Indies and original IP blew up in 2026

GamesIndustry.biz, using Sensor Tower research, shows a clear shift in the shape of the biggest launches across PC and console in 2026. The cohort of games selling more than 500,000 units in their first month grew from 55 titles in 2025 to 76 in 2026, with total first-month unit sales up 51% year over year, from 120.5 million to 182.4 million.

The biggest change for developers is the rise of indies and original IP. Indie titles made up 43% of the 2026 cohort, up from 24% the year before, while completely new IP climbed from 19 games to 35. Sensor Tower also found that 27 of those new-IP games came from indie studios, suggesting that smaller teams are increasingly driving the industry’s freshest commercial hits.

Sequels still matter, though. Forty titles in the 2026 cohort were the first game in a new series, and sequels accounted for 55% of month-one paid units. AA and AAA hit counts were basically flat year over year, but their share of paid units shifted: AA fell from 21% to 14%, while indies rose from 26% to 38%.

For teams planning launches, the takeaway is less “AAA is fading” than “the market is widening.” Sensor Tower’s top indie breakouts included Meccha Chameleon, How to Fish, Slay the Spire 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Escape from Duckov, reinforcing that both viral co-op concepts and long-awaited sequels can now move serious volume fast.