, Engagement,
and Player Habits

As stores become overcrowded, component prices
soar, and the attention economy gives consumers
ever more choice with regard to how they spend
their precious time, the once snowballing growth
of PC and console has lost momentum. Through
2025, consumer spend on console rose only 2.3%
above its previous all-time high from 2020, while
investment into gamemakers in 2025 fell by 55%
from 2024 . At the same time, consumer interest
in web games has been steadily rising. Poki itself
sees more than 100 million monthly active players in
2026, up from 10 million in 2020. As shown in relative
UMV traffic data from digital intelligence platform
Similarweb, web players have many platforms to
choose from, but what are their reasons for playing?
Web gaming audience size
across the top-5 platforms Why do you play web/browser games?
Speaking to consumers directly via the study
commissioned for the report, the player motivations
driving this rise in 2026 are clearly in no small part
down to the low barriers to entry web gaming presents.
Consumers are clearly attracted not just to web
gaming’s effectively free nature (see Part 3), but
equally the proposition of ease-of-access, the lack of
downloads, and the format’s suitability for short-form
play sessions. That is a stark contrast to the world of
console and PC, where large download files, frequent
updates, and longform content dominate. We can
already see, then, that web gaming’s appeal is deeply
rooted to shifts in consumption habits, which were
once deeply rooted in the old model. As such, to truly
understand the phenomenon of web gaming in 2026,
it is worth diving deeper into the data that reveals
consumer motivations and play habits.
Here in 2026, the most common type of web gamer
plays multiple times per day, spends 11-to-20 minutes
per session, and engages with two-to-three individual
titles in a single session. They are also highly engaged
across the wider gaming medium and ecosystem,
demonstrating high instances of owning multiple other
gaming and gaming-related platforms.
playhop
coolmath
games
friv
crazy
games
poki
0%
10%
20% 30%
40% 50%
60% They’re
quick to pl\by
They don’t
need to be
downlo\bded
They’re
e\bsy to \bccess
They’re
free
58% 56%
34%52%
FRAMING THE FUNDAMENTALS — ACCESSIBILITY,
ENGAGEMENT, AND PLAYER HABITS
5

Percentage of web gamers
that own other platforms
0 % 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Other
Non-
gaming
comp\bter
Gaming
comp\bter
Android
phone
iPhone
Switch
1/2
Xbox
PS4/
PS5
42%
27%
27% 45%50%
34%
18%
1%
How long do you typically play
web games in a single session?
>1 hour
31-60 minutes
21-30 minutes
11-20 minutes
6-10 minutes
<5 minutes
15%
12%
22%
29%
18%
4%
How many individual web games do you
play in a single session?
11-plus games
6-10 games
4-5 games
2-3 games
1 game2%
3%
15%
49%
31%
How often do you play games on websites
which offer ‘web’ or ‘browser’ games?
Less than a few
times a month
A few times a month
A few times a week
Once a day
Multiple times a day
0%
14%
29%
20%
37%
FRAMING THE FUNDAMENTALS — ACCESSIBILITY,
ENGAGEMENT, AND PLAYER HABITS
6

Looking at that data, we can see that web gamers
are highly engaged, playing web titles often,
making repeated daily visits to consume multiple
games. Equally, it becomes apparent that they are
also invested in gaming more generally (see Part
3, page 16, for more on player value and spending
habits). It is immediately clear that web gaming is
about much more than simply serving the casual
and hypercasual player types with a passing or
fleeting interest in games.
Web games absolutely continue to serve the casual
audience. However, the contemporary web gaming
audience is now much broader than that. We can see
that highly devoted players repeatedly commit time
and attention to play via web portals, as part of their
mix of gaming consumption. That highly engaged
audience’s interest in browser-based games
suggests that web is not perceived by consumers
as a lesser form of gaming. Rather, it is a format that
consumers of all types consider worth giving devoted
time and attention; something we’ll give more focus
in Part 3.
This study also unearthed data that reveals how
consumers themselves are sensitive to friction,
demonstrating little tolerance to it. 46% of the web
gamers surveyed for this report have stopped playing
a mobile game because it took too long to open or
load. 28%, meanwhile, have stopped playing a
mobile gaming app because the download size was
too large. It’s a similar picture on PC and console,
where 32% have stopped playing a game because
it took too long to open or load, while 26% stepped
back from engagement after realising a download
was too large. Consumer resilience to friction has
clearly declined, across load time, download size, and
update time. Those issues are effectively eradicated
by web gaming – providing another insight into the
motivators behind its rise.
Consumers are clearly moving on web gaming in
increased numbers, with convenience and ease-
of-access demonstrably driving engagement,
and attracting a broad and invested audience.
But how do game developers see this reality? There is a clear divide. Many developers have
moved on web gaming already, or are planning to.
The thousands of titles already on web platforms –
including iconic hits such as Outfit7’s Talking Tom
Gold Run, SYBO’s Subway Surfers and Fingersoft’s
Hill Climb Racing – make it clear that many are already
on web. And after surveying hundreds of developers
for this report, it emerged that 53% plan to port
mobile games to browsers in the next 12 months.
Others have active plans to build native games or
port from other platforms. Only 8% of surveyed devs
have no plans to develop for or port to web (though
many more may still be considering their options,
rather than having a firm plan for web in place). And
most by far agree publishing or distributing a game to
web is either ‘quite easy’ or ‘very easy’.
Are you planning to distribute a game
on web in the next 12 months?
0%
10%
20% 30%
40% 50%
60%
No
Yes, a game
ported from \bC/console
Yes, a game
ported from mobile
Yes, a native
HTML5 game
8%
41%
53%
51%
In your view, how difficult is it to
publish or distribute a game to a
browser gaming platform?
I don’t know
Very difcult
Quite difcult
Quite easy
Very easy1%
8%
18%
47%
27%
FRAMING THE FUNDAMENTALS — ACCESSIBILITY,
ENGAGEMENT, AND PLAYER HABITS
7

So developers are all convinced? Not quite. Despite
the plans to port, caution continues to abound. 27%
of surveyed developers still see web gaming as a
‘legacy channel’, while 54% believe web gaming is a
‘fun nostalgia channel’. Many in the industry seem to
still view web gaming through the lens that framed it
back in the 2000s, when it spearheaded the casual
movement, even establishing a shared rulebook of
game design that would go on to supercharge the
emergence of highly monetising mobile games. That
was an important time for gaming’s drive forward.
The same is true of web games today, albeit in a
different context.
Elsewhere, there are concerns that web gaming fails
to provide the engaging, retaining hooks that teams
have grown used to, particularly on mobile. 19% of
surveyed developers perceive web games to not
be sticky enough, while 32% see web gaming as a
‘low-quality channel’. So what is going on?
The contradictions appear to be founded in the divide
that separates developers seizing the opportunity,
and those that perceive web games today to be the
same entity they were in the 2000s. There is a gap
between perception and reality for that latter group.
That is clear when we consider that while 19% of
developers perceive web games not to be sticky
enough, 37% of players play ‘multiple times daily’.
86% of web game players play at least a few times
a week or more. In reality, web games engage and
retain significantly. Stickiness is clearly not an issue.
And despite 32% of developers believing that web
gaming provides a ‘low quality channel’, 92% of
consumers describe HTML5 web games as ‘quite’ or
‘very’ high quality.
Again, a great many game makers have embraced
web, or are planning to do so, and their motivations
are clear.
Clearly, some developers have their perceptions
of web gaming anchored to the past – and that is
holding them back, making them late to web gaming’s
expansive opportunity. The tide is turning, however,
as momentum and interest around web’s distinct
renaissance builds, led by consumer uptake that
states the case for the format’s value and potential.
And as we turn to consider how web games fit
into contemporary realities of media consumption
more broadly, we can see that there are even more
motivations for studios to update those perceptions. The Technical
Challenge
Technical challenges were a commonly cited
issue for developers still feeling cautious about
taking their games to web. 53% of surveyed
game makers expressed that concern. And yet
74% say publishing to browser is ‘quite easy’
or ‘very easy’. Speaking to developers on the
ground already publishing to web, it is apparent
that while there will inevitably be new learnings
and technical challenges, the technical
overheads are eclipsed by those seen across
the likes of PC and console:

Porting a Unity game to web takes
1-to-2 hours, but the real work lies
in reducing load size, adapting
controls and UI for PC and
mobile, optimising ad placement,
and integrating SDKs like Poki’s.
Building standardised tooling
can cover 70% of that effort, the
remaining 30% is game-specific.
Less overhead than a PC/console
port, but it requires real know-how.
Xavier Liard,
CEO,
StoreRider
FRAMING THE FUNDAMENTALS — ACCESSIBILITY,
ENGAGEMENT, AND PLAYER HABITS
8

PART 2

Web Gaming,
Culture, and
Consumption in
a Crowded Media
Landscape

The battlegrounds of the attention economy have
never been busier. Today games compete for
attention with streamed content, social media,
traditional broadcast, and more. The realities of
modern life also mean the vast gaming audience
is more time-poor than ever. The discoverability
challenge, then, can be viewed as part of a larger
issue. Games today have a bounty of competition
from outside their own medium.
Video games also increasingly exist as vehicles
for wider popular culture, as seen through the new
generation of cross-branding experiences and star-
studded musical performances across platforms like
Roblox and Fortnite.
In the era of a bristling attention economy, busy lives,
saturated traditional gaming storefronts, and cultural
crossover, where do web games fit in? It turns out
that their convenient, shortform, readily digestible
nature has made them quite the complement for
today’s realities. The survey commissioned for this
report found that 56% of respondents listen to music
while playing web games. 49% watch shows across
the likes of Netflix, YouTube or TV, while web gaming.
38% also use social media simultaneously, and
26% consume livestreams at the same time. 4 4% ,
meanwhile, give the browser game their primary
attention even when multitasking. Web gamers are
more than capable of simultaneous consumption of
multiple forms.
Which of the following are you most likely to do at
the same time as playing web games? When are you most likely to play web games?
Consumers are also playing web games across every
part of their lives, from the traditional home gaming
context, to seizing ‘micro moments’ while traveling,
working, and so on. If we consider the previous data
about playing multiple times daily in short sessions,
we can begin to understand why web gaming is
engaging so many players, including those with a
devotion to all kinds of gaming, from high-friction
console experiences to native mobile games.
0 %
10
%
20
%
30
%
40
%
50
%
60 %
I don’t do
anything else \bhen I play \beb games
Watch
live sports
Use social
media
Chat \bith
friends / family
(IRL or Discord)
Play other games
Listen
to music
Watch live
streams
T\bitch, YouTube
or Kick
Watch sho\bson Netﬂix,
YouTube or TV
49%
10%
24%
38%
24%
23%
56%
26%
0 %
10
%
20
%
30
%
40
%
50
%
60
%
70
%
80
% None
Relaxing
at ho\be
During short
breaks
e.g. waiting in line
At school/work
While traveling
to school/work
22%
15%34% 80%
2%
WEB GAMING, CULTURE, AND CONSUMPTION
IN A CROWDED MEDIA LANDSCAPE
10

The study also reveals that web games are highly
social, whether in a multiplayer context, or in cases
where singleplayer games are consumed socially.
54% of surveyed consumers play web games with
a friend or family member ‘very often’ or ‘often’, for
example.
And there’s the matter of the appeal of other cultural
elements appearing in games, be they viral trends
or crossbranding experiences. While many of us
likely associate those kind of experiences with the
giants of live-service, such as Fortnite, Minecraft,
and Roblox, the fact that web games can be rapidly
updated without weeks-long processes of approval
and vetting from platform holders means the medium
is primed to quickly respond to cultural moments.
And consumers are clearly drawn to that, with 51%
of surveyed gamers having played a web game that
references internet trends/memes.
“Today player attention moves on fast”, offers Omar
Waly, Founder and CTO, Radical Play.
“The ability to rapidly update games, lean into viral
moments, and deliver seasonal content meant we
kept players engaged, retained, and returning for
more. That has meaningfully helped us keep player
attention in an increasingly fragmented, complex
landscape of media consumptions. Play sessions are
certainly brief, but we see how players keep returning
to our games as they hop back and forth between the
likes of gaming, social media, streaming TV shows,
and more.”
“Instant updates are easily one of the biggest
advantages of web games,” adds Emre Şahin, CEO
& Co-Founder of Emolingo. “Because players always
have access to the latest version, we can test ideas,
fix issues, balance gameplay, and react to player
feedback much faster than on traditional platforms.
If a problem slips through, we can also roll back to
a stable version quickly, minimising disruption for
players. Speed is especially important when player
interests shift rapidly. Whether it’s a viral trend, a
seasonal event, or a new gameplay idea, being able to
move fast allows us to stay relevant and meet players
where their attention is.
“At Emolingo Games, we regularly update our games
with content inspired by seasonal events, internet
trends, and current player interests. Being able to
quickly introduce new themes, game modes, and
timely updates helps keep our games feeling fresh
and relevant. In web gaming, trends can come
and go very quickly, and the ability to act on those
opportunities in time is a major advantage for devs.” With all that considered, we can see that web games
now exist as a dynamic, low-friction entertainment
layer integrated into daily routines, and that can
respond to the wider cultural context that all games
exist in.
Once more, developer perceptions of this reality are
mixed. Many are attracted to the idea of web gaming
offering ‘rapid updates and approvals’, while 56%
agree that web gaming stands as a growing channel.
As we can see in the data below, the perceived
benefits and barriers of web gaming paints a mixed,
nuanced picture of contradictions.
Omar Waly,
Founder and CTO,
Radical Play
Emre Şahin,
CEO & Co-Founder,
Emolingo
WEB GAMING, CULTURE, AND CONSUMPTION
IN A CROWDED MEDIA LANDSCAPE
11

A picture is emerging that frames web gaming very
meaningfully as a discovery channel – and one that
thrives despite the attention economy presenting
ever more distraction to players. 46% of developers
cite discoverability as a key benefit of releasing web
games, while 4 4% see the format as offering players
a gateway to releases on other platforms. 53% ,
meanwhile, see web games as offering a means to
reach new players – potentially motivated by the
plateauing they have experienced on console and
PC. Players, meanwhile, are embracing web as a
means to discover games because it complements
the ways they consume media generally today. As
we’ve seen, 62% of web gamers have bought a game
elsewhere after discovering its web-based iteration.
Web gaming provides a funnel through which to
draw in players to a studio’s work across the gaming
ecosystem – and it is the discovery layer that drives
that funnel. Developers holding off on moving on
web aren’t just sitting out a growing format; they’re
leaving the top of their own funnel unattended.
“People discover and play games in many different
ways today, and web gaming helps us meet players
where they are by giving them another way to engage
with the titles they enjoy. For Talking Tom Gold Run,
bringing the game to the web was a very natural step.
From a technical standpoint, the porting process was
straightforward and the core gameplay experience
required very few changes, which allowed us to stay
true to what players already know and love. We’ve
also seen how the web can help introduce the game
to new audiences while giving existing fans another
way to jump back into the experience.” What are the biggest potential benefits
of distributing your title(s) on web?
What are the biggest barriers to
distributing your title(s) on web?
0%
10
%
20
%
30
%
40
%
50
%
60 %
Don ’t
know
Rapid
updates and app\bovals
C\beative
f\beedom
Gateway
to othe\b
platfo\bms
Discove\by
New
\bevenue st\beam
Reach
new
use\bs
Ea\bly
validation
37% 53%
47%46%
44%54%
38%
1%
0%
10
%
20
%
30
%
40
%
50
%
60 %
Don ’t
know
Low
quality chann\bl Not sticky \bnough
R\bv\bnu\b
cannibalization
T\bchnical
chall\bng\bs
L\bgacy
chann\bl
Not
\bnough us\brs Not
\bnoughr\bv\bnu\b
36% 36%
27%53%
31%19%32%
2%
WEB GAMING, CULTURE, AND CONSUMPTION
IN A CROWDED MEDIA LANDSCAPE
Borut Vovk,
Head of Business
Development,
Outfit7
12

The survey for this report also unearthed a related
story, and one that is utterly fascinating – even
unexpected. Web gaming is also growing relative
to that other giant of social technology; namely
social media. Seven in ten respondents (71% ) say
the amount of time they spend playing web games
relative to social media is either stable ( 43%) or
increasing ( 28%), outnumbering the 22% who have
the opposite experience. Among those web gamers
that play most frequently, engaging in frequent
sessions daily, 34% report that their web gaming time
is increasing relative to their social media use. This
isn’t only a game industry story, but one that matters
to the entire media industry. Web games are starting
to impact engagement with a technology that has a
profound impact on society, culture, and the human
experience at a global scale.
The key takeaway with regard to games, however, is
that web is rising in no small part because it addresses
the increasing impact of the discoverability issue, in
a way that works for consumers, and that presents
developers with a meaningful solution. Why Convenience
Matters in the
Attention Economy
With more mediums, formats, and platforms
competing for player attention than ever, why
does convenience matter, both in terms of
consumer access and developer workload?

For the games I make, low friction
is all-important when you are
fighting for attention against TikTok,
YouTube, Roblox, etcetera. A kid
taps a link and they are playing
a game within a few seconds –
no download, install or account
required, so the cost of giving it
a go is basically nothing. Using
the web as a platform offers the
opportunity to develop games
that can be played worldwide
across mobile, tablet, desktop,
and Chromebooks. I can roll out
updates and seasonal content
instantly, and just as importantly,
see how real players respond
within hours and act on it the
next day. Web suits shorter
play sessions, and the games
themselves are quick to build too.
2-to-6 weeks of core development
time suits me, rather than sinking
months or years into a project with
the risks that entails.
Jim Hall,
Founder,
HappyLander
WEB GAMING, CULTURE, AND CONSUMPTION
IN A CROWDED MEDIA LANDSCAPE
13

PART 3

Revenue, Value,
and Affordability

As we’ve seen, consumer interest in web games is
driven by the format’s convenience, and its ability
to fit around modern consumption habits and daily
realities. But there is another major factor to consider
when we try to frame web gaming in 2026; cost and
value.
For consumers, the proposition is clear. Web games
are free-to-play, often almost entirely funded by
ads, meaning there is no obligation to invest in
IAP, subscriptions, or any other spend. Beyond
the hardware cost – which is also relatively low,
considering web games can run on mobile devices
and low-spec PCs – web gaming is authentically
free. And that speaks to web gamers. 58% of whom
say they play web games because they are free.
34% , meanwhile, are motivated to play web games
because of their affordability, while 29% feel web
games offer good value for money.
Developers, meanwhile, do appear to be
predominantly on board with regard to recognising
the value web games present to consumers, with
92% describing HTML5 web games as ‘quite’ or
‘very’ high quality. They are predominantly aware
that web games let them provide a quality product to
consumers that have to pay nothing to access them.
That in turn provides a value to developers who are
looking to extend awareness of their games, IP, and
brand.
Again, the study that underpins this report revealed
that 62% of surveyed players have become a fan of a
gaming or entertainment franchise after discovering
it via a browser game. The same number, 62% , have
downloaded or purchased a game after first playing
it as a browser game; perhaps on mobile or Steam.
Looking at US respondents alone, that figure climbs
to 66% . Amongst the most frequent, engaged web
gamers, it rises again, to 72% . Another picture is
building here. Web gamers may be motivated by the
format’s effectively free nature, but that does not
mean they are low value players. The data reveals a clear correlation between the
devotion of web gamers, and their monthly spend
on the medium more broadly. 35% of devoted web
gamers – those who play multiple times daily – spend
more than $50 monthly on games, compared to 27%
of all web gamers who spend that amount. Web
gamers are clearly high-value players happy to put
down money on games. By contrast, 35% of lighter
users – playing just a few sessions per month – spend
$0-$10 on gaming monthly. And the vast majority of
developers do perceive this reality: 91% rate web
gamers as ‘quite’ or ‘very’ high value players.
How much do you spend on gaming per month
across all platforms including game purchases,
subscriptions, in-app purchases and hardware?
Most frequent web players
Less frequent web players
$201+
$101-200
$51-100
$21-50
$11-20
$0-10
7% 5%
23%
25%
15%
24%
$201+
$101-200
$51-100
$21-50
$11-20
$0-10
7% 5%
23%
25%
15%
24%
$201+
$101-200
$51-100
$21-50
$11-20
$0-10
1% 1%
13%
27%
23%
35%
$201+
$101-200
$51-100
$21-50
$11-20
$0-10
REVENUE, VALUE, AND AFFORDABILITY
15

Web games, therefore, provide an opportunity
to engage both players willing to spend, while
generating revenue from players who may otherwise
be un-monetised. That is an explicit win-win for game
makers.
Developers clearly see the value that both web
games and web gamers offer them. And yet we again
see contradictions in how those who make games
understand the revenue opportunity. A sizable
minority of 36% of surveyed developers believe there
is not enough revenue in web gaming, while 31% fear
web games deliver revenue cannibalisation, rather
than motivating spend by high value players. 47% ,
meanwhile, are attracted to web gaming as a driver
of new revenues.
While some developers are keenly aware of that
commercial opportunity, there remains caution
around the maturity of web gaming’s monetisation
and distribution ecosystem.
Spend based on device ownership
0%
10%
20% 30%
40% 50%
60% 70%
80% $201+
$101-200
$51-100
$21-50
$11-20
$0-10
7

\b

)

“I think web/HTML5 gaming is becoming an
increasingly interesting complementary channel for
mobile studios, even if it’s unlikely to match mobile in
revenue scale in the near future,” says Elena Lobova,
Head of Strategic Partnerships at cozy mobile outfit
Burny Games. “For smaller and mid-sized teams
especially, web can offer a lower-friction way to
validate gameplay ideas, reach new audiences, and
diversify distribution beyond the app stores.
“From my perspective, the biggest barrier is still
monetisation maturity compared to mobile, both
in terms of revenue potential and ecosystem
sophistication. There are also technical and
operational challenges when adapting games
designed around mobile-first UX, progression, and
monetisation systems to browser environments.
“That said, the accessibility of web gaming is a huge
advantage: instant play, no install friction, rapid
iteration, and easier discoverability. I also see strong
potential for web as a top-of-funnel acquisition
channel or as part of a broader cross-platform
strategy.”
REVENUE, VALUE, AND AFFORDABILITY
Elena Lobova,
Head of Strategic
Partnerships,
Burny Games
16

That measured blend of optimism and caution neatly
captures the mixed picture we may see from game
makers in terms of revenue and success. Listening to
those voices, then, is key. Developer uptake appears
deeply tied to the progression and advancement of
the web gaming ecosystem. Together, web gaming
platform holders and developers have a collaborative
opportunity to evolve the potential and technical
offering, which in turn could yet further expand
consumer engagement and audience size.
The true gain, however, isn’t about audience size
alone. It is about audience value. Web gamers are
high-value players who regularly spend on other
platforms. Web games themselves, meanwhile, don’t
only open a funnel that supercharges discoverability
across all platforms; they provide developers with a
means to build a devoted audience that will generate
revenue throughout the wider gaming ecosystem. The Reality of Cost-
Efficiency For Studios
The appeal the free nature of web gaming
brings to players is plain to see. But how cost-
effective is developing for web gaming from the
developer perspective?

Developing HTML5 games is
generally more cost-effective than
developing for consoles or mobile
app stores. If a game performs
well, it can be easier to achieve a
positive ROI (return on investment)
because the development and
publishing costs are typically lower.
However, the HTML5 market is
also highly competitive. There
are many websites and a huge
number of games competing for
players’ attention. Since publishing
HTML5 games is much easier
than publishing on consoles or
app stores, the barrier to entry is
lower, which increases competition.
As a result, developers need to
create engaging, high-quality
HTML5 games and find the right
publishing platforms to reach
players effectively. Platforms such
as Poki can play an important role
in helping quality games find their
audience.
REVENUE, VALUE, AND AFFORDABILITY
Steindy Yanto,
CEO,
Gopandagames
17

Conclusion
Until recently, robust data on the new generation of
web games has been thin on the ground. That void let
the narratives of the 2000s boom continue to shape
how much of the industry still sees the format: a
casual, low-quality, nostalgic channel players dip into
and forget.
The new data unearthed here dismantles that picture.
Today’s web gamers are deeply engaged, with 37%
playing multiple times a day, and they rate the format
on its merits: 92% describe HTML5 games as ‘high
quality’. This is not a lesser form of gaming that
players tolerate. It is one they choose, repeatedly,
frequently, and rate highly.
It is also where they decide what to play next. Web
has become the discovery layer of modern gaming.
46% of developers already see discovery as a core
benefit, and players’ insights bear it out: 62% have
downloaded or bought a game after first playing it
on the web, rising to 72% among the most frequent.
Its pull is strong enough that web gaming is now
growing significantly; even against the giant that is
social media.
And these are not low-value players. More than a
quarter spend over $50 a month on games, across
the wider ecosystem. As such, a developer who isn’t
on web isn’t only missing a growing, high-quality,
highly engaged audience. They are absent from
the moment those players decide what to buy next,
leaving the top of their own funnel unattended.
None of this means anyone yet to move on web has
got it wrong. Web gaming’s first era was a genuinely
different thing, and reading today’s format through
that lens is understandable. But the format has moved
on; on quality, on engagement, on discovery, and on
value. And the data today only points one way. As
growth across PC, console, and mobile continues to
plateau, web gaming’s momentum looks increasingly
likely to build rather than fade.
The players have already decided. The only open
question is how long developers wait to meet them
there.
THE 2026 STATE OF WEB GAMING REPORT
18

Methodology
This report is based on two online surveys
commissioned by Poki and conducted by the MRS-
certified creative market research agency Atomik
Research. One set of questions were put to 400 game
developers in the US and UK, 70% of which develop
primarily for mobile platforms, with the remainder
developing for PC. The second question set was put
to 2,000 ‘web gamers’ in the US and UK. To qualify
for the survey, consumer respondents had to play
web games at least once per week. The developer
survey focused on game makers’ perceptions of the
browser gaming reality and opportunity, while the
consumer survey focused on gamers’ behaviours
and experiences of web gaming across all platforms.
The fieldwork was completed between May 11-to-19,
2026.
Traffic Data
Traffic data provided by digital intelligence platform
Similarweb. The data reflects deduplicated desktop
and mobile web audience visits in May 2026 for
browser gaming platforms. See here for methodology.
19

About Poki
Founded in 2014 and based in Amsterdam, Poki
is the world’s leading web gaming platform with
100 million monthly active users. The platform
empowers a thriving community of more than 600
developers across 89 countries to experiment,
iterate, and reach a global audience with web
games. With 1 billion gameplays every month,
Poki houses industry-leading developers such as
SYBO Games and Fingersoft, alongside indie teams
sustaining livelihoods through browser gaming.
Poki is built around discovery, connection, and
creativity, breaking down the barriers to play and
continuing to grow the web gaming industry.
THE 2026 STATE OF WEB GAMING REPORT
20

The early indicators that predict a
game’s commercial performance
Signals of Success
FirstLook | Spring-Summer 2026©Poki 2026
The 2026
State of Web
Gaming Report
A Study of Developer
and Gamer Perceptions