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Scoop
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Top 5 Video Game Genres In 2025: What's Driving Players Today
Article – Hugh Grant Open-world adventure games are for players who want to sink into a story and forget the clock. You boot it up to do 'just one quest.' Three hours later, you're still wandering because something caught your eye on the way. That's the genre's real strength … The video game industry is developing at a fast pace. Technology, player preferences, and the market are all changing so quickly that gaming developers need to adjust their products to stay relevant. Most of the core game genres are still popular, but their form revoluonizes. For example, competitive gaming is becoming increasingly intertwined with convenience and monetization strategies. And that's just one thing to mention. Let's dig deeper into the major 2025 gaming genre, what is new, what is timeless, and why monetization is a part of modern gaming. Role-Playing Games (RPGs) and MMORPGs RPGs have always been about control over your build, your decisions, and your pace. In 2025, they will continue to be one of the most central genres that players seek, more extensive than exciting gameplay. Turn-based, real-time, or somewhere in-between, modern RPGs a rich, mechanically-intensive gameplay that rewards strategy and discipline through branching storyline and long-term development. MMORPGs push that even further as they combine economy, fighting, and social interactions into day-long online environments. Final Fantasy XIV, Black Desert Online, and The Elder Scrolls Online are still developing. The offer new classes, cross-platform characteristics, and user development. Meanwhile, World of Warcraft remains the leader in the competition of legacy content and endgames. The January 2025 average viewer count on Twitch on WoW was 77.3 thousand viewers, and people spent 57.4 million hours viewing the content on Twitch. In April, the numbers went down to approximately 31,300 average viewers and 22.5 million watched hours. Nevertheless, WoW is one of the best MMORPGs. Its audience regularly increases to more than 100,000 when new updates are released. There are hundreds of streamers still broadcasting top-end stuff daily, whether it is in pushing arena rating, mythic raiding progressions, or any other top-end content. Some of them boldly advertise and sell WoW carry services regularly as a feature of their streaming program. It is a good example of how inseparable the late-game market in WoW has become from the rest of the creator economy. Battle Royale Battle Royale is still one of the most dominant genres in 2025, though it is no longer growing explosively but adapting. Fortnite and Apex Legends continue to top the charts, but the player base is shifting. New titles are trading in massive open zones for smaller, more tactical maps with faster match times. It is all about keeping the adrenaline up and the downtime low. Monetization remains a core part of the genre. Battle passes and cosmetic skins are the bread and butter. However, due to increased scrutiny around loot boxes, publishers have turned. Some games now offer 'premium' subscriptions with access to exclusive events, faster progression, and early content drops. It's less about gambling and more about upselling consistency. One of the prominent shifts is how boosting and carry services are becoming increasingly difficult for developers to ignore. With black-market boosting growing across genres, some studios are experimenting with more transparent alternatives. Among them a in-game coaching tools, mentorship systems, or premium matchmaking features that edge close to 'paid help.' It shows how competitive gaming is now tightly entangled with convenience and monetization, especially in high-pressure ranked modes. Open-World Action-Adventure In 2025, open-world doesn't just mean 'huge map with side quests.' That era's over. Now it's about worlds that feel alive, unpredictable, and worth getting lost in. Elden Ring, Hogwarts Legacy, Assassin's Creed Mirage, and similar games prove players want more than objective markers. They want freedom, mystery, and stories that don't hold your hand. Modern open-worlds focus on flexibility. You run into an enemy, fight, sneak, or just go around. Dialogue choices actually change outcomes. Weather shifts NPC behavior. Combat isn't just about reflexes. It's about how well you read the situation. These games don't guide you from point A to B. They drop you in and let the world pull you in whatever direction feels natural. Open-world adventure games are for players who want to sink into a story and forget the clock. You boot it up to do 'just one quest.' Three hours later, you're still wandering because something caught your eye on the way. That's the genre's real strength in 2025. Shooter Shooters are still a major force in 2025. Modern shooters demand positioning, timing, and keeping your cool when the whole team's down and it's just you against three. Valorant, Modern Warfare III, and Overwatch 2 keep pushing the genre. However, the real headline-grabber is Counter-Strike 2. From January to March 2025, CS2 smashed records with 99.16 million hours watched on Twitch. These numbers have topped all esports titles. That's next-level hype. It is high tech in every way. With ray tracing and adaptive triggers alongside 120 FPS action, shooters in VR make you literally hide behind your couch. However, competitive majors, sweat-inducing games, contracts, millions of dollars in prize pools, and live streamers ripping up tier-3 leagues are what the scene is all about. And with all this comes a growing market for carry services. Players buy help climbing ranks, unlocking gear, or just speeding up progress. Sometimes it is outright cheating. Sometimes it is a gray market, and sometimes it 'coaches' operating openly. Skill and money have become strange teammates in 2025 shooters. Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) MOBA is a genre that remains firmly popular in 2025 due to its bite-sized format. It's like football. You can jump in for 30 minutes, play a couple of matches, and bounce without a month-long grind or endless leveling. That pace fits busy people who don't want to waste hours on end. In Dota 2, players grind visible MMR — a concrete number that shows skill and directly ties to rank. League of Legends works differently. Visible ranks and LP are what players see, while the real MMR is hidden, influencing matchmaking behind the scenes but staying out of sight. On Twitch, LoL clearly leads. Early 2025 numbers show about 78 million hours watched for LoL, versus roughly 59 million for Dota 2. LoL wins with faster, more dynamic matches and shorter games. This makes it easier and more appealing to viewers. Both games have a thriving boosting market: direct rank climbing, coaching services, and carries. Getting help with climbing and learning is a huge part of the MOBA ecosystem, where skill and cash walk hand in hand. Final Say Each genre is holding strong while evolving in its own way. With smaller, more intense battles in Battle Royales, MMORPGs blending gameplay with creator-driven economies, and WoW carry streams becoming part of the daily content cycle. Open-world titles respect your time and curiosity. Shooters keep pushing tech and leaning into esports spectacle. MOBAs stay sharp and strategic. So, whatever your style, there is no better time to dive in and level up.
Scoop
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Top 5 Video Game Genres In 2025: What's Driving Players Today
The video game industry is developing at a fast pace. Technology, player preferences, and the market are all changing so quickly that gaming developers need to adjust their products to stay relevant. Most of the core game genres are still popular, but their form revoluonizes. For example, competitive gaming is becoming increasingly intertwined with convenience and monetization strategies. And that's just one thing to mention. Let's dig deeper into the major 2025 gaming genre, what is new, what is timeless, and why monetization is a part of modern gaming. Role-Playing Games (RPGs) and MMORPGs RPGs have always been about control over your build, your decisions, and your pace. In 2025, they will continue to be one of the most central genres that players seek, more extensive than exciting gameplay. Turn-based, real-time, or somewhere in-between, modern RPGs a rich, mechanically-intensive gameplay that rewards strategy and discipline through branching storyline and long-term development. MMORPGs push that even further as they combine economy, fighting, and social interactions into day-long online environments. Final Fantasy XIV, Black Desert Online, and The Elder Scrolls Online are still developing. The offer new classes, cross-platform characteristics, and user development. Meanwhile, World of Warcraft remains the leader in the competition of legacy content and endgames. The January 2025 average viewer count on Twitch on WoW was 77.3 thousand viewers, and people spent 57.4 million hours viewing the content on Twitch. In April, the numbers went down to approximately 31,300 average viewers and 22.5 million watched hours. Nevertheless, WoW is one of the best MMORPGs. Its audience regularly increases to more than 100,000 when new updates are released. There are hundreds of streamers still broadcasting top-end stuff daily, whether it is in pushing arena rating, mythic raiding progressions, or any other top-end content. Some of them boldly advertise and sell WoW carry services regularly as a feature of their streaming program. It is a good example of how inseparable the late-game market in WoW has become from the rest of the creator economy. Battle Royale Battle Royale is still one of the most dominant genres in 2025, though it is no longer growing explosively but adapting. Fortnite and Apex Legends continue to top the charts, but the player base is shifting. New titles are trading in massive open zones for smaller, more tactical maps with faster match times. It is all about keeping the adrenaline up and the downtime low. Monetization remains a core part of the genre. Battle passes and cosmetic skins are the bread and butter. However, due to increased scrutiny around loot boxes, publishers have turned. Some games now offer "premium" subscriptions with access to exclusive events, faster progression, and early content drops. It's less about gambling and more about upselling consistency. One of the prominent shifts is how boosting and carry services are becoming increasingly difficult for developers to ignore. With black-market boosting growing across genres, some studios are experimenting with more transparent alternatives. Among them a in-game coaching tools, mentorship systems, or premium matchmaking features that edge close to "paid help." It shows how competitive gaming is now tightly entangled with convenience and monetization, especially in high-pressure ranked modes. Open-World Action-Adventure In 2025, open-world doesn't just mean "huge map with side quests." That era's over. Now it's about worlds that feel alive, unpredictable, and worth getting lost in. Elden Ring, Hogwarts Legacy, Assassin's Creed Mirage, and similar games prove players want more than objective markers. They want freedom, mystery, and stories that don't hold your hand. Modern open-worlds focus on flexibility. You run into an enemy, fight, sneak, or just go around. Dialogue choices actually change outcomes. Weather shifts NPC behavior. Combat isn't just about reflexes. It's about how well you read the situation. These games don't guide you from point A to B. They drop you in and let the world pull you in whatever direction feels natural. Open-world adventure games are for players who want to sink into a story and forget the clock. You boot it up to do "just one quest." Three hours later, you're still wandering because something caught your eye on the way. That's the genre's real strength in 2025. Shooter Shooters are still a major force in 2025. Modern shooters demand positioning, timing, and keeping your cool when the whole team's down and it's just you against three. Valorant, Modern Warfare III, and Overwatch 2 keep pushing the genre. However, the real headline-grabber is Counter-Strike 2. From January to March 2025, CS2 smashed records with 99.16 million hours watched on Twitch. These numbers have topped all esports titles. That's next-level hype. It is high tech in every way. With ray tracing and adaptive triggers alongside 120 FPS action, shooters in VR make you literally hide behind your couch. However, competitive majors, sweat-inducing games, contracts, millions of dollars in prize pools, and live streamers ripping up tier-3 leagues are what the scene is all about. And with all this comes a growing market for carry services. Players buy help climbing ranks, unlocking gear, or just speeding up progress. Sometimes it is outright cheating. Sometimes it is a gray market, and sometimes it "coaches" operating openly. Skill and money have become strange teammates in 2025 shooters. Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) MOBA is a genre that remains firmly popular in 2025 due to its bite-sized format. It's like football. You can jump in for 30 minutes, play a couple of matches, and bounce without a month-long grind or endless leveling. That pace fits busy people who don't want to waste hours on end. In Dota 2, players grind visible MMR — a concrete number that shows skill and directly ties to rank. League of Legends works differently. Visible ranks and LP are what players see, while the real MMR is hidden, influencing matchmaking behind the scenes but staying out of sight. On Twitch, LoL clearly leads. Early 2025 numbers show about 78 million hours watched for LoL, versus roughly 59 million for Dota 2. LoL wins with faster, more dynamic matches and shorter games. This makes it easier and more appealing to viewers. Both games have a thriving boosting market: direct rank climbing, coaching services, and carries. Getting help with climbing and learning is a huge part of the MOBA ecosystem, where skill and cash walk hand in hand. Final Say Each genre is holding strong while evolving in its own way. With smaller, more intense battles in Battle Royales, MMORPGs blending gameplay with creator-driven economies, and WoW carry streams becoming part of the daily content cycle. Open-world titles respect your time and curiosity. Shooters keep pushing tech and leaning into esports spectacle. MOBAs stay sharp and strategic. So, whatever your style, there is no better time to dive in and level up.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
MindsEye director Leslie Benzies blames the game's failure on saboteurs, critics label him the 'most delusional man in gaming'
AllBollywoodCelebscoopHollywoodOriginalsBinge MindsEye was among the most disastrous gaming releases of 2025. | Credit: X MindsEye has been among the most disastrous gaming launches of 2025. Developed by Build a Rocket Boy, founded by former Rockstar Games producer Leslie Benzies, the game was highly anticipated because of the pedigree behind it. The release, however, has been widely characterized as disastrous. Released in a buggy, unfinished state with serious optimization issues, MindsEye was also panned by critics for its barebones, by-the-numbers gameplay loop and an anticlimactic ending that failed to give the storyline a satisfying conclusion. The way Build a Rocket Boy executives, including Leslie Benzies, have responded to the game's poor reception has also come under scrutiny, particularly with Benzies blaming 'internal and external saboteurs' for the game's failure. In response to Benzies's comments that were reported by IGN, streamer Moist Critical called him 'the most delusional man in gaming'. Leslie Benzies is eyeing a MindsEye relaunch The source here from IGN who obtained this statement: — ben (@videotechuk_) July 3, 2025 Even as the future of Build a Rocket Boy looks more uncertain than ever following MindsEye's failure, Leslie Benzies is reportedly keen on relaunching the title and salvaging the studio's reputation. While there is a precedent for games such as Final Fantasy XIV, No Man's Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 making a comeback from their disastrous launches, there is no clear roadmap for what MindsEye's future might amount to, although the developers have started rolling out patches to address technical issues. Studio leads are being slammed for their response to criticism Comments from both Leslie Banzies, as well as co-CEO Mark Gerhard, that imply that MindsEye was deliberately sabotaged, have drawn sharp mockery and derision from critics, who accuse the studio heads of refusing to take responsibility for the state the game launched in. Gaming news YouTuber LegacyKillerHD outright accused Leslie Benzies of hypocrisy, claiming that Leslie had originally pushed back against co-CEO Mark Gerhard's conspiratorial claims that there was a 'concerted effort' to malign the game, only to start echoing them once the dismal state of MindsEye became clear. I love how Leslie Benzies prior to launch disagreed publicly with his co-ceo that "saboteurs" were responsible for the negative impressions people had of the game prior to launch and yet... here we are. Zero ownership that they made a historically bad game. Just blame game shit. — Michael (@LegacyKillaHD) July 3, 2025 Popular streamer Moist Critical was also scathing in his assessment of Leslie Benzies, claiming that he'd displaced former EA CEO John Riccitiello as the most delusional man in gaming. He proceeded to explain that he didn't consider Leslie delusional because of the poor quality of the game, but because of Leslie's seeming inability to accept any responsibility for its state. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. First Published: Jul 07, 2025, 03:31 IST Pulak Kumar is an entertainment and current events writer who got his start with bylines in Sportskeeda and Koi Moi. He's immensely passionate about understanding and analyzing the latest happenings in Hollywood, anime, gaming and pop culture. Read More 7/7/2025 3:47:2
Engadget
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
MindsEye dev warns staff about layoffs amid talk of saboteurs and 'relaunch'
Microsoft isn't the only gaming company talking about layoffs this week. MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy (BARB) notified around 300 employees that they risk losing their jobs. However, the drama doesn't end there. The studio has reportedly blamed saboteurs for its woes… again. BARB workers posted on LinkedIn this week about receiving "risk of redundancy" emails. (That followed confirmation last month that the company formally began a layoff process.) Unfortunately, layoffs are par for the course these days. As for the rest of BARB's story? That's where things get weird. IGN reported that BARB founder Leslie Benzies addressed staff in a video call this week. (He's a former Rockstar North president and GTA producer.) Benzies is said to have blamed BARB's and MindsEye 's problems on internal and external saboteurs. That echoes comments made by co-CEO Mark Gerhard ahead of MindsEye 's launch. He claimed pre-release negative feedback was "100 percent" financed by someone. Who did Gerhard blame? Well, he didn't say outright. But he seemed to hint that Rockstar was involved. "Doesn't take much to guess who," he said. (Benzies departed the GTA developer on rocky terms, legal disputes in tow.) In yesterday's call, Benzies also reportedly vowed to relaunch MindsEye . That's a tough trick to pull off. Just look at the industry's few success stories. Final Fantasy XIV is part of an established franchise that has been a gaming household name for decades. And then you have titles like No Man's Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 that were gradually updated. They both arrived with considerably more interest from the gaming world than MindsEye . The latter's appeal largely came from Benzies' involvement. Will that even carry much weight after all the drama surrounding the launch? That isn't to say MindsEye couldn't improve dramatically and find a following. The single-player action-adventure game has a noticeable GTA influence, which will appeal to many. Criticism was aimed at its bugs (fixable), well-worn storyline (greedy humans and robot armies) and gameplay (drive, shoot, repeat). But it also has impressive cinematics and a tight linear arc. A tighter, bug-free version could scratch an itch for fans of Cyberpunk and Watch Dogs. MindsEye is also published by IO Interactive, which worked on Hitman: World of Assassination for years after launch. If BARB can hustle to regain players' trust, perhaps it could at least live to fight another day. Still, MindsEye 's list of ingredients doesn't exactly scream "gamers will come back." And with around 300 fewer employees working on it, that's an even taller order.
Time Business News
24-06-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
The Most Reliable Ffxiv Gil Site in the Market
Gil is the primary currency in Final Fantasy XIV. You can earn it in various ways, such as selling equipment and Materia for profit; monsters often drop it as rewards too! Players can mug NMs and BCNMs for Gil, though this usually yields minimal gains. Furthermore, completing quests or missions may provide ample gil. It is a virtual currency Gil is the virtual currency in FFXIV that players use to purchase weapons, equipment and furniture items. ffxiv gil can be earned through quests, side missions and leves as well as through dungeons and FATEs; players may also buy it from vendors in-game and via the market board; buying from reliable sellers may provide an efficient and safe method of earning it without using in-game methods. Players can earn Gil through several in-game activities, including MSQs and Guildleves, FATE dungeon rewards and Alliance raid trophies. Furthermore, farming dungeons or completing Challenge Log tasks as well as running Aetheryte Teleport Roulettes will generate significant sums of Gil for players; however these methods require significant investments of time from them. Market Board Flipping can be an efficient and risky way to gain Gil quickly in FFXIV, yet is often successful when applied to high-demand items like Glamor Gear or rare materials. Final Fantasy 14 Gil is used to purchase consumables, weapons and equipment for personal and Free Company housing, fast travel between Aetheryte teleport points throughout Eorzea as well as equipment repair costs and melding Materia. Subscribers have a maximum limit of 999,999,999 while trial players have 300,000. It is a form of payment Gil is the primary in-game currency used by players to purchase items from NPCs, dungeon rewards and bypass challenges in the game. Players can earn it through completing missions, defeating enemies and opening treasure chests – although selling items to merchants may also earn some gil over time. buy ffxiv gil from reliable sellers is one of the easiest ways to make more money in Final Fantasy XIV, and one way of doing so is registering an account on which offers various Final Fantasy XIV services including f14 gil sales. Furthermore, CDKeys and virtual goods may help players advance through the game more rapidly. Earn ffxiv gil by selling gear and materials to NPCs and players alike – especially high demand items like glamour gear or rare materials on the market – such as Treasure Trove events or Beast Tribe contests can yield significant Gil. Furthermore, running Dungeons, Guildleves or Duty Roulettes may also yield decent profits in Gil earnings. Once again, one effective way of earning ffxiv gil is through selling materials on the Market Board. This strategy can be especially helpful to Gatherers prior to content updates when prices of materials can spike sharply. In addition, selling consumables like EXP boost food or Allagan Tomestones is another reliable means of earning Gil. It is a form of investment Final Fantasy XIV's primary in-game currency, Gil, can be used to purchase equipment, mounts and glamour items from NPC shops and the Market Board; gather it through treasure maps and map parties in the open world; complete guildleves, dungeons, duty roulettes or Challenge Log entries and earn more gil; sell items to NPCs or on the Market Board to earn even more Gil! Passive farming in Final Fantasy XIV can be an efficient way to generate Gil, though it requires considerable time commitments from players. Players should observe the Market Board for underpriced items they can resell at a profit; as prices can change rapidly over time it's essential that players understand market trends before engaging passive farming methods. Crafting is a fantastic way to earn ffxiv gil, with high-demand armor and food items frequently selling well on the Market Board. Master Recipes introduced through new patches can further maximize gil earnings; however, crafting requires significant investments in both gear and materials before becoming profitable. Market Board purchases of cheap ffxiv gil are an efficient and hassle-free way to acquire it, yet some players may feel uncomfortable buying it from other players. There are ways around this, however; such as reaching out to trustworthy sellers for customer support before placing your bid; once received it will be sent directly into your account. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
