It's a bad idea to predict events in video games for a year while you're delirious, but one of the benefits of being delirious is that you become unable to notice that ideas are bad. In the short amount of time before I eat a bowl of cake mix and fall asleep, here are some quick opinions on the Trends and Misfortunes of 2026, mostly based on our 2025 coverage. Evergreen short version: It's never too late to get back into amateur dentistry.
Rockstar against unions
Spurred by years of consolidation, resource shortages, layoffs and closures, game developers continue to push for unionization. litigation Between Rockstar and about 30 unionized former GTA 6 developers, we'll push this topic into the public eye and explore how Rockstar's working conditions and culture impact what is, in some ways, the most anticipated video game of the year. Assuming it doesn't get delayed again, perhaps to spite Ubisoft when they strategically scrap their rumored new game. Big difference game in 2027. I hope to see both some intriguing revelations about Rockstar and some critical analysis that goes beyond the usual buzzwords to make the topic interesting to a wider range of people.
Furor over Saudi Arabia's purchase of EA
Assuming it makes it through regulators (and it's unlikely to fail, given Jared Kushner's liquefied baby face on the ticket), the proposed $55 billion acquisition EA will leave one of North America's oldest publishing businesses heavily in debt and run by a consortium dominated by the investment wing of a country where journalists are executed. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027 and will come under scrutiny this year. Some US senators and unions are calling for a federal investigation.
It's probable $20 billion in accompanying debt will result in a significant decline in sales at EA, and will leave cherished, if struggling, studios like BioWare facing an uncertain future. It remains to be seen whether the Saudi regime's policies will be felt in subsequent EA games, perhaps especially Sims. As with the suspicions of Chinese studios, we can expect some chauvinistic reaction among pundits in the Western English-speaking world: the aforementioned letter from US senators already smacks of hypocrisy, accusing Saudi Arabia's rulers of using EA as a propaganda platform – not to mention that US companies like Activision have spent years promoting the US military to people abroad. Distinguishing legitimate criticism from backlash will be an important component of this story. Overall, this will be a year of talk about the ties between major video game publishers and Saudi Arabia, a country seeking to diversify its oil-based economy and improve its reputation abroad.
Healthy conversation about “adult” games
While payment processor suppression As “NSFW”, “adult” and/or sexy games continue, one result has been a resurgence and healthier conversation about the depiction of sex in games. Under pressure from the threat of delisting, game developers and players have been forced to consider certain habits regarding what is considered “acceptable” while simultaneously recognizing how moral panics work and how certain groups can impose their views by influencing the triggers of supposedly “neutral” financial systems. I found the volume of discussion around, let's say, Horses (which is not a direct victim of repression) is inspiring, but at times disappointing. So much harm is done when people refuse to talk about sex and automatically fall back on an unspoken false consensus.
Xbox will continue to circle through the pipes
Like a fun RPS fanzine PCGamer recently listedMicrosoft has had a disgraceful year. They cut jobs, closed studios and canceled projects while posting record profits. They are forcing the adoption of generative AI through their existing control of PC operating systems – the main beneficiaries of this fait accompli will be investors and the executive class, and even if you think there are good things to come for the roughnecks in the 7G sector, you should take issue with the smug and condescending way in which the tools are being pushed by a company that has bought up most of its competitors. Microsoft is also an organization with bloody hands: they continue to work with the Israeli military during their takeover of the Gaza Strip, despite significant sales in anticipation of the recent purely theoretical ceasefire and many other military partnerships that deserve broader attention.
Speaking as a former writer for Official Xbox Magazine, I believe that Xbox itself is completely spent. This business rarely produces truly interesting work, despite the efforts of oddball companies like Double Fine. He's hampered by thoughts of Greatest Hits (of course, why not remake Halo again) and focusing on growing subscriptions and monetizing the fruits of some giant acquisitions. It is as vast as it is boring. It may be quixotic, but I expect 2026 to be the year when more developers and gamers try to move away from Microsoft Gaming and Xbox to join Microsoft Gaming and Xbox. boycott BDS or get into Linux or find other places to sell your games. Considering how ubiquitous Microsoft's technology is, it won't be an easy journey.
Let's hope the Russian invasion of Ukraine ends.
We are now nearly four years into the deadliest conflict on European soil since World War II, a Russian invasion preceded by years of false flag operations and imperial rhetoric. I would like to predict that the battle will end this year with Russia retreating to its borders and abandoning its “historic” claims to Ukrainian territory. This seems unlikely given the facts on the ground and the Trump administration's desire to coddle Putin. But at least I hope for a proper ceasefire and a chance for many Ukrainian game developers to sleep peacefully at night. A whole generation of Ukrainian games is emerging, inspired by the experience of war, or working on the enormous practical problems involved or I'm directly involved in this.
Ramnarok continues
The generative AI craze is having a terrible impact on the availability of RAM, driving up prices and closure of one major consumer brand to sell more chips to “large strategic customers in high-growth segments.” Expect this to continue says a Kingston representativehowever, prices will remain high until 2026, and other hardware costs (including Valve's price) new Steam Machine and Steam Deck 2) is expected to increase by association. Not yet…
Will the bubble of genetic artificial intelligence burst?
My enthusiasm for seeing Sam Altman being forced to walk Cersei-style through a city of egg-throwing concept artists is countered by the belief that if a bubble of genetic A.I. does Pop, we will all suffer. At least, except for the super rich who force governments to bail them out. I'm not an economist, but the bare facts are that unfathomably large sum – as of the end of summer 2025, Nvidia accounted for about eight percent the value of the entire stock market – the collective bet was on technologies that had not yet fully demonstrated their value, not just boondoggles that could be waved around the office to reassure your investor friends that the future was already here. There are precedents in radio and aviation, but the promise that generative AI can be implemented in all areas of life creates daunting room for failure.
If you are reading this on January 1, 2027 and giving me a rating of 0/7, please note that about 90% of this article was written by the Rhinovirus Committee. Here are a few more words that deserve pertinent mention: World Cup, inflation, tariffs, China, Roblox, Fortnite, India, South America. Also, please read the comments, which I'm sure will be filled with much more significant and accurate predictions.
Alternatively, check Recent review of forecasts from adult GamesIndustry analysts: This includes some things about consoles, mobile gaming, and other areas of human endeavor that have never seen the glow of a Rock Paper Shotgun editorial. It's burning! It's burning! Cakemix for now.
