Role-Playing Games (RPGs) Revealed

Aug, 2022 Key Insights into
Role-Playing
Games (RPGs)
The games, the players, and
the markets

2
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• Genre Revenues in 2022
• Definition and Revenues per Platform
• Key Game Engagement Facts
• Gamer Demographics and Personas
• Top Markets and Games
• Games Live Streaming Viewership
• Game Themes, Modes, Mechanics and
Monetization, Cross-Genre Overlap
• Upgrade to Newzoo Expert
• About Newzoo
Table of Contents
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7
8
10 13
1517
21
25

© Newzoo 2022
Foreword

© Newzoo 2022
Foreword
Welcometoour free report aboutRole-Playing Games(RPGs)! RPGsare
among themost popular gamegenres acrosstheworld andareplayed
heavily acrossallgaming platforms .
In this report, weinclude someofthe high -level takeaways aboutthis
exciting genre.We willdive intothesplit between thedifferent platforms
on which RPGsareplayed, wewill explore gamerdemographics and
playing habits,gamerankings andeven RPGgame livestreaming
viewership .We willalso goover some ofthe different marketswhere
RPGs aremost popular anddefine themost popular gamethemes,
mechanics, andmonetization optionsinthe genre.
This isapreview ofthe much broader scopeofdata wecover onRole –
Playing Gamesinour Newzoo Expertplatform .Please contact
usifyou
would liketolearn more about Newzoo
Expert .We hope youenjoy this
free report!
Tyler Long
Head of Product at Newzoo

#1 genre in the world
Source: Newzoo Global Games Market Report, released July 2022.
Role-Playing Games (RPGs) are estimated
to be the highest -revenue genre across all
platforms in 2022.
6
Role -Playing Games
#1
#2
Adventure Games
#3
Strategy Games
$ B
$ B
$ B
Explore the
actual revenue
estimates for
each of the 21
genres in our
Global Ga
mes
Market Report
.
newzoo.com/reports

© Newzoo 2022
RPGs: Definition and Revenues per Platform
7
16%21%
63%
RPG Games Revenues
Mobile Games
PC Games
Console Games
Source: Newzoo Global Games Market Report, released July 2022
Defining Role
-Playing Games
(RPGs)
RPGs are among the most popular genres and are played heavily
across all gaming platforms.
The core gameplay in Role- Playing Games sees the player taking on
the role of a group of characters (a party) or an individual character.
Players can create or deeply develop their character/party to have its
own unique fantasy, specialization, strengths, and shortcomings.
This typically is done through character classes—each one boasting
its own unique mechanics and abilities.
The player progresses through the course of the game by gaining
experience through combat and quests , which allows the player to
make unique character/party choices.
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Want access to the absolute
revenue numbers for all Genres?

© Newzoo 2022
RPG Games on PC and Console: Popularity & Playing Habits in June 2022
8
Rank by Monthly Active Users on PC (Steam)
#3
Rank by Monthly Active Users on Console*
#6
Rank by Average Monthly Playtime
18.8
Hours per
month
#6
Rank by Average Titles
Played per player, per month
#4
Source: Newzoo Expert, June 2022. Estimate for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox games covering 37 markets. China and India not included. Newzoo ’s Game Taxonomy allows tagging of games with a single primary
genre and multiple secondary genres. All calculations and aggregates on this page are based on games tagged with the primary genre “Role Playing”.
Rank by Average Daily
Sessions
1.79
sessions
per day
#6
RPG Popularity on
PC and Console
Ranking vs. other genres
RPG Playing Habits
Ranking vs. other genres
1.43
RPG games
per player

© Newzoo 2022
Dig Deeper Into Game-Level Numbers for 10,000+ Games
9
Monthly Revenue
and MAU
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in the U.S. each month? Newzoo Expert now offers PC and
console game revenue data, allowing you to track 900+
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Learn how Newzoo’s revenue data, combined with
engagement (MAU, DAU, lifetime players) and viewership
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players for 10,000+ games.

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RPG Gamer Demographics across All Devices in 2022 skew Male and Young
10
Source: Newzoo Consumer Insights – Games & Esports 2022.
Base: (Active Urban) online population aged 10 -65 (or 50 in selected markets), who ha ve played RPG video games on a PC, console, or mobile device in the past 6 months (n=14,992)
30%
29%
24%
17%
10-20 21-3031-40 41-65
RPG Gamer Gender Split
1%
Male FemaleNon-Binary/Other
41% 58%
RPG Gamer AgeSplit

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Game Viewers
Solo Gamers 6% Mainstream Gamers 31% Time Fillers 9%
Game Fans
Ultimate Gamers 11% All-Round Enthusiasts 9% Community Gamers 9% Popcorn Gamers 25%
There Is No Single Type of RPG “Gamer”
Gaming persona distribution across RPG gamers on all platforms
11
Regular Players
Source: Consumer Insights –Games & Esports 2022. Newzoo’s proprietary gamer segmentation wherein playing, viewing, owning, and socializ ing/other gaming engagement are the four main dimensions
for classification.
Base: (Active Urban) online population aged 10 -65 (or 50 in selected markets), who have played RPG video games on a PC, console, or mobile device in the past 6 months (n=14,992)
As gaming continues to expand its reach, gamers themselves
become a more diverse and varied group. Using our
proprietary Gamer Segmentation
, we identified a few key
gamer personas within the larger group of RPG gamers.
True to their name, Mainstream Gamers are the most
common RPG gamer personas. Mainstream Gamers are
passionate about playing games, but do not spend much
money on the pastime. They are often mobile -first players.
Game Fans account for almost 30% of all RPG gamers, which
demonstrates a higher affinity of RPG gamers for more “core
games”, often associated with the RPG genre.
Popcorn Gamers also represent a very high proportion of the
RPG audience, attesting to the high watchability of RPG
games. Popcorn Gamers do not devote much time to playing
games, but they tune into the big video platforms to watch
lots of game video content, live streams, or esports.
RPG Gamer
Personas

© Newzoo 2022
33%
29%
26%
21%
21%
Motivation 1
Motivation 2
Motivation 3
Motivation 4
Motivation 5
Source: Consumer Insights –Games & Esports 2022. Newzoo’s proprietary gamer segmentation wherein playing, viewing, owning, and socializ ing/other gaming engagement are
the four main dimensions for classification.
Base: (Active Urban) online population aged 10 -65 (or 50 in selected markets), who have played RPG video games on a PC, console, or
mobile device in the past 6 months (n=14,992)
See How RPG Players Spend Money on Games
12
Share of Payers 1
Base: Total RPG Players aged 10 -65
Top 5 Paying Motivations
Base: Total RPG Payers
Payers
?
Paying Behavior
and Motivations
Find out how many RPG Players actively spend money on
games and their motivation for paying.
Unlock key insights on purchase drivers like the motivation
to spend money on games for a sale, special offer, or good
price, or to be able to play with friends or family.
newzoo.com/consumer -insights
Unlock the demographics and
psychographics of RPG gamers.

© Newzoo 2022
USA & Japan were the Top RPG Markets on PC and Console in June 2022
13
Top RPG PC & Console Markets by MAU
by Monthly Active Users (MAU) in June 2022
United States #1
#3 United Kingdom
#5 Brazil
#7 Russia
#9 Italy
#2
#4
#6
#8
#10
Japan
Germany
France
Mexico
Canada
Source: Newzoo Expert, June 2022. Estimate for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox games covering 37 markets. China and India not included. Newzoo ’s Game Taxonomy allows tagging of games with a single
primary genre and multiple secondary genres. All calculations and aggregates on this page are based on games tagged with the primary genre “Role Playing”.
23%
19%18%17%17%
16% 15%15%15%
14%
Japan United
States Mexico
Indonesia ItalyThailand CanadaUnited
Kingdom Brazil
South
Korea
Top RPG PC & Console Markets by Player Share
Player Share for RPGs -Percentage of total player base that played an RPG title in June 2022
newzoo.com/expert
Unlock the absolute MAU
numbers for each market.

© Newzoo 2022
The Top RPGs on PC and Console in June 2022
14
Top 10 PC RPGs
by MAU in June 2022
Genshin Impact #1
#3
Final Fantasy XIV
Online
#5 Monster Hunter Rise
#7 Elden Ring
#9 Warframe
#2
#4
#6
#8
#10
World of Warcraft
Diablo III
The Elder Scrolls V:
Skyrim
Final Fantasy VII
Remake
The Elder Scrolls
Online
Source: Newzoo Expert, June 2022. Estimate for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox games covering 37 markets. China and India not included. Newzoo ’s Game Taxonomy allows tagging of games with a single
primary genre and multiple secondary genres. All calculations and aggregates on this page are based on games tagged with the primary genre “Role Playing”.
Top 10 Console RPGs
by MAU in June 2022
Elden Ring #1
#3 Genshin Impact
#5
The Elder Scrolls V:
Skyrim
#7 Minecraft Dungeons
#9 Bloodborne
#2
#4
#6
#8
#10
Naruto to Boruto:
Shinobi Striker
Warframe
Monster Hunter World
The Elder Scrolls
Online
Maneater

© Newzoo 2022
RPG Games –Live Streaming Viewership in June 2022
15
Rank by Hours Watched on
Twitch and Facebook Gaming
#5
205M
Hours
Wa t c h e d
Rank by Hours streamed on
Twitch and Facebook Gaming
#4
7. 8 M
Hours
Streamed
Source: Newzoo Expert, June 2022. Estimated live streaming hours watched and streamed(broadcasted) on Twitch and Facebook Gaming for RPG s across PC, Console, and Mobile. Newzoo’s Game Taxonomy
allows tagging of games with a single primary genre and multiple secondary genres. All calculations and aggregates on this page are based on games tagged with the primary genre “Role Playing”.
RPG Live Streaming Hours
Watched in June 2022RPG Live Streaming Hours
Streamed in June 2022
newzoo.com/expert
Get the latest
full viewership
numbers and historical data.

© Newzoo 2022
Top RPG Games by Live Streaming Viewership in June 2022
16
Top RPGs by Hours Watched
on Twitch and Facebook Gaming in June 2022
Source: Newzoo Expert, June 2022. Estimated live streaming hours watched and streamed(broadcasted) on Twitch and Facebook Gaming for RPG s across PC, Console, and Mobile. Newzoo’s Game Taxonomy
allows tagging of games with a single primary genre and multiple secondary genres. All calculations and aggregates on this page are based on games tagged with the primary genre “Role Playing”.
Top RPGs by Hours Streamed
on Twitch and Facebook Gaming in June 2022
Genshin
Impact
#1 #2
World of
Warcraft
#4
Final Fantasy
XIV Online
#5 Lost Ark
#3
Diablo
Immortal
#2 Lost Ark World of
Warcraft
#1 #4
Genshin
Impact
#5 Elden Ring
#3 Elden Ring

© Newzoo 2022
Adventure is Most Played Other Genre by RPG Players on PC & Console
17 Source: Newzoo Expert, June 2022. Estimate for PC (Steam), PlayStation, and Xbox games covering 37 markets. China and India not inclu ded. Newzoo’s Game Taxonomy allows tagging of games with a
single primary genre and multiple secondary genres. All calculations and aggregates on this page are based on games tagged wi th the primary genre “Role Playing”.
66%
60%
41%
30%
28%
27%
23%
17%
14%
13% Adventure
Shooter
Battle Royale Sports
Fighting
Platformer Sandbox
Simulation Racing
Strategy
Top Other Genres by Player Share
Player Share for RPGs -Percentage of total player base that played an
RPG title on PC (Steam) & Console in June 2022
newzoo.com/expert
Unlock the full taxonomy in
Newzoo Expert.
Adventure, Shooter and Battle Royale games were the most
popular among RPG players in June 2022.
Strategy and Racing were among the genres with the least
player overlap with RPG games.
Other Genres Played
How to read the data: 66% of monthly active users that played RPGs have also played Adventure games in June 2022.

© Newzoo 2022
Popular Game Themes and Game Mechanics in RPGs on PC & Console
18
63%
34% 33%
24%
18%
18%
16%
16%
11%
9% High Magical Fantasy
Dark FantasyAlien Galaxy
Contemporary War
Sports and Athletics Modern Day
Low Magical Fantasy
Advanced Human Society Monster HorrorModern Era
Popular RPG Themes by Player Share
Player Share for RPGs -Percentage of total player base that played an RPG title on PC
(Steam) & Console in June 2022
Source: Newzoo Expert, June 2022. Estimate for PC (Steam), PlayStation, and Xbox games covering 37 markets. China and India not inclu ded. Newzoo’s Game Taxonomy allows tagging of games with a
single primary genre and multiple secondary genres. All calculations and aggregates on this page are based on games tagged wi th the primary genre “Role Playing”.
How to read the data:
63% of monthly active users that played RPGs have played RPGs with the High
Magical Fantasy theme in June 2022.
100% 99%
87% 81%79% 77%76% 76%
69% 67%
Top Game Mechanics by Player Share
Player Share for RPGs -Percentage of total player base that played an RPG
title on PC (Steam) & Console in June 2022.
How to read the data: 87% of monthly active users that played RPGs have played RPGs with the Skill / Talent
Trees mechanic in June 2022.

© Newzoo 2022
Popular Game Modes in RPGs
19 Source: Newzoo Expert, June 2022. Estimate for PC (Steam), PlayStation, and Xbox games covering 37 markets. China and India not inclu ded. Newzoo’s Game Taxonomy allows tagging of games with a
single primary genre and multiple secondary genres. All calculations and aggregates on this page are based on games tagged wi th the primary genre “Role Playing”.
96%
73%68% 66%
59%
50% 48%
45% 43%
39%
Game Mode 1 Game Mode 2 Game Mode 3Game Mode 4 Game Mode 5Game Mode 6 Game Mode 7Game Mode 8Game Mode 9Game Mode 10
Top Game Modes
Player Share for RPGs -Percentage of total player base that
played an RPG title on PC (Steam) & Console in June 2022
newzoo.com/expert
Unlock the full taxonomy in
Newzoo Expert.
See what the most popular RPG game modes are, including
Campaign and Story Mode, Dungeons and Raids, Sandbox,
Capture the Flag, and Death Match.
Unlock these metrics and much more with Newzoo Expert.
Game
Modes

© Newzoo 2022
How RPGs Are Monetized on PC and Console
20
97%90%
76%
5%
Pay-to-Play In-App Purchases Free-to-PlayAdvertising
Top Monetization Options
by Player Share for PC & Console RPGs in June 2022
Source: Newzoo Expert, June 2022. Estimate for PC (Steam), PlayStation, and Xbox games covering 37 markets. China and India not inclu ded. Newzoo’s Game Taxonomy allows tagging of games with a
single primary genre and multiple secondary genres. All calculations and aggregates on this page are based on games tagged wi th the primary genre “Role Playing”.
newzoo.com/expert
Get the monetization historical
data for 10,000+ games.
Pay
-to -Play is the top monetization option for PC & Console
RPGs, covering almost the entire playerbase .
90% of RPG players have played games that use In- App
Purchases as a monetization tool.
Advertising is the least used monetization tool for RPGs on
PC & Console.
Monetization
Options
How to read the data: 97% of monthly active users that played RPGs have also played Pay -to -Play games in June 2022.

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