Roblox emerges as the most-played game by hours, Steam confronts wishlist inflation and declining game revenue, and Apple reignites its legal battle over App Store commissions.
Roblox has taken the spotlight as the most-played game by total hours in the first half of 2026, amassing 4.05 billion hours across PC and console. According to a report from GamesIndustry.biz, the game’s challenge now lies in retaining its aging player base. Roblox’s ability to sustain engagement among older demographics will be crucial as the platform continues to expand beyond its original younger audience.
In the PC gaming realm, Steam faces two significant issues. First, a report by Game World Observer explores the phenomenon of “wishlist inflation.” Despite this inflation, where the sheer volume of wishlists diminishes their perceived value, wishlists remain a critical element in a game’s market strategy. Concurrently, separate findings from Game World Observer reveal that the median revenue for games on Steam has continued its 12-year decline, with median earnings for 2026 titles at $1,728, drastically down from 2016.
Apple is back in the spotlight as it pushes to charge up to a 15% commission on purchases outside its App Store. As reported by Game World Observer, this marks a fresh development in the ongoing legal saga with Epic Games. Apple’s legal maneuver aims to overturn restrictions on in-app purchase commissions that have been imposed in U.S. courts.
Elsewhere in the industry, Dean Hall, known for creating DayZ, has released an open-source game development framework called Brutal. Coverage from GamesIndustry.biz reports that this tool aims to assist developers from his companies Ahwoo and RocketWerkz in building games more effectively.
In development news, 4J Studios has announced a closed playtest for their game Reforj on PC, expected to commence in Q1 2027, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz.
Additionally, Caves of Qud breaks new ground by introducing its DLC Diaspora as the first early access DLC release on Steam, despite the main game graduating from Early Access, according to Game Developer.
Finally, a thought-provoking opinion piece from Game Developer discusses the implications of prioritizing ‘core teams’ in development, suggesting that such focus can inadvertently devalue other essential contributors within the game development ecosystem.
