NewZoo’s Data About Early Access Is a Game-Changer for Developers in 2025

The monumental Global Games Market Report for 2025 analyzed the performance of games launching through early access. NewZoo, a trusted analytics firm in the gaming sector, recently released this comprehensive document, dedicating a significant segment to this purpose. Developers use the early access model, which has skyrocketed in popularity, to release a game while still creating it. However, is this popular strategy actually effective for long-term success?

A Race Against the Early Access Clock

Following this model allows developers to gather player feedback during the process, ensuring their games are fun by addressing any issues and concerns players have. Furthermore, several larger AA and AAA titles, including Baldur’s Gate 3 and Sons of the Forest, have also utilized early access to great effect. Specifically, the correlation between the length of a game’s access period and its player retention in the first three months following its full 1.0 release is explored in NewZoo’s analysis. For games that spend approximately six months in early access, this data reveals a clear peak in performance.

According to the report, a game’s potential to capture a sizable audience typically suffers a significant decline when its duration exceeds six months. Although the report noted a curious increase in performance at the 22 to 24-month mark, this anomaly was revealed to be driven exclusively by two major outliers, V Rising and Ready or Not. As a result of these findings, developers are put in a difficult situation.

Longer Early Access Periods Yield Smaller Audiences

Notably, most games see minimal or even no growth upon their full release compared to their early access launch numbers. Titles that demonstrate consistent and measurable growth overall are the ones that transition to a full release within about six months. Naturally, are there always exceptions to this observed rule? Upon reviewing the report, a few outliers, such as Dave the Diver from Mintrocket, have stood out.

While this remained in early access for eight months, it still erupted in popularity after its full launch, ultimately surpassing 1.5 million players. However, the reality becomes clearer when these unique successes are removed from the dataset, with other titles with similarly long access periods showing only marginal gains at best. Ultimately, the report’s central finding about the critical importance of a concise development cycle in early access is further reinforced.